This is a major bummer.
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum, a longstanding tribute to Houston’s aviation history, has closed because it was no longer economically sustainable, according to its president.
The museum is adjacent to Houston’s Hobby Airport. Karen Nicolaou, president and director of The Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society, the nonprofit that operates the museum, said she hopes the closure is temporary as a workable financial solution is sought.
“The museum has ceased operations at this time,” according a Facebook post. “Thank you to everyone who has contributed.”
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The Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society nonprofit leases space in the old terminal building for the museum. She said the building is owned by Houston Airport System which reports to the city of Houston and the mayor’s office and it is governed by federal aviation regulations.
On March 6, 2019, the Houston Municipal Terminal Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is a recognized piece of history by the city of Houston.
As a nonprofit that leases the building, she said they face restrictions on where they can get their funding and how they use the space.
The final blow, Nicolaou said, was Facebook’s refusal to let the group pay to promote their raffle fundraiser on the platform because the company considered it gambling. The board of the nonprofit hosted a raffle for a 1928 Ford Model A in December 2025 and had held a raffle the previous year as well. The group also tried raising money through GoFundMe pages and other methods before the closure.
She said the raffle makes up over 50% of their budget and they’ve been doing the raffle for 10 years. The museum’s website lists major benefactors for the museum which include United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Texas Preservation Trust, The Strake Foundation, The Houston Endowment and others.
The general economic malaise didn’t help either. I’m annoyed that goddamn Facebook refused to promote their big fundraiser, for such a flimsy reason. I don’t know what can be done about that. There are still some possible ways forward, because this situation as it is now is unacceptable.
While the museum is closed for now, Nicolaou says its board has been in contact with the Texas Historical Commission about taking over operations. One issue is that the commission would want to take ownership of the building from Houston Airports, according to Nicolaou.
“That’s going to take coordination between the city, the airport system, and the Texas State Senate. There’s a lot of politics involved,” Nicolaou says.
Of course, she has a simple proposal for Houston Mayor John Whitmire that would move the process along.
“Mr. Mayor, sell the historical commission the building for a dollar and be done with it,” she says with a laugh.
In response to CultureMap’s request for comment, Mayor John Whitmire provided the following statement: “I’ve spoken with the Chair of the Texas Historical Commission about opportunities to support the museum’s operations in ways that enhance the public experience. We’re making progress, but discussions are in the early stages.”
Whether it’s operated by the City of Houston, the Texas Historical Commission, a university, or some other entity, Nicolaou hopes the public will be able to visit the museum again soon and for many years to come.
“We want a permanent solution. We’ve tried for one for years,” she says. “It belongs to the city. It belongs to the residents of the city of Houston. They should have it to go to for years.”
Yes they should, and one way or another some person or organization needs to step in and save the day. We have the capacity, we just need a volunteer. I really hope that happens, and soon.
Pick it up with a crane and plop it down in the middle of the Astrodome – that way the two buildings no one gives a shit about can sit side by side in obscurity.