Former NAS South Weymouth Facility Formerly Appointment-Only

Those who'd like to spend a Saturday checking out the base formerly known as Naval Air Station South Weymouth in Massachusetts will no longer have to plan ahead and make an appointment. Beginning this weekend, the the Shea Field Naval Aviation Historical Museum now plans to open its doors from 0900 to 1100 Eastern Time on the last Saturday of each month.

The Patriot Ledger newspaper reports that the nonprofit Patriot Squadron, an affiliate of the national Association of Naval Aviation, is providing the volunteers to allow the regular hours. Marc Frattasio, a private pilot and US Navy veteran who volunteers on the squadron’s board of directors promises, “If we have more volunteers and there is an interest from the public, we can open it on more Saturdays.”

The museum is located at 495 Shea Memorial Drive. Admission is free.

NAS South Weymouth started as a blimp base in 1942, and closed in 1997. The museum displays photographs, documents, and other artifacts of the operational years. The 1,400-acre site is being redeveloped now for mixed commercial and residential use.
The museum is temporarily housed in an old Navy gymnasium which is known today as the Shea Fitness Center, but Frattasio says developers have promised the museum a permanent home on the property. regarding opening to the public on a regular schedule, he adds, “We are hoping that it may induce people to donate to the museum.”

The paper reports that on the same property, the Patriot Squadron maintains Shea Memorial Grove, a small park centered around a cosmetically restored Douglas A-4B Skyhawk jet like those flown from the base during the 1960s.

FMI: www.anapatriotsquadron.org