In pursuit of donations to fund renovations of its municipal airport hangar commissioned by automaker legend Henry Ford, the village of Lansing is hosting a 100th Anniversary expo and aviation showcase on Saturday.
“Not many people come out to the airport. They know there’s a big building, the hangar exists, but they don’t really know the significance,” said Michelle Henderson, Lansing events planner.
Henderson said a major goal of the event is to engage residents and others with local aviation history. Ford purchased 1,400 acres of farmland in Illinois and Indiana to build the airport, hoping to connect Ford Motor Company plants in the south suburbs with factories in Detroit.
Ford had a landing field constructed before starting work on the Ford Hangar in 1926, which was erected within a year. As the hangar was built, Ford had a photograph taken every Tuesday throughout the construction, former Mayor Patty Eidam previously told the Southtown.
Less than a decade after the village of Lansing bought the airport in 1976, the hangar earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the hangar’s website. The building was vacated in 2011 and has since served as an events space.
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“We’ve had everything from prom send-offs here, celebrations of life,” Henderson said.
She said the venue is commonly booked for weddings, with many drawn in by the building’s “rustic look.” But the village has been unable to meet the high demand to rent out the space.
“We aren’t at that level to have weddings back-to-back, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Henderson said. “So I think once we do that full restoration, then it’s going to be in full swing where we’re going to need a full staff to run this building.”
An additional challenge is the building’s lack of air conditioning, as the village wants to be able to rent the space out 365 days a year, Henderson said. She would not say how much money the village needs to add restrooms and an HVAC system, but a now sold-out Centennial Gala will be held there on Friday, kicking off the capital campaign.
Saturday’s expo and aviation showcase is open to the public, with as many as 1,700 people from across the Midwest expected to attend. The village will unveil more detailed plans for the hangar’s renovation, which Henderson said should be complete by spring 2028.
“I think the significance of it being Henry Ford’s hangar that he built — that name is pretty powerful, so we’re looking for local recognition to state and national recognition for all of this,” Henderson said.
The free event will last from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the airport, 3239 Glenwood-Lansing Road, with events including a classic car show featuring Ford vehicles from the 1920s through the 1940s. A parachute demonstration and actor portrayals of Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh and other historical figures in aviation will begin at 1 p.m., and an aerobatics show put on by Dacy Airshows is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Architect-led tours will be available throughout the day, along with children’s activities, crafts and food trucks. More information is available at fordhangar100.org.