Aviation museum at one of the nation's oldest military airfields — where a Vietnam-era C-141 that carried war dead is said to still carry its passengers
22550 Van Buren Blvd, Riverside, CA 92518
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Adults (12+): $18. Seniors (62+): $12. Veterans: $10. Children (5-11): $10. Children under 5 and active military: free. Museum members: free.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved museum grounds and hangar floors. Outdoor aircraft display areas on tarmac.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1918 · One of the Nation's Oldest Military Airfields · World War I Origin (1918) · 120+ Aircraft Collection
Alessandro Field was established in March 1918, one of many rapid military aviation installations created as the United States entered World War I. It was renamed March Field in honor of Second Lieutenant Peyton C. March Jr., killed in a training accident. The base became a key strategic installation over subsequent decades, operating through World War II and into the jet age.
The March Field Air Museum was established in 1979, initially operating in the former base theater (Building 467) before moving to a purpose-built 19,200-square-foot hangar in 1993. The museum changed its name from March Air Force Base Museum to March Field Air Museum in May 1999 to reflect the base's transition to reserve status.
The collection grew to more than 120 aircraft as of 2025, when an F-16 was added. The exhibits span from early military aviation through the Cold War, with aircraft from multiple conflicts on display both inside the hangar and on the tarmac. Among the outdoor displays is the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter — a Cold War-era heavy transport that flew extensively in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, including medevac missions and the repatriation of casualties.
Sources
The paranormal reputation at March Field Air Museum centers on the C-141 Starlifter parked in the outdoor display area. Museum curator Jeff Houlihan told NBC Los Angeles that the aircraft has yielded recorded voices during investigations, which he attributes to its history as a casualty-transport aircraft during the Vietnam War. Sherry Zigler, a museum office worker and founder of Dead Horse Creek Paranormal, conducted investigations of the aircraft and reported detecting at least two soldiers still aboard, a nurse, and patients consistent with the plane's medevac role.
The Ghost Adventures crew filmed an episode at the museum in 2018 (Travel Channel), focusing on the aircraft collection and reports from employees who described voices, objects moving from their cases in the main hangar, and apparitions. The Riverside-area paranormal community had already been documenting activity at the site before the television production arrived.
Retired LAPD officer and museum security guard Michael Diaz gave an on-the-record account to NBC Los Angeles: he described the persistent sense of being watched, goosebumps in specific areas, and unexplained sounds in the building. Night-vision recordings made in the former medical building on the property reportedly captured human-shaped figures in empty rooms. Air Force officials have been publicly skeptical of the paranormal claims, but the volume of independent staff testimony distinguishes March Field from venues where hauntings are primarily marketing.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
More than 120 aircraft on display, including the Vietnam-era Lockheed C-141 Starlifter that museum curator Jeff Houlihan says has yielded unexplained voices on recorder. The museum's main hangar and former medical building have both been sites of reported paranormal activity. Ghost Adventures filmed here in 2018.
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