| Restoration of The Portal Of The Folded Wings - Shrine To Aviation building began in 1995 and was completed in 2001 by an army of preservation specialists organized by the Sculpture Conservation Studio of Los Angeles. The Portal re-opened to the public in May of 1996, with a paper-display museum. The structure won several state-wide preservation awards and earned a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. |
| |
| For five years (1996-2001) The Portal Museum hosted annual Memorial Day events and special ceremonies. Curators from the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C., participated in events at The Portal and both museums shared aviation research. The Portal Museum held membership in the Association of Western States Aviation Museums and retained a listing in the California Association of Museums. Thousands of visitors toured the exhibits. Professional and amateur historians began writing about the long-forgotten aviators who are buried beneath The Portal's dome. |
| |
| Due to economic cutbacks, SCI Corporation, the owners of the site, closed The Portal Museum on December 31, 2001. This web site is dedicated to honoring The Portal Of The Folded Wings - Shrine To Aviation, which has remained a unique and beautiful San Fernando Valley landmark since 1924. |
| |
| Selected photographs and documents used to create the dozens of museum exhibits displayed between 1996 and 2001 (now archived at the Burbank Historical Society Museum) will be offered on pages of this website. Giacinta Bradley Koontz, Founder and Former Director of the Portal museum may be contacted through: Giacinta Bradley Koontz (Use your web browser's BACK button to return to The Portal Of The Folded Wings - Shrine To Aviation web site from Giacinta Bradley Koontz's contact page). |
| |
| Welcome to a national treasure, a California landmark and a tribute to art and aviation. |