Frank Borman Exhibit Open in EAA Aviation Museum

December 6, 2018 - “The Borman Collection: An EAA Member’s Space Odyssey Exhibit” has been installed in the Hansen Gallery next to the main staircase of the museum. Col. Frank Borman, EAA Lifetime 300174 and one of America’s most iconic astronauts, has chosen the EAA Aviation Museum to house his personal collection of artifacts.

This exhibit will honor Frank’s U.S. Air Force career and his Gemini 7 and Apollo 8 missions. The museum is honored to have been chosen to receive this amazing collection, and is proud to put it on display.

Frank, who commanded the Apollo 8 mission that in December 1968 became the first manned flight to orbit the moon, will participate in a December 7 ribbon cutting for the EAA museum display that features his personal memorabilia. The full exhibit is open to the public beginning on Saturday, December 8.

This exhibit contains dozens of items from Frank’s personal collection. The legendary aviator generously donated more than 1,000 items to EAA earlier this year. EAA Museum Program Representative Chris Henry said getting the items themselves was great, but Frank picking the EAA Aviation Museum showed the special relationship the two sides have.

“I can’t even begin to explain what an honor that is, to have something that the Smithsonian [National] Air and Space Museum comes to us and says, ‘We’re extremely jealous you guys got that,’” Chris said. “Not just the artifacts, but also that great relationship and trust with Frank. That we’re where he wanted his items to be displayed is a high honor, I think, for everybody on the museum team, in the organization, and all of us [as] EAA members. I think we should all be honored.”

Frank spent 477 hours and 35 minutes in space in total, and many of the items collected in “The Borman Collection” were up there with him for several of those hours. In addition to being one of the larger collection of space-flown items in the region, the exhibit is more than just general artifacts from Gemini and Apollo — it offers a unique view of the mementos that Frank felt the strongest about, and chose to preserve and ultimately donate to the EAA Aviation Museum.