AAM'S WWII WEEKEND-VISITOR'MS TIPS
Information, advice, and answers to frequently asked questions, designed to make your World War II Weekend experience easier, safer, and more enjoyable...
Updated 3/28/23
LOOKING
FOR THE MUSIC? TAKE A RIGHT AT "TUXEDO JUNCTION"
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DIRECTIONS
TO THE SHOW |
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THE
DRIVING
DIRECTIONS & MAPS PAGE
on the
MAAM Web
features
detailed instructions from various directions and cities, as
well as a set of maps to help you navigate directly to the
World War II Weekend parking lots from wherever you are. |
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PENNDOT ELECTRONIC SIGNS WILL
DIRECT YOU ON RT 222 AND RT 422.
Do not get on Business
Route 222; the airport is not in downtown Reading! |
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PARKING AND
SHUTTLE BUSES |
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FOLLOW THE POSTED SIGNS at US 222/RT 183,
Bernville Road - Reading Airport exit.
All regular
parking locations will be in use. |
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VOLUNTEER TRAFFIC MARSHALS
WILL BE POSTED ON ROUTE 183.
They will direct you to the show parking lots, all of which
are serviced by shuttle buses. Please keep moving and do
not stop to ask questions, as this will only slow the flow
of traffic. |
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IN CASES OF MUDDY CONDITIONS OR HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUME
you
may be directed to remote parking areas Please follow the
directions of fire, police, and parking personnel to a
parking place. |
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PLEASE READ ALL SIGNS POSTED ALONG ENTRY ROUTES.
Traffic may temporarily flow one-way only. |
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THERE IS A DESIGNATED LOT FOR HANDICAPPED PARKING.
If
you do not have handicapped license plates, have your
handicapped sign visible. However, if handicapped
passengers are able to climb onto a bus, they will get
the best service by parking in our regular lots. The
shuttle bus will drop you off right at the main gate where
you can pick up your mobility scooter, if you have one
reserved. Click
here for further details on
Mobility Assistance. |
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THE
MUSEUM PARKING LOT IS RESERVED.
Only staff and previously designated special guests with
passes will be allowed to park there. |
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PARKING LOT BUS STOPS
ARE MARKED WITH BLUE FLAGS.
Buses
stop only at these marked bus stops. Please do not
attempt to flag down buses ; they will only pick
up at the designated stops marked by signs or blue flags. |
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STROLLERS AND WHEELCHAIRS
should be ready to fold before getting to the shuttle bus,
to avoid delay. |
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SHUTTLES
WILL RUN CONSTANTLY
between the parking areas and the gates. A short wait
should be expected, especially during peak in-flow and
out-flow periods. Buses will continue to run until the
close of the hangar dances on Friday and Saturday night. |
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ILLEGALLY
OR IMPROPERLY PARKED VEHICLES
blocking traffic in lots or on the street may be towed at
the owners expense to keep traffic flowing smoothly. All
parking is at your own risk. |
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CAMPING IS NOT ALLOWED
anywhere on the airport or the area surrounding it due to Federal
Regulations and local laws. |
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| PLEASE NOTE ENTRY & EXIT TIMES AND LOCATIONS! | ||
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ARRIVE EARLY.
As we get closer to gate
opening time,
traffic will greatly increase
and road congestion around the airport is common. |
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ALL GATES
OPEN OPEN FOR ADMISSIONS each day at 8:30 AM.
The public will not be admitted before this time. |
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ALL GATES WILL CLOSE FOR ADMISSIONS
at 5:30 on
Friday and Saturday, and at 5:00 on Sunday. |
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YOUR ADVANCE ADMISSION
tickets, or mobile device for e-Ticket scanning, should be
ready upon arrival at the gate. |
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TICKET PRICES
AT THE GATE:
3-Day Pass: $117 - Single-Day Adult : $39 - Child
6-12 years: $19 - Child under 6 years: Free. You may pay in cash or with credit and debit cards. |
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ENTRY FOR THE DINNER AND/OR DANCE
AFTER 5:30
PM :
Refer
to this section |
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PUBLIC ENTRY WILL CLOSE AT 8:00 PM.
After that time, only those individuals with event
wristbands and/or hand stamps from prior admission will be
allowed entry. |
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RE-ENACTORS
AND THEIR VEHICLES, and others wishing to
wear period uniforms and dress to the show:
Click here for admission
information. |
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ALL PERSONS
AND PARCELS
ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH
due to Federal airport
security requirements. Your cooperation and patience is
appreciated. |
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PLEASE BE AWARE AND FOLLOW THESE PROHIBITIONS AND RULES |
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* small cooler bags for water or baby formula will be allowed.
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FIREARMS AND WEAPONS OF ANY KIND* ARE SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED from being brought onto the event grounds by the general public and will be confiscated by security personnel at the admissions gate. * This includes any weapon or replica weapon capable of firing a projectile by any means; for example, Airsoft weapons. (Note: This prohibition does not apply to members of pre-registered re-enactor groups.) |
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DO NOT TOUCH OR CLIMB ON AIRCRAFT OR VEHICLES, or handle any of the displays without permission of the owner!
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TAKE CARE IN
AND AROUND DISPLAYS,
especially with young children. re-enactors go to great lengths to
provide the most historically accurate and realistic reenactment
possible. Many of the items they display are fragile or
irreplaceable. |
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ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKING IS ALLOWED on the paved ramp, aircraft parking areas on the grass, or in the museum buildings. 100 octane aviation fuel and flames are an extremely explosive combination! |
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Please restrict your smoking to the clearly marked, designated smoking area at the corner of the main hangar, outside the glass doors.
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MOBILITY
ASSISTANCE |
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NEED A LITTLE HELP
GETTING AROUND?
Our mobility vendor,
Scooter Time Rentals Inc. has what you need.
You can call them at 423-569-1933, e-mail at
info@scootertime.com or make reservations on the web
here.
MAAM does not have this information, so please contact Scooter
Time directly.
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DRESS FOR THE
EXPECTED WEATHER |
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SHADE IS LIMITED
and you
can expect to do a good bit of walking to see the entire show field.
Don't forget your sunscreen, and perhaps an umbrella or
rain jacket if the weather is threatening.
There are several Shade Shelters located around the field. Some other great places to take a break and get out of the elements are the Main Hangar, the Briefing Tent, the Base Club, and the Victory Theater. Some of the Flea Market vendors also have browsing space under cover. Consult the Show Map to find these locations.
While
we are talking about comfort, feel free to bring along your own lawn
chairs to watch the air, vehicle, and battle demonstrations. |
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WHATEVER THE WEATHER, WWII WEEKEND WILL GO ON.
No refunds can be given. We cannot simply postpone it
until the next sunny weekend.
Airshow aircraft, entertainers, vendors, special guests, re-enactors and
their vehicles, and just about everything else you will see, are
scheduled, contracted, and booked months in advance - long before the
airshow season ever begins. It is utterly impossible to reschedule an
event as massive and complicated as WWII Weekend, or indeed, any major
airshow, because of inclement weather; there are no spare weekends on
the airshow circuit. |
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YOU MAY NOT
ARRIVE AT THE SAME GATE AND TIME AS YOUR FRIENDS,
due to weather, time of day, traffic, and other factors.
Plan to meet somewhere
inside the show. The Main Hangar is the most visible
landmark on the show grounds, and there is plenty to see while you wait
for those "Tail-End Charlie's".
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THE
WWII WEEKEND MAP
of the show layout should help you arrange your rendezvous, or just find
your way around the sprawling show grounds. You may print it in Adobe PDF
format, (below). Or download it to your mobile device by tapping the
Show
Map bomb link on the
WWII
Weekend Home Page CLICK THUMBNAIL TO ENLARGE
Click here to download |
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PURCHASES |
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There is a lot of wonderful merchandise, memorabilia, and "militaria" for sale in the Main Hangar and Flea Market, not to mention all the tasty food and refreshing drinks on offer at several locations around the show grounds. (See the Features and Schedule page for details.) While many vendors accept credit cards, some may not accept debit cards. We promise everyone takes "greenbacks", though, and it won't cost you any ration coupons!
If you run low on Yankee dollars, there will be two ATM machines to
resupply you. One ATM trailer is near the Main Gate 5 and the other
is in the Home Front Area, near the Base Club. |
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"WAR
NEWS" COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAM |
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Don't forget to pick up a copy of this informative collector's item.
The "WAR NEWS"
magazine is much more than a souvenir, though. Along with the bios of
our Special Guests and performers, you will find the most complete
schedule of events at the WWII Weekend. Still only $5.00, it's
available at the gate or the MAAM PX Tent on the MAAM ramp. |
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SOUVENIR WW II WEEKEND
TEE-SHIRT |
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Order this year's show tee-shirt when you order your
Advance Tickets , or pick one up at at the
MAAM PX Tent
on the field. But don't wait until the end of the day, as this popular
item sells out quickly. |
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LODGING AND OFF-FIELD DINING |
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Here
is a list of
MAAM RECOMMENDED HOTELS. Also, please see our
VISITING THE MID-ATLANTIC AIR MUSEUM PAGE for information and links
to accommodations and restaurants in the area. |
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ENTRANCE FOR THE DINNER AND DANCe,
only
(FOR THOSE WITHOUT A WWII WEEKEND
ADMISSION TICKET) |
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Those not attending the main show, but who are coming for the Friday and
Saturday dinners and dances will be admitted no sooner than 5:30 PM.
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Admission will be via the Museum Gate, only, located between the Museum
Office and the Main Hangar. The gate will close promptly at 8:00 PM for
any new arrivals. |
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Each person entering without a regular admission ticket for that day
must pay $20 at the Museum Gate between 5:30 and 8:00 PM. |
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The Hangar Dances end and the show closes at 10:pm on Friday and
Saturday. |
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HEADS UP:
DINNER
TICKETS
are sold in advance only. |
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FLY-IN INFORMATION FOR
PRIVATE PILOTS |
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CLICK
HERE
to access comprehensive information for pilots flying to the show. |
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PLAN
YOUR EXIT FROM THE SHOW |
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Friday and Saturday shows end at 10:00 PM, after the hangar dances.
The Sunday show ends at 5:00 pm. |
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Separate bus loops will be used for the various parking lots during the
hours of 8:30AM and 6:30PM on Saturday. Please exit the show from the
same gate that you entered to assure you get on the right bus.
All
buses go to all lots on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. |
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After 6:30PM, and after the Friday and Saturday hangar dances, you must
exit through the Museum Gate adjacent to the Hangar to catch shuttle
buses to all lots. All other exits will be closed
at that time. |
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Plan your departure to
avoid the longest lines
at the end of the day. These are typically around 3:30
to 5:30 PM. Following
are some suggestions.... Instead of "hurry up and wait", we suggest you get a bite to eat, or take a leisurely look at the French Village and the encampments. If you are a shutterbug, this is your chance to find your favorite aircraft on the ground for a close-up shot in the lovely evening light. Please do not touch the aircraft. The very best way to avoid the exit rush on Friday and Saturday evenings is to stay and enjoy part or all of the live dance band performance, free of charge. Then you can leave in the cool of the evening, after rush-hour.
All of these activities are much more pleasurable than a long,
boring wait in a bus line, followed by an aggravating traffic jam on the
highway. |
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INQUIRIES
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If you didn't find the answer to your question, look around at the
various other pages of the
MAAM World War II Weekend Website,
and you probably will.
If not, you can call the Museum at (610) 372-7333 during business hours,
9:30 AM to 4:00 PM (closed Fridays and Sundays). You can also see what's
new on our official
Facebook Page, or send us an
e-mail. |
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Please
keep in mind that as show time draws near, it becomes increasingly
difficult to catch up with e-mails. Also, the
office will be closed on Friday through Monday during the show
weekend and the phone will not be manned. Normal operations will resume
on Tuesday, after the show and clean-up day. |
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You may also obtain WWII Weekend Show information from the
Pennsylvania's
Americana Region Visitors Bureau. They will be most happy to assist
you with directions, a visitors guide, hotel information, and map basic
information. The visitor's center phone number is 610-375-4085 or
1-800-443-6610. Or you can e-mail them at
info@visitpaamericana.com |
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The staff and members of the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, visiting aircrews, re-enactors, and the many volunteers who help make the show THE BEST WORLD WAR TWO SHOW, BAR NONE!' thank you for your support, and hope you enjoy MAAM'S WWII WEEKEND! |
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