You’ve heard the term “blockbuster” before right? Normally we hear this term during the summer months when all the big movies hit the theaters, but this year, The Leonardo is opening our own version of a blockbuster exhibit. In August 2016, our first completely original blockbuster exhibit entitled FLIGHT opens to the public.
Since the inception of our museum, we have been known primarily as a venue for traveling exhibits. Being a science, technology and arts focused museum, we wanted to create, from scratch, an exhibit that could inspire a generation of exploration and curiosity. When thinking of topics for this exhibit and diving into what Leonardo da Vinci was passionate about, the idea of flight sang out the loudest.
FLIGHT is a completely immersive experience into the world and ecosystem of flight. At the heart of the exhibit will be a fully restored C-131 aircraft which will hang from the ceiling of the museum and clear the walls on either side of the exhibit hall by a mere six inches. Commissioned in the 1950’s, this aircraft has flown combat missions and was left abandoned in the Arizona desert before The Leonardo decided to make it the centerpiece of this newest exhibit. As a result, visitors will be encouraged to sit in the pilot seat, tinker with buttons, play with levers, poke around inside the fuselage, climb on the wings and take part in hyper-realistic flight simulations.
Flight began to take shape about two years ago, and since that time, the exhibit has had its fits and starts—much like any project that ever tries to get off the ground. (Did you catch that pun?) We’ve had several people donate to make the project a reality and we’ve come a long way in the last two years. Why we’re raising funds now is to simply get us over that last hurdle to lay down our last few feet of runway. (How bout that pun?)
We have created a Generosity page and are asking for donations from the public. There are multiple levels of donation, each offering different rewards and exclusive benefits for donors. The first level of donations starts at $5. We are calling this level “Get Your Wings.” For your donation of $5, you’ll receive a FREE pair of Air Leo wings, just like they give out when you travel today. You’ll also receive one (1) free ticket to among the first in the world to see the FLIGHT exhibit. Tickets are normally $13 so this is steal.
If you would like to donate $5 to FLIGHT or see the other donation opportunities and their perks, click here.
The horizon line for flight is still unknown. With your help and generous donations, we hope to inspire the next generation of exploration and discovery.