Within the Chico Municipal Airport, liesa nonprofit aviation museum. The Chico Air Museum holds over 100 years of aviation innovation. It’s not just planes. There’s also space artifacts on display. They’ve also welcomed countless speakers, including, Jonna Hoppes, the granddaughter of Jimmy Doolittle, known for the Doolittle Raid on Japan during World War II. The Chico Air Museum has free admission and is open from 10am-3pm every Thursday – Sunday.
The Chico History Museum, located on Salem Street within downtown Chico, holds a lot of knowledge about the early stages in the establishment of town along with the history of CSU Chico; displays feature prominent figures who helped shape the area to what it is now. With helpful staff and many descriptive plaques, that knowledge is easily conveyed to the attendees. They’re open every Thursday – Sunday, 11am-4pm. Admission is free for kids under 5, $3.00 for students, seniors, and veterans, and $5.00 for anyone else.
Located within the same parking lot of what is left of the Bidwell Mansion is the Gateway Science Museum. From now until August 30th, they will have The Story of the California Grizzly on display inside. On display outside year-round are a unique blend of over 200 native plant species. Open Thursday – Saturday, 11am-4pm. Adults are $7.00, anyone 3-7 years old is $5.00, and Chico State and Butte College students are free.
Although Chico holds many art museums, The Museum of Northern California Art stands out from the rest. From the stunning architecture outside, to the equally appealing pieces inside, there is a lot to see. On their website, they claim to be a “vehicle for communities in the region to experience and create art for the sake of enjoyment, expression, social cohesion, innovation and communication.” They do just that. Their doors are open every Thursday – Sunday, 11am-5pm
Every Saturday, from 12-2 pm, the National Yo-Yo Museum, located in the back of Bird In Hand, holds a beginner-friendly Yo-Yo club, open to the public. Usually, the gathering is held in Diamond Alley, just outside of the Museum. Anyone is welcome to join, whether you’ve been yo-yoing for 10 minutes or 10 years.If you have never even picked one up in your life, you’ll be welcomed and accommodated. If you’re not into the actual action of yo-yoing, the museum has lots of information and you can also check out their collection of 100 yo-yos.
