BURLINGTON, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A nearby museum founded by a beloved icon of space exploration who recently passed away is keeping his vision alive here in western Washington.

William “Bill” Anders, an astronaut on the Apollo 8 mission to the moon who took the famous Earthrise photograph, died at the age of 90 as the lone pilot of a plane crash near the San Juan Islands on June 7. 

And while Anders was a nationally recognized figure in the history of the space program and photography, one of his later accomplishments began right here in Bellingham. Bill and his wife, Valerie, founded the Heritage Flight Museum in 1996. 

Anders (right) pictured with Frank Borman and Jim Lovell following the historic Apollo 8 mission. Courtesy of the Heritage Flight Museum

Bill’s son Greg, now the Vice President and Executive Director of the museum, says the idea started around a P-51 Mustang “Val-Halla” plane that Bill bought for civilian flying when he retired. Since then, the museum has moved to Burlington and expanded its collection to 18 aircrafts, offering designated “Fly Days” where visitors can see the warbirds in action. It was part of their effort to add an interactive twist to a display of vintage planes that made the museum’s attractions stand out. 

“It’s wonderful to see a P-51 down at the Museum of Flight, they’ve got a great display … but it’s a completely different animal to hear that P-51 start up and understand what it sounded like, to see it fly and to see that 1940’s technology get airborne,” Greg said. 

The museum’s expansion also came in the form of new exhibits. It has one display called “The ‘68 Experience” which lays out the context for the historic launch of the Apollo 8 mission in a remarkable way. Not only does it lead visitors through a timeline of major events in 1968, but it also uses Valerie Anders’ personal calendar to track the family’s activities leading up to Bill’s voyage to the moon. 

This all sets the scene for the centerpiece of the exhibits: the Earthrise Gallery. Heritage opened the gallery in 2022 as a way for visitors to immerse themselves in the first human flight to reach the moon. Six display units tell the story of the Apollo 8 mission using videos to recreate the launch, the crew’s experience onboard and the first Christmas Eve TV broadcast from the moon. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a display on Bill’s iconic Earthrise photograph, which his son Greg says took some celestial luck to capture.

“[Bill] will even say that it was a little bit of happenstance that he got the Earthrise picture in the first place, it was certainly nothing they planned on,” Greg said.

The Earthrise Gallery’s introduction drew a tremendous response, with representatives from the Smithsonian attending its grand opening. Two months later, the director of the National Air and Space Museum called to ask for a tour of the museum.

Inside the Heritage Flight Museum is an exhibit dedicated to the Apollo 8 mission. Bill Anders’ jacket is one of the many artifacts featured. Photo by Sam Kristofferson

“It was kind of one of those moments where you’re tapping the phone, you’re like ‘I think this thing’s broken,” Greg said. 

Now, in the wake of Bill’s recent passing, the Earthrise Gallery serves as a reminder of the monumental mission that he took part in.

The Tuesday following his father’s death, Greg arrived at the museum to find two small groups of people walking around the front door, looking for a place to drop off flowers. While the museum is regularly open Thursday through Saturday, Greg decided to make an exception.

“I kind of had the idea of ‘You know what? Let’s just open the doors,’” Greg said. “Open the front doors, let people come in, put chairs out, put Kleenex boxes out and we didn’t charge admission.”

The Earthrise Gallery opened to the public for free following the tragic passing of museum founder Bill Anders. Photo by Sam Kristofferson

The staff wasn’t properly manned to open the full museum, but visitors were able to sit in the Earthrise gallery and listen to recordings of Bill and his crewmates reading the first verses of the Book of Genesis from the Christmas Eve broadcast. 

“You hear Bill’s voice talking and it was very impactful, an awesome way for people to put their arms around losing such a national treasure such as my father,” Greg said. “We’re trying to deal with the understanding of how important our museum has become in this particular moment because it really is telling the story of Bill and Valerie and their life together.”

And still, the museum remains versatile with its displays. It was founded by Bill and Valerie to honor veterans and preserve military artifacts that tell the story of how they have served the country – Bill and Greg both having backgrounds as military pilots. Military artifacts, uniforms, photographs and stories are a major part of what the museum has to offer.

For what started out as a single P-51 and evolved into a facility that gives a first-hand look at fighter planes in action, honors those that have served the country and truly captures a point in space exploration history, the Heritage Flight Museum has made strides since its inception in Bellingham.

“We’re getting much better with the story-telling process in the museum and looking more and more like a true museum and not just a hangar full of airplanes,” Greg said.

The Heritage Flight Museum, located at 15053 Crosswind Dr. in Burlington, is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find more information on their website heritageflight.org or on their Facebook page.