United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
4.5
5:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
5:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
5:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
5:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
5:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
5:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
5:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
5:30 AM - 10:00 PM
About
Visitors can tour this modern sprawling campus that includes the Academy, Falcon Stadium, a chapel and Arnold Hall, a museum honoring Air Force personnel.
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- Linda T56 contributionsFascinating Even Without ChapelWe went in the north gate as suggested on their website and followed the self guided tour. We ended up staying three hours! B52 Bomber display. Visitor Center...watch video, see displays including cadet room mock up. Walk nearby Chapel path. Drive via Stadium Drive toward the south gate. Stop at Thunderbird area airfield. Watch the gliders taking off. See Warthog.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten September 13, 2023
- paws0810Mesa, Arizona2,997 contributionsQuick visitWe’ve been here a few times in the last couple years I believe five years ago we were in the church and it was beautiful. I cannot believe it is under construction still. The grounds nice and there’s lots of fun things to see inside.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten October 12, 2023
- SConTheMove147 contributionsWorth the time to visit and experience.The Air Force Academy is worth the visit. The school and grounds are expansive and impressive. Stop by the visitors center for a map, buy a t-shirt and have your questions answered. You can drive, you can hike if you want to. The cathedral is the center piece and is under heavy renovation so we were unable to see that but will return to do so. Be advised this is a US Military installation so expect to show ID and possibly have your vehicle searched at the gate.Visited May 2024Travelled with familyWritten June 2, 2024
- bakerm2290Raleigh, North Carolina435 contributionsBeautiful campus!Beautiful campus. The scenery is stunning. We walked through the visitor center and around the campus. The gorgeous chapel is under construction, so we were unable to view it. The movie at the visitor's center is excellent. We watched several planes/gliders fly around and it was fascinating. Highly recommend a visit.Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten August 20, 2024
- Kay K4 contributionsStopped here when traveling via bus.We visited the visitors center just now. strolled through the tiny display area and watched the brief film. The gift shop occupied half of the tourist center. We didn't have enough time to see the planetarium, but it would have been nice.Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten August 20, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
3,012 reviews
Excellent
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674
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163
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12
Jeffrey D
Colorado Springs, CO10 contributions
Feb 2020
This was an awful experience. Traffic was a nightmare. Parking was terrible. Amenities at the stadium were 20-30 people deep. Lines for restrooms were likewise extremely long. Tickets cost a lot of money for something that was not worth even going for free. I went to the stadium w/ $80 in cash to spend on parking, food and drinks. I did not spend one penny.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marieny524
Los Angeles, CA617 contributions
Aug 2022
A visit to the Air Force Academy was high on our list for our time in CO Springs as we had heard great things about it. Perhaps we just came at the wrong time, but our visit was underwhelming, and I definitely would hold off on visiting until construction on the chapel is complete.
We started at the visitor center, where we received a map that labeled scenic look out points. Unfortunately, we had already passed a number of these points by the time we got to the visitor's center; it would be better to have had this earlier. We watched the film in the center outlining a cadet's experience, but found it to be more of a promotional video for potential applicants rather than getting into what must be a rich history of the site. The museum exhibits in the visitor center are also underwhelming, especially for younger kids.
We didn't have time to check out the planetarium or walk the chapel trail - perhaps that would've made the visit more interesting. We did see a few historic planes on our drive out.
Be prepared that the Air Force Academy campus is huge, and takes quite a bit of time (and gas) just to drive through. Unless you have a special reason to visit (a personal connection?) I would skip.
We started at the visitor center, where we received a map that labeled scenic look out points. Unfortunately, we had already passed a number of these points by the time we got to the visitor's center; it would be better to have had this earlier. We watched the film in the center outlining a cadet's experience, but found it to be more of a promotional video for potential applicants rather than getting into what must be a rich history of the site. The museum exhibits in the visitor center are also underwhelming, especially for younger kids.
We didn't have time to check out the planetarium or walk the chapel trail - perhaps that would've made the visit more interesting. We did see a few historic planes on our drive out.
Be prepared that the Air Force Academy campus is huge, and takes quite a bit of time (and gas) just to drive through. Unless you have a special reason to visit (a personal connection?) I would skip.
Written August 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Victoria N
Gateshead, UK3,188 contributions
Aug 2022
I visited for the first time recently from the UK. I informed the Air Force guy at the entrance that I was there to photograph the chapel. He failed to mention that the chapel is currently under construction until 2023...Once inside the base it was not easy to find, and once my sister and I found parking outside the visitors centre we followed the chapel trail to find the chapel concealed by a huge white box and closed to the public...We were very disappointed, Nevertheless it was worth a look around the visitors centre and they have a good store, several exhibits and restrooms inside. The chapel trail was still worth doing too as we got some great views of the scenery.
Written August 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AppleTrees4Me
Riverside, CA101 contributions
Feb 2023
My father was in the Air Force, and we were looking forward to visiting the Academy. All the cars in front of us passed through the security gate quickly and without incident. Unfortunately, the guard at the gate, did not like the looks of my wife and I. He took our IDs and held them, and made us roll down all our windows and open our trunk so they could do a thorough inspection of our car. They held on to our IDs for several minutes while they apparently did a thorough background check. The line of cars behind us became quite long, I could not see where it ended in my rear view mirror. Finally, they gave us our IDs back and let us go. It was an unpleasant experience, and I will never return to the Academy again. Be ready for a thorough inspection if you are planning to go.
Also, the Air Force Chapel is closed until 2027. It is "boxed off" so you can't see any of it.
Also, the Air Force Chapel is closed until 2027. It is "boxed off" so you can't see any of it.
Written February 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonathan B
Colorado Springs, CO306 contributions
May 2021
I'd like to give it one star after what they did to my Navy football team this last year . . . but it really is a beautiful place, and they perform their mission admirably. The second lieutenants they put out for the Air Force and now the Space Force are well-qualified for service to the nation. The chapel is beautiful and dominates the landscape for miles. For people visiting the Colorado Springs area, it is well worth the stop.
Written May 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
amk
roswell196 contributions
Jun 2022 • Solo
I enjoyed visiting the academy. The visitor center is a good starting point. Tours start from here. There is also a short video and various displays at the visitor center as well as a gift shop. Parking was easy. We also enjoyed watching gliders and parachute jumps.
Written June 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
val m
United States216 contributions
Jul 2020
I check several times several days with I for a for a visit. I planned the day around a visit and drove from Colorado Springs following directions getting in line only to be told I could not enter unless I had a military person in the car with me! Gust a
Ologized, but what good was that...I was there from out of state on a one day chance.
Ologized, but what good was that...I was there from out of state on a one day chance.
Written July 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Isela T
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
Our family took a vacation to Colorado Springs. On our things to do was to visit the Air Force Academy. We took our two sons so they could get a glimpse of the campus and see what college life is like at the Academy. Unfortunately this was on Thanksgiving Day, but as it was listed as "OPEN" we went ahead and made the trip. The visitor center was closed, and I figured that would be the case, given the holiday, but what we also wanted to see was the Chapel. We parked and hiked up to the area and instead of seeing this iconic architecture we saw a giant metal BOX. The chapel is apparently undergoing a renovation and was completely enclosed. The grounds around it all secured with construction fencing to prevent entry. Later we learned it is not due to reopen until 2026! That was kind of a bummer, along with the fact there were no campus tours, however we made the best of the trip and went on with our day. On a good note, I am happy to see funding for the preservation of this type of structure. Our visit was mediocre but given the holiday, 100 % understandable. My suggestion to folks, if seeing the chapel at the Academy is the primary purpose of your visit, you may want to reconsider as not a inch of it can be seen.
Written November 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
msa23_2000
Chino Hills, CA1,455 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
The chapel is under construction until 2027 and is covered in a big white box at the moment. This is the third of the military academies I have visited. It is really expansive so you drive yourself around - can’t really walk around except for some areas. The buildings are basically square boxes but fascinating to hear how cadets live there.
Written June 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LovetheOutdoors14
Minneapolis12 contributions
Jul 2022
Free to visit. They have a visitor center with the history of the academy, a short movie showing the 2014 Freshman Cadets arriving & what they go through, & a gift shop.
The cadet chapel is under construction & is completely covered in a huge white tarp box.
We walked over to the Honor Court & Planetarium. At the planetarium we watched a live presentation by two professors.
Was nice to visit, but would not go back again.
The cadet chapel is under construction & is completely covered in a huge white tarp box.
We walked over to the Honor Court & Planetarium. At the planetarium we watched a live presentation by two professors.
Was nice to visit, but would not go back again.
Written August 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi and thanks. We are going in a few days. How do you book the driving tour? Can't find it on their website.
Written August 2, 2021
Is the Academy now open to visitors? Is the visitor center now open to the public?
Written February 19, 2021
Is the Cadet Chapel open for visiting late July to early August 2018?
Written July 29, 2018
What I read was that it would close at the end of this year and remain closed for about 3 years. It is to be restored to it’s original splendor.😊
Written August 23, 2018
Is the Chapel wheelchair accessible?
Written October 25, 2017
Yes, it is handicap accessible through the North end of the Chapel. There is a ramp to an elevator that can get you inside to all levels.
Written October 26, 2017
quanto ci si impiega a visitarlo?
Written July 26, 2017
Prima di andare al Visitor Center. C'è abbondanza di parcheggio lì. Quindi proseguire per l'entrata dell'Accademia. L'Air Force Academy la visita è gratuita. È necessario passare attraverso il cancello e mostrare ID. C'è abbondanza di parcheggio e una considerevole quantità di camminare a meno che il parcheggio più vicino è aperto che non era il giorno che abbiamo visitato. Spero che questo aiuta.
Written July 27, 2017
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