May 22, 2026
Final boarding for museum drama
1940 Air Terminal Museum Begins Liquidation
Houston mourns a hidden museum as commenters eye giant flight sims and joke about lowballing
TLDR: A Houston aviation museum is liquidating three giant old flight simulators for $20,000 each because it has to leave by the end of June. Commenters are torn between sadness that the museum is fading away, awe at the machines, and jokes about lowball offers and needing a forklift the size of a small dinosaur.
A beloved slice of Houston aviation history is heading for the exit, and the internet is reacting with a mix of sadness, sticker shock, and absolute gremlin energy. The 1940 Air Terminal Museum says it has to vacate the building by the end of June, so it’s trying to sell three huge old flight simulators for $20,000 each: a Southwest 737, a King Air, and a Hawker. There’s just one tiny catch: buyers need to bring a massive forklift, arrange airport escort access, and accept that if they plug the machines in, they might instantly release the legendary “magic smoke.” In other words, this is not exactly a Facebook Marketplace couch pickup.
The strongest reaction from commenters was pure heartbreak. One local admitted they’d lived in Houston for six years and had no idea the museum even closed, then immediately asked the question hanging over the whole story: in a city this rich, how does a museum like this run out of runway? Others got distracted by the delicious nerd bait, zooming in on photos and speculating that one cabinet might contain an old Texas Instruments computer. But not everyone was ready to throw money around—one commenter basically said, sure, it’s cool, but not $20K cool.
And then came the comedy. One airplane fan sighed that the price is fair if you happen to own a warehouse, while another proposed the most internet plan imaginable: everyone lowball them until the price drops. So yes, this is a sad museum story—but in the comments, it’s also become a live-action auction, a preservation debate, and a group chat full of people mentally rearranging their garages.
Key Points
- •The museum is offering three full-size, full-motion simulators for sale: a 737-200, a Beechcraft King Air 200, and a Hawker 700.
- •Each simulator is priced at $20,000 USD and includes associated cabinets, documents, and related equipment.
- •The simulators were donated after being removed from active service and have not been powered on since the museum received them in 2010.
- •Removal requires major logistics, including a very large forklift, because the 737 blocks the other two simulators and the equipment is stored in a sealed hangar space.
- •The museum says it must vacate the building by the end of June, and buyers must arrange transport, airport access logistics, and accept the sale without warranty.