Entry No. 37 — the Coeur d'Alene file — filed under: offbeat-museum
Bird Aviation Museum & Invention Center
Founded by Dr. Forrest Bird, the inventor of the modern medical respirator, this free museum mixes vintage aircraft (like a 1947 amphibious Sea Bee and a 1936 Piper Cub) with an eccentric 'invention center' of well-known and obscure inventions plus Bird's own pulmonary medical equipment. It moved from rural Sagle to a hangar at Pappy Boyington Field just north of Coeur d'Alene.
The story
Dr. Forrest Bird wasn't content merely inventing the modern medical respirator—a life-saving device that quietly kept millions of human lungs pumping worldwide. He also accumulated vintage aircraft, mechanical oddities, and a deep fascination with how people solve physical problems. The result was a personal collection that spent years tucked away in rural Sagle before relocating south to an active airport hangar at Pappy Boyington Field in Hayden.
Inside, you get a front-row seat to a high-flying brain dump. Glass display cases tracking Bird's revolutionary pulmonary equipment share floor space with an amphibious 1947 Republic Seabee and a 1936 Piper Cub. Right alongside the wings sits a wall dedicated to inventions both famous and obscure, arguing that human progress is equal parts sheer medical genius and obsessive mechanical tinkering.
What it's like
You pull up along Cessna Avenue right on the airport perimeter. Step inside the echoing hangar and you won't find a slick sales pitch or ticket counter—admission is entirely free. The room carries the quiet atmosphere of a working airfield shed, where you can wander directly beneath wingtips, inspect medical prototypes up close, or talk shop with docents who know the mechanical backstory of the exhibits. Just check the calendar before driving up: they lock up for deep winter and remain closed every Sunday and Monday.
The move: Spend a free weekday morning poking through the planes and the wall of strange inventions, then grab lunch nearby and brainstorm the dumbest invention you could each patent.
📍 Before you go Free admission; hours are seasonal (closed Sundays/Mondays and through deep winter), so check the current schedule before driving up.
- 📍 Hayden
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2678 W. Cessna Ave, Hayden, ID 83835
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Triple Play Family Fun Park — Trade the quiet history of vintage aircraft for noisy arcade games and bumper cars less than two miles down the road.
- Old School Liquor Bar — Swap the aviation hangar for a drink inside a repurposed 1920s brick schoolhouse in nearby Huetter.
- Jumping Jackalope Axe Throwing — Channel the museum's focus on practical tools and mechanics into throwing axes and knives a short drive south.
Good to know
Is admission really free?
Yes, entry is completely free, though voluntary donations help keep the hangar doors open.
Where is the museum located?
It is located at 2678 W. Cessna Ave in Hayden, Idaho, right on the grounds of Pappy Boyington Field (Coeur d'Alene Airport).
What aircraft can I expect to see?
The hangar displays real vintage planes, including a 1947 amphibious Sea Bee and a 1936 Piper Cub, parked alongside Dr. Bird's medical innovations.
When is the museum open?
Hours are seasonal. The museum closes completely through the deep winter months and operates on a schedule that excludes Sundays and Mondays.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: visitnorthidaho.com · Wikipedia · Official site · myavista.com · cdapress.com
last checked: 2026-06-24