Florida Air Museum Has New Attractions for Children Looking to Learn

Sheltair Aviation and the Aerospace Center for Excellence continued their ever-expanding portfolio of activities with the opening of the Jerry Holland Destination: Aviation Playground, offering a fun, engaging play environment for kids in Lakeland, Florida.

The name comes courtesy of Jerry Holland, founder of Sheltair Aviation Services. Holland's dedication to the GA industry and business aviation in general was, according to the Center, "instrumental in the growth of aviation in Florida." They went on to say that Holland's push to build out an impressive network of hangars throughout the region, supported by a top-flight FBO network, was an "amazing achievement."

The playground was opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by ACE president and CEO Gene Conrad, with remarks from Lisa Holland, President and CEO of Sheltair and daughter of Jerry Holland. Kai Seymour, Property Manager of Sheltair and grandson of Jerry Holland, also spoke before letting the tykes have their run of the place. Construction began earlier this year, with a host of aircraft-themed play pieces and STEM-adjacent activities. While kids play, they can glean some lessons from the equipment as they go, learning about the parts of an aircraft, the functionality of an engine, or the fundamentals of aerodynamics.

“After building a successful legacy on the heels of hard work and dedication to the aviation community we love so much, this is the first time my family has ever lent their name to anything,” said Lisa Holland. “Now that my father is 89 years old, my mother and I want to honor his legacy and all that he has achieved in his lifetime. It’s fitting that the legacy lives on in this project and our hope is that the next generation will be inspired not only by the playground and ACE but by my father’s vision.” 

The playground is free to all Florida Air Museum members; non-members can enjoy the playground with a museum admission ticket.

FMI: www.ACEedu.org