MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- It’s a place where dreams take flight. It’s also a place in San Diego that is free for active duty military and children.The San Diego Air & Space Museum, located in the heart of San Diego’s Balboa Park, was built by the Ford Motor Company in 1935 for the historic California Pacific International Exposition. But it encompasses more than relics of aviation history.With an exhibit gallery that features all sorts of aircraft from the beginning of man’s first flight to missions to outer space, the museum’s collection of aircraft and the information available to viewers is staggering. It’s a visual story of the exploration of the skies and the stars by mankind. Organized by time period, the collection recognizes special aviators of all nationalities, including many Naval and Marine aviators.Visitors are first introduced to some of the many famous faces of flight in a maze-like portrait gallery of some of the world’s landmark aviators. A colorful oil painting of former Marine pilot and astronaut John Glenn is among them.Continuing on into the circular museum, the first large-scale exhibit deals with the dawn of powered flight and the rudimentary machines that flew during World War I. Follow on exhibits deal extensively with World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf War and America’s exploration of space. Many of the exhibits are geared toward education about aviation and for children there is an education center and a few flight simulators.The overall effect of the museum’s layout makes for a fluid transition from one time period to the next, with a seamless aviation history experience. All of the exhibits are very visual and convey the significance of the many contributors to powered flight. There is even an extensive exhibit showcasing the history of commercial aircraft as well as the women of flight.The “core” of the museum is a center pavilion illuminated by a massive sunroof. Surrounding a water fountain are several hanging aircraft on display, including a MiG-17, a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom and a Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor transport airplane.Other special galleries feature many rare and unique historical artifacts, from space suit gloves used by Mercury astronauts to aviator insignia and uniform decorations. In addition to the full size replicas and authentic aircraft, each time period exhibit has a plethora of small scale models that fully capture and evidence the myriad types of aircraft flown during the ages.Several restoration projects are underway at the museum. Currently a Boeing P-26, a Gee Bee R-1, a Bell H-13D and a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis are underway with restoration tours available to visitors for a small fee.The San Diego Air & Space Museum is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. everyday. For more information, call (619) 234-8291, or visit the museum’s Web site at http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org.