Long Beach Peninsula perfect spot for World Kite Museum
Tell someone in Long Beach to go fly a kite, they’ll know exactly where to go. Long Beach – known as the World’s Longest Beach – is home to the International Kite Festival every August. Thousands of people from around the world flock to the southwestern Washington peninsula to take in the views or to participate. The winds make the area the perfect spot for kite flying.
So, it makes sense to have the World Kite Museum and Hall of Fame, a short walk from the beach, right? The museum appears small from the outside, but the organizers make great use of its space. The museum shares the history of kites, which is more than 2,500 years old.
About 1,500 kites of all sizes are on display. You can find older kites, international kites and pop culture kites. We had a great time taking in the views of the museum. Most kites are larger than your typical dime store kite. There were kites that easily doubled the size of an average person.
Posters from previous International Kite festivals are framed and on display. Each poster is well done and shows the love organizers have for kite flying.
A special exhibit featured kites that were used during World War II. Historically, kites were used to lift observers into the sky to check out enemy positions. During World War II, they were also used for gunnery targets, according to www.bsu.edu. The kites on display at the Long Beach museum were part of an exhibit honoring the war. These kites show visitors what it was like for soldiers to communicate before wireless phones, etc.
Kites were invented in China. Several Chinese kites are on display. The colorful pieces highlight several animals, such as dragons, pandas and birds.
Japanese kites appear to be popular exhibits. China introduced them to the Japanese during the 7th century. Japan is the featured country at the museum this year. They have a few large kites on display.
Miniature kites are also displayed. I can’t see how someone could fly them, but I’m sure they’ve been in the air.
Pop culture makes its way to kite flying. Would we have it any other way? Dogs, dinosaurs, pirates, etc., can be flown as kites. My favorite may have the Minion kite that was hanging on the wall.
Kites provide more than just aerial fun. they can be used to pull people. Kites can be used for kite sailing, as well as skiing. Some people even have a small vehicle attached to a kite to pull them across frozen lakes or terrain.
More than 50 recipients have been named to the World Kite Hall of Fame.
We enjoyed our visit to the kite museum. We spent about an hour there and agreed we could have spent a few more. Each kite’s design was well worth the attention. We recommend checking out the museum.
For more information, please visit www.kitefestival.com.
