The Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society says it has notified the City of Houston and the Texas Historical Commission that it is in default on its lease for the 1940 Air Terminal Museum and the adjacent 1928 hangar at William P. Hobby Airport. According to a May 13 statement from HAHS, the organization has been told to leave both buildings by June 30.
The museum suspended operations earlier this year, citing financial pressures, as the Texas Historical Commission (THC) continued reviewing the site for possible inclusion in its Historic Sites Program. The Art Deco terminal, which opened in 1940 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, houses historic aircraft, airline artifacts, archives and educational materials tied to Houston’s early airline history.
HAHS said it is asking for written relief from the deadline while the city and THC continue discussions, as well as written confirmation from THC on whether it will move forward with assuming responsibility for the site.
According to HAHS, a Phase II assessment completed by THC in September 2025 found that the museum met all eight criteria for inclusion in the agency’s historic sites program and recommended a Phase III assessment. HAHS said that follow-up review, which would have addressed lease and partnership questions, was not started.
“The 1940 Air Terminal building will remain,” the HAHS board said in its letter. “Its contents — eighty years of Houston aviation history — will not.”
The board said it plans to turn over the property empty on June 30 unless the city or state takes further action. HAHS, a volunteer-run organization that has operated the museum for more than 20 years, said it has asked both institutions to act before the deadline.
