Aviodrome: The ultimate Dutch aviation playground!
- Kris Christiaens
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
For anyone who still gets goosebumps at the sight of a tail-fin or who can recite Fokker type numbers in their sleep, Aviodrome at Lelystad Airport is a museum that rewards curiosity. It’s not a sterile “glass case” collection: Aviodrome combines big-airliner spectacle (yes, there’s a real KLM Boeing 747 outside you can board), intimate classics in hangars, a reconstructed 1928 Schiphol terminal, interactive flightsims, and a surprisingly deep slice of Dutch aviation history.
The institution that became Aviodrome began in 1955, when Dutch industry and airlines (KLM and Fokker among them) created a foundation to preserve the nation’s aviation heritage. The museum first opened in 1960 as the Aeroplanorama, closed, and re-emerged at Schiphol in 1971 as the Aviodome, a literal dome (a Buckminster Fuller–designed geodesic structure) that housed the collection for decades. As the collection outgrew the site, the museum was moved to a purpose-designed complex at Lelystad Airport in 2003, and the name Aviodrome stuck. The museum weathered financial trouble (bankruptcy in 2011) but reopened after a change in ownership and has been operating as the national aviation theme park and museum ever since. Aviodrome’s collection is large and eclectic, the museum lists more than 100 aircraft spanning early lightplanes, classic piston transports, postwar military types, and airliners that defined Dutch civil aviation. The curatorial focus understandably leans toward the Netherlands’ aviation industry (chiefly Fokker) and KLM’s operational history, but you’ll find aircraft representing many eras and roles. Aviodrome is also part theme park: it runs flight simulators (nice for those who want to log a few virtual hours in a jetliner), a 4D movie theater that dramatizes flight experiences, and regular fly-in weekends when airworthy classics visit the field.
Headliners
Boeing 747-200 (PH-BUK - “Louis Blériot”) Let’s get the showstopper out of the way: the KLM Boeing 747-206B on the Aviodrome apron is impossible to miss. This PH-BUK Jumbo flew with KLM until 2003 and was ferried to Lelystad in pieces to become a permanent outdoor exhibit. It’s a combi configuration (cargo and pax) and is often used for guided tours, corporate events, and, yes, for aviation-nerd snooping around the upper deck, cockpit and galley. For many visitors the chance to walk inside a classic 747 in original KLM trim is worth the trip alone.
The impressive Boeing 747-200 at Aviodrome - Credit: Kris Christiaens 
The Boeing 747-200 cockpit - Credit: Kris Christiaens Fokker dynasty - F.27, Fokker 100, and more
If you’re a Fokker fan, Aviodrome is a must. Multiple Fokker airliners and prototypes are displayed (Fokker F.27 Friendship, Fokker 100 among them), with some airframes donated by KLM/Air France-KLM and other operators. The Fokker 100 on site (PH-OFA was donated in 2010) tells the story of the company that dominated Dutch civil aviation for much of the 20th century, from wood-and-fabric pioneers to the metal commuter jets that were staples of European skies.
Fokker C.V-D - Credit: Kris Christiaens The 1928 Schiphol terminal reconstruction
One of Aviodrome’s more atmospheric exhibits is the meticulous reconstruction of Schiphol’s 1928 terminal building. It’s a tactile way to experience early commercial flying: radios and Morse, ticket counters, and the tower offer a sense of how air travel felt in the interwar years. The exhibit is laid out for story-driven discovery, a hallmark of Aviodrome’s approach.
Schiphol's 1928 terminal building and a Fokker F27 aircraft - Credit: Kris Christiaens 
Inside Schiphol's 1928 terminal buiding - Credit: Kris Christiaens Jet Fighter Exhibition One of the most fascinating corners of Aviodrome is the dedicated Cold-War jet fighter exhibition, a zone that shifts away from the museum’s civil-aviation roots and plunges you into the era when speed, altitude, and interceptor-capability defined the aviation game. Tucked into a specially built hangar, the “jet era” display combines four fully restored historic fighters plus two additional external jets, all of which showcase how military aviation evolved from the early jet age into supersonic heights. At Aviodrome, a MiG-21 is featured in the Jet Fighter Exhibition, positioned alongside other Cold-War era aircraft such as the Swedish Saab 37 Viggen.
The iconic MiG-21 of the East German Air Force - Credit: Kris Christiaens 
The Fokker S.14 jet trainer - Credit: Kris Christiaens Classic Douglas and de Havilland types
Aviodrome hosts several Douglas transports, DC-2, DC-3 (the immaculate KLM DC-3 PH-TCB is a frequent showpiece) and DC-4 examples, aircraft that shaped interwar and postwar commercial routes. The DC-2 “De Uiver,” famed in Dutch aviation lore, is linked with the museum’s storytelling around the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race and the Netherlands’ early airmail and passenger services. These piston classics are staged to show period interiors and crew stations, which makes them perfect for in-depth perusal.
DC-3 'The Flying Dutchman' - Credit: Kris Christiaens The 'Grande Dame' of Dutch aviation
One of the true stars of the Aviodrome collection is the Lockheed L-749 Constellation, affectionately known as the “Connie”, displayed in the museum’s indoor hall and painted in its iconic 1950s KLM Royal Dutch Airlines colours. The particular aircraft on display (registration N749NL, c/n 749-2604) was originally built for the USAF (as a VC-121A) before passing through several roles and undergoing restoration for display at Aviodrome. The Constellation arrived at Aviodrome in the early 2000s, with the restoration ongoing both in the U.S. (Arizona desert) and in the Netherlands.
The Lockheed L-749 Constellation - Credit: Kris Christiaens The space collection Aviodrome isn’t purely atmospheric; it treats aerospace broadly. The space exhibit hosts artifacts from Dutch space initiatives (backup flight units, IRAS mockups, models of probes), a compact but interesting sidebar that connects aeronautical engineering to the space age. For tech geeks who like rocket-to-jet narratives, it’s a neat addition.
The space collection at Aviodrome - Credit: Kris Christiaens
Why visiting Aviodrome?
Aviodrome is more than a warehouse of old metal, it’s a curated narrative of Dutch aviation, a living repository for Fokker and KLM stories, and a place that balances preservation with public engagement. For an aviation geek, the museum’s strengths are access and context: you can not only see a 747 or a Fokker 100, you can step inside, trace lineage lines from biplane to jet, and find manufacturing anecdotes that connect design choices to operational realities. The blend of airworthy visitors, interactive tech, and a clear national focus makes Aviodrome one of Europe’s more satisfying single-site experiences for anyone who loves how flight evolved. Aviodrome is also very highly recommended for kids because this museum offers interactive exhibits, kids can enter real aircraft and there are also special activities during school holidays.
Practical tips
Allocate a full day if you want to read placards, take the 747 tour, try a simulator, and catch the 100 Years exhibition. The museum’s scale rewards slow wandering. Lighting varies: some historic aircraft are spotlighted, others sit in low museum light to evoke an era. Buying online may save time at the entrance, especially on weekends and school holidays. Bring a lens in the 70–200mm range for detail shots inside hangars and a wider lens (or phone panorama) for the 747 and hangar interiors.
Transportation Tips
Car: Easy parking right at the museum (paid, but convenient)
Public transport: Lelystad Airport stop + short walk, check schedules ahead, service can vary on weekends
Cycling: Great option if you're coming from Lelystad city, with bike racks available
Text & photos: Kris Christiaens
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