During its 90th birthday celebration in 2025, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) launched a Culture Corner post-security in Terminal 3 that continues to present art, music, special events, hands-on cultural demonstartions and performances.
Monthly programming lined up for 2026 includes Ballet Arizona, the Great Arizona Puppet Theatre, the Phoenix Public Library, the Heard Museum, the Phoenix Zoo, the Valle Del Sol Folklórico Club, among many others.
But wait. There’s more.
PHX also has a Traveling Tunes program that presents live music four times each month. Performances are scheduled twice a month in both Terminal 3 and Terminal 4.
We love the airport’s Museum Program, which is one of the largest airport art programs in the country.
Both airport visitors and passengers will encounter artwork, exhibitions and aviation history throughout the airport, including in the pre-security Terminal 4 Gallery, the post-security Terminal 3 Gallery, in exhibition cases throughout both terminals, and at the Rental Car Center.
One of the newest exhibitions, called Spectral Alchemy, is on display in the Terminal 4 Gallery and showcases the work of 15 local artists.
So is Phoenix Sky Harbor International an airport or an arts and culture venue?
We say both!
Now open at the Phoenix Airport Museum: Spectral Alchemy, an exhibition featuring local artists and their take on mystical and celestial light. Visit Terminal 4, level 3 gallery. https://t.co/O4ugjxsuompic.twitter.com/vAx1lWlk0W
— Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (@PHXSkyHarbor) December 5, 2025
Planning a visit to Lexington? Check out this new bourbon-themed hotel. "The Manchester sits on the site of the historic Ashland Distillery — the city's first registered bourbon producer, which was established in 1865."#BourbonCountry | @VisitLEXhttps://t.co/xfCru6za9L
The Douglas DC-3 revolutionized commercial aviation during the late 1930s by enabling airlines to profit from passenger services. Prior to its introduction, airlines depended on mail contracts and freight services to remain profitable. #AirlinerChairs#avgeekpic.twitter.com/x2Q2DdxYmi
At the airport with time to spare? Spend it exploring the history of aviation in Southern Nevada! Visit our museum exhibits above Terminal 1 Baggage Claim! ✈️🤓 pic.twitter.com/QiqNFz7xtD
— Harry Reid International Airport (@LASairport) August 1, 2023
Learn the real story behind Denver Airport’s Mustang
He's big and he's blue – but his official name is Mustang. We call him cutie though.🥰
Did you know? Before Coors was available nationwide, the Rocky Mountain beer was so beloved by President Gerald R. Ford that his crew loaded it onto Air Force One and hauled cases back to Washington after their trips out west. #AviationDay2022pic.twitter.com/sAm3Cbsj4k
This morning we celebrated Through Our Eyes, a #PHLAirport art exhibition that displays the works of participants from the Philadelphia Autism Project. Today included remarks from Councilmember Derek Green and light refreshments. Check out the exhibit in A-East Baggage Claim. 🎨 pic.twitter.com/vZu0uVjo7R
Whether you’re waiting for a flight or here for a date night, the Phoenix Airport Museum has FREE art guides available to self-tour art and exhibitions. The guides are available on https://t.co/wy4v0PxEK2 and QR codes around the Airport.
New England Air Museum adjacent to Bradley International Airport (BDL)
May 18 is International Museum Day, which gives us an excuse to talk about some of the great museums in and adjacent to airports around the country.
Having a museum or museum program in an airport just makes so much sense. Millions of people pass through airports each year. Many passengers have plenty of downtime before their flights. And art or history exhibits in airports can connect passengers with a place, inspire them, educate them, or create those sought after moments of suprise and delight.
Here are a handful of airport museums and museum programs to look for on your next trip. Let us know if we missed your favorite.
Phoenix Airport Museum
The Phoenix Airport Museum at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is one of the oldest and largest airport art program in the country. You’ll find permanent artwork and temporary exhibitions throughout the sprawling airport facilities, including in the rental car center and at the Sky Train stations.
Did you know the Phoenix Airport Museum has FREE postcards available at most exhibition spaces? 📬
— Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (@PHXSkyHarbor) May 18, 2022
SFO Museum
The SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is accredited by the American Alliance of Museum (AAM). In addition to permanent public art and more than a dozen temporary exhibitions at a time, the museum maintains a video arts program , student art programs, and photography galleries.
Julia Clark (1880–1912) at the controls of a Curtiss biplane c. 1912. Courtesy SFO Museum
Wondering why the Aviation Museum & Library remain closed? Our recent blog post shares exciting details of the Museum’s renovation, as well as behind-the-scenes images of work to deinstall and protect the objects within. Read more: https://t.co/inXay9LBsM#BehindTheScenespic.twitter.com/oHhUuji7oO
The free Mitchell Gallery of Flight at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is located pre-security and open 24 hours a day. Exhibits include airplane models, aviation paintings, propellers, a scale model of the Milwaukee airport terminal as it looked in 1941, and sections dedicated to famous Wisconsinites in aviation history such as astronaut James Lovell and General Billy Mitchell, known as ‘the father of the U.S. Air Force.
You’ll find aviation-themed history exhibits and full-fledged aviation museums in and adjacent to many other airports too.
(This is a slightly different version of a story we prepared for NBC News)
Over this holiday, the Transportation Security Administration is expecting to screen a near pre-pandemic number of passengers.
Many travelers will be visiting an airport for the first time in almost two years but will be pleased to find a wide range of free services and amenities at the ready to help ease the journey.
Security Checkpoint Reservations
Travelers who haven’t paid for expedited security lane access with a TSA PreCheck or CLEAR membership may still be able to skip the long lines. A handful of airports now host free programs that allow travelers to reserve a time slot for going through the security checkpoint during the busiest hours. Look for the SEA Spot Saver Program, the LAX Fast Lane, DFW’s Fast Pass Pilot Program, Newark Liberty International’s Virtual Lane, and Orlando International Airport’s Reservation Lane, operated by CLEAR.
Gate Passes
A handful of airports offer free gate passes to non-ticketed visitors who want to meet an arriving passenger, see someone off at the gate, or spend baggage-free time dining, shopping, or plane spotting in the terminal. Pass seekers apply online ahead of their visit and, if approved by TSA, go through standard security screening. Airports currently offering gate passes include Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA), Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY), Bishop International (FNT) in Flint, MI, and California’s John Wayne Airport. The gate pass programs at Pittsburgh International and Tampa International airports are still on hold due to the pandemic.
Holiday Entertainment
Many airports have brought back free live concerts, performances, and other forms of entertainment just in time for the holiday season. For example, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) has a bright red mailbox set up to collect letters to Santa and promises a personalized response to anyone who includes their address.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has a robust holiday performance series underway, and the 25-foot-tall water feature in Terminal B at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is rotating in a holiday-themed show with its signature program
Movies and Games
At Dallas Forth International Airport (DFW) there’s a new, free interactive gaming experience at gate D-18 featuring a 40-foot-long media wall with a touchless tracking sensor.
The free 22-seat Hollywood Theatre Microcinema at Portland International Airport (PDX) has reopened, showing short films by Pacific Northwest filmmakers. (The films can also be viewed online). The free Video Arts gallery in the International Terminal at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has reopened as well, showing four new films a month every 20 minutes or less in the gallery and online. Free short films are also screened at the See 18 Film Screen Room (by Gate C18) at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
Free books and short stories
Reading is a great way to pass the time when traveling and a handful of airports offer passengers free reading material.
In Houston, there are two free Little Libraries at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and three inside Hobby Airport (HOU). Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has a book exchange corner in Terminal A West and a machine that dispenses short stories between Terminals D and E. Oakland International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, and Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) in Madison, WI, have short story dispensers too. And at San Jose International Airport (SJC), anyone can access the Pop-Up Library to download and access eBooks from the San Jose Public Library for free.
Free Airport Museums
In addition to permanent and changing art and history exhibits, airports in San Francisco, Miami, Phoenix, Albany, NY, and many other cities have free on-site museums and professional museum programs. For example, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is home to the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum, with its main exhibit up above baggage claim, and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) recently reopened the Mitchell Gallery of Flight, a free aviation museum open 24/7 in the pre-security area.
More free airport amenities
Look around and you’ll find plenty of other free things to do at airports this season.
Free yoga rooms are available at airports in Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, and Miami. American Heart Association kiosks offering free training in lifesaving, hands-only CPR are operating again at many airports. And cute as a button teams of therapy dogs are out in force in dozens of airports this season offering stress-busting visits and accepting free pats and hugs.
Airports are still spending lots of time and energy reminding passengers to wear their masks, wash their hands, and observe social distancing protocols.
But we are pleased to see that airports are also getting back to the business of promoting (OK, showing off) some great, unusual, and much-appreciated amenities.
*A two-fer from Sacramento International Airport (SMF) – a reminder of their “Flying Carpet” offering a birds-eye view of the area and their convenient CVS vending machine:
Know of a great airport amenity we could be celebrating? Drop a note in the comments section and we’ll check it out.
Did you know the Airport offers free goodies to the public year-round such as artistic and historic postcards and a large, take a book Library cart? #JAXAirportArtspic.twitter.com/CwlVpEbYQD
We missed you too, @Clearwatersea! But our passengers missed you most. ❤️ Airport lobster is back and we couldn't be more excited! 🦞 https://t.co/eFkRllDSfV
Did you know you can literally "walk" over the Sacramento area here at SMF? Flying Carpet (by Seyed Alavi), located in Terminal A, gives an awesome bird's-eye view of our beautiful landscape. pic.twitter.com/hGXFgq4WAe
— Sacramento International Airport (SMF) (@FlySMF) July 28, 2021
Forget to pack something for your trip? Run over to the Terminal A baggage claim, we have a @cvspharmacy vending machine for all your travel necessities! SMF is always looking for new ways to combine convenience and innovation to help better serve our travelers. pic.twitter.com/lnKzNirIB7
— Sacramento International Airport (SMF) (@FlySMF) July 19, 2021
“From hot pants and go-go boots to disposable paper dresses, the 1960s and 1970s were known for breaking fashion norms and traditions – even in the airline industry. Mid-century air travel had progressed into a posh experience and airlines built unique brand identities to set themselves apart. Each airline found new ways to attract passengers with amenities like onboard movies, gourmet meals, and glamorous flight attendants.“
This exhibition is put together by the Phoenix Airport Museum and includes eight flight attendant uniforms, historic photographs, and a variety of airline amenity objects.
If you are passing through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, look for the Style in the Aisle exhibit in Terminal 4, level 2 near ticketing through October 2021.
In the meantime, we’ve got some images to share here.
Highlights of the exhibit include Hughes Airwest’s 1977 “sundance yellow” dress with matching bucket-style hat and an American Airlines plaid “Americana” uniform with a raccoon-fur cap. A Trans World Airlines (TWA) single-use, gold paper dress – part of the “Foreign Accents” collection – is also on display.
Airline amenities on display include fine china and themed cocktail swizzle sticks. There’s also a first-class menu featuring caviar and lobster, and an ashtray and lighter with airline logos.
Flying Merkel twin-cylinder racer 1912- courtesy SFO Museum
If we can’t fly anywhere right now, how about a ride on a motorcycle?
A new exhibition by the SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) explores the history of motorcycling from the 1890s to 1915. On display are fourteen motorcycles that were made prior to 1916, rare engines, and photographs from the pioneering era of motorcycling.
Harley-Davidson Model 6 1910 – Courtesy SFO Museum
From the exhibition notes:
“Along with the automobile, the motorcycle was one of the earliest and most exciting applications of another new invention, the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine. Motorcycle technology progressed rapidly during the early 1900s, and as motorcycling gained traction, riding evolved from a novelty to a hobby, sport, and reliable source of transportation. By the 1910s, there were approximately 100 motorcycle manufacturers in the United States, all vying for consumer attention with distinctive attributes and designs.
Today, early American motorcycles are prized by collectors around the world who showcase their bikes on vintage rides, endurance runs, and at special events.“
Here are some photos of the motorcycles on display in the Early American Motorcycles exhibitionin the International Terminal of San Francisco International Airport. The exhibition will be on view through September 19, 2021.
Jefferson twin-cylinder racer 1914 – Courtesy SFO Museum Pierce Four Cylinder 1911- Courtesy SFO MuseumTwo women on a Pierce Four and sidecar c. 1910 Courtesy of Pierce-Arrow Museum
A new
exhibit by the SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport presents
products from the 1930s to the 1950s that are great examples of aviation-inspired
design.
Exhibition notes tells us that is was the Great Depression of the 1930s when the modern airplane became an inspiring symbol of hope.
SFO Museum Aviation Exhibition
“Sleek and shiny, the new all-metal aircraft lifted spirits and promised a brighter future. The emerging study of aerodynamics, using wind-tunnel testing, rapidly advanced the design of aircraft. With smoother streaming lines, airplanes were flying faster and farther and capturing the public’s imagination. The functionality of this new aerodynamic understanding, which became known as “streamline design,” extended to other forms of transportation, including trains, cars, and ships.”
SFO Museum Aviation Exhibition
And to products such as bicycles, typewriters and household appliances which were designed with sweeping lines, rounded corners and tapering teardrops in homage to the airplane.
The exhibition, Streamlines: Air Age Aesthetics for Industrial Design, is located pre-security in SFO’s Aviation Museum and Library (in the International Terminal) between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. through September 22, 2019.
SFO Museum Aviation Exhibition
Here are more objects from the exhibition. All photos courtesy SFO Museum.
The “Mystic” Radio Bug and headset c. 1927 – courtesy SFO Museum
Radio – the invention – was a transformational technological triumph of the 20th century and today some of the earliest radios – the objects – are sought after collectible objects.
A new exhibition – On the Radio – from the SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport brings together classic radio sets spanning sixty years of design, from crystal sets and luxury consoles, to stylish tabletop models and pocket-sized transistors.
Here are some highlights from the exhibition on view post-security on the Departures Level of SFO Terminal 3 through September 30, 2018. All photos courtesy SFO Museum.
Put on a podcast -or better yet, download an old-time radio classic – and take a tour.
