Scaled-Down Fantasy Of Flight To Reopen

The former maintenance hangar at the Fantasy of Flight aviation attraction in Polk City, Florida, will reopen to the public soon to display some of Kermit Weeks' aircraft collection, including a 1944 B-24 Liberator, the museum announced this week. The opening day is tentatively set for Saturday, Dec. 6. Meanwhile, Weeks said the next evolution of the attraction will continue to develop over the next three to five years. During the transition, the site remains open for corporate and private events. The maintenance-hangar collection will be open to the public Thursday to Sunday.

The doors closed in April and staff was laid off at the site, after 18 years of operation. The museum featured a variety of aviation displays, a restaurant, "immersion exhibits" that helped visitors imagine the airplanes in their historic roles, and tours of the restoration shop. When announcing the shutdown, Weeks said, "This isn't the end of Fantasy of Flight, it's just the next step on the company's journey … Think of this as a caterpillar going into its cocoon.We expect to re-emerge as a brand-new butterfly!"