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Air Force Chapel Hard Hat Tour

June 26, 2024.

Please note that this tour is open to members and non-members.

About the tour : A history of the United States Air Force Academy campus and Cadet Chapel will be provided to the participants prior to the tour of the chapel. The presentation will include physical parts of the building that haven’t been seen for over 60 years, close up viewing of a restored stain glass Dalle de Verre strip window, and details of the extensive matching that is taking place for all elements that are visible to the public, down to matching screw heads to replicate the originals used on the building. The tour will take you from the exterior of the amazing skeletal structure of the chapel to the interior of the structure. We will visit three different rooms of worship. No photos are allowed.

About the building : The United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel is the most visited man-made tourist attraction in Colorado.  Architectural Digest notes the chapel as the most iconic building in Colorado. The chapel was completed in 1962, dedicated in 1963. This iconic chapel was designed by Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The Cadet Chapel was the first fully federally funded building to be awarded the American Institute of Architects 25 Year Award in 1996. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 2004 and is considered a classic example of modernist architecture. The Cadet Chapel’s unique design features 17 spires and a steel frame that is comprised of 100 identical tetrahedrons, each 75 feet long.

About the tour guides: Duane Boyle is the long time Campus Architect for the United States Air Force Academy and continues in that role today. He oversees all master planning and design on the iconic Air Force Academy campus comprising 18,500 acres. After attending the University of Colorado and receiving his Bachelor of Environmental Design, Master of Architecture, and Master of Public Administration degrees, Duane worked for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) prior to starting at the Academy and shortly after developed a friendship with Walter Netsch, Jr. who, for SOM, was in charge of the design of the campus specifically designing the Cadet Chapel himself.

Marty Rickett joined JE Dunn in 1995 and has since made a notable impact on the landscape in Southern Colorado working in virtually every market sector from healthcare to higher education. He has had the privilege of delivering projects for numerous repeat clients including the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Parkview Medical Center, UCHealth Memorial Hospital, and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Currently, Marty is serving on the team to restore the historic United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, his fourth project at the Air Force Academy, a project that he considers to be the apex of his career.

Accessibility : This tour will not have wheelchair access or areas to rest during the tour. This is an active construction site and therefore we will require long pants and sleeved shirts. A site access release form will also be required to tour the building.

******* IMPORTANT *******

This is an active construction site and anything can happen. PPE (hard hat, safety vest, safety glasses and gloves) is required for this tour. DAF will have loaner sets available for use, but if you would prefer to bring your own, please do so.

For safety purposes, attendees’ clothing must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Close-toed sturdy shoes : Boots do not have to be steel toe. Hiking boots are permitted if they are durable and at least ankle high. Tennis shoes, high heels, sandals, flip flops, and fashion boots are not acceptable footwear for the tour.
• Full-length pants or jeans : Pants must be long enough to touch the top of your shoes. Shorts, capri pants, skirts and dresses should not be worn.
• Shirts with minimum four-inch sleeves.

We will park offsite and walk to the chapel. All parking and meeting location information will be in your confirmation email.

Air Force Chapel

5134 cathedral dr air force academy co 80840, $30 members; $40 non-members.

United States Air Force Academy

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United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs

Admissions Events

Visit the birthplace of leaders.

How does it feel to trace the footsteps of some of our nation’s most revered leaders? Come see the United States Air Force Academy for yourself!

If you are interested in pursuing an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy and plan to visit the campus, you may wish to participate in one of our admissions events. Tours are intended for students aged 13 to 22 and are intended to help those who are eligible and interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the Academy environment.

Touring the campus is a physically strenuous activity that includes walking long distances, often uphill and several flights of stairs. Please keep in mind the U.S. Air Force Academy is more than 7,000 feet above sea level, and these tours are not recommended for anyone with mobility issues. We recommend visitors drink plenty of water and dress comfortably.

At times, a scheduled admissions event will be canceled due to weather for the safety of both our visitors and our admissions team.

Check local media sources for status when there is current or projected inclement weather.

The admissions office currently offers:

• Discover USAFA Discover USAFA includes our admissions briefing, Q&A session and a guided walking tour of the cadet area, normally restricted to authorized personnel only.

Admissions events are held in the Barry Goldwater Visitor Center unless otherwise noted.

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Access To and Tours of Cadet Area for AOG Members

Responding to requests, the AOG has created a program to allow Academy Graduates escorted access to the cadet area. We will make every effort to arrange necessary escorts whenever contacted, 10-business day notice is needed to schedule a volunteer.

Visits with Cadet, USAFA Staff Members and Departments

AOG members who wish to visit a cadet, Academy staff members or department should contact the cadet/staff member/department directly so they may arrange for your escort. AOG Customer Service will be pleased to provide telephone numbers or email addresses of individuals or departments.

Most of the Academy is open to all tourists. You may visit the Visitors Center, Chapel, Arnold Hall, the Field House, and Hall of Excellence without an escort. The Cadet Area (Terrazzo) has always been closed to the public, including graduates, and is now fenced. Special access is required to tour the Cadet Area. The AOG will make every effort to provide tours of the Cadet Area at times requested for the member, on occasion, AOG staff may not be available to conduct them. If you are not a member, AOG Customer Service will be pleased to sign you up for membership.

Tours will be conducted during normal duty days. Cadet activities within the cadet area and weather, though, could cause cancellation of tours on certain days. No tours are authorized when basic cadets are training in the cadet area, during reunion weekends, holidays, or when Cadet Wing training dictates. An AOG volunteer will contact you to arrange your tour.

The AOG tour program supports purchasing Memorial Cabinets for graduates killed in recent worldwide conflicts. The six foot, wooden, display cabinets are placed in the deceased graduate's squadron and filled with personal and military tributes. Any contribution made to the tour program will go directly to this endeavor.

Groups of more than twenty require coordination with the cadet wing and security forces. Please contact the Visitor's Center.

How to Arrange an AOG Escorted Tour for an AOG Member

Requests for tours should be made as far in advance as possible. To schedule a tour, please fill out the form below.

Request a Tour Online!

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United States Air Force Academy – Colorado Springs

One of the most well-known military institutions in the country resides in the city of Colorado Springs: the United States Air Force Academy. It’s an accredited four-year university with more than 4,000 undergraduate cadets enrolled each year.

About 70% of the faculty is comprised of active-duty Air Force officers. The rest of the teaching staff is a mix of long-term civilian professors, visiting civilian professors, as well as visiting professors from other branches of the U.S. military.

The mascot is the falcon, and the sports teams are known as the Air Force Falcons. Most of the athletics compete in the NCAA Division 1 Mountain West Conference.

History of USAFA

In 1947, the Air Force was officially deemed a branch of the military, and plans for the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) were first proposed. After searching hundreds of different locations in various states, the committee settled on Colorado Springs as the clear winner for the academy with its natural beauty and varied terrain.

The USAFA opened officially in 1954, and many graduating members have gone on to become military leaders and politicians. In 2006, the campus underwent a renovation to upgrade many of its half-century-old buildings, and the campus is now as beautiful as ever.

Today, the USAFA remains a state-of-the-art facility for military education and admission is aggressively competitive for its prospective cadets.

Cadet Chapel, Hiking and Self Guided Tours

The Air Force Academy is open to the public at select times. There are a number of notable things to see and do. The elevation ranges from around 6,200 feet by I-25 to 9,000 feet 6,200 feet near the Farish Recreation Area. So come prepared for the altitude and take it slow.

Visitor Center – The 35,000 square-foot Barry Goldwater Visitors Center welcomes the public daily from 9am to 5pm. Go through the North Gate to access it. It features various films and exhibits, as well as a snack bar and gift shop.

Cadet Chapel – Of note is its famous chapel on the north side of campus, the Cadet Chapel. This architectural wonder is a popular place to capture a unique photograph as well as attend a special service. Although it’s currently under construction, estimated to be completed in 2023. To the east of the Visitor Center is a 1/3 mile paved trail winding thru nature to the Cadet Chapel. You can also park in the Arnold Hall parking lot to reach the chapel, a similar length but less hilly.

Landmarks –  There are also a few other landmarks to see on a tour of the grounds, such as the sporting facilities, notably Falcon Stadium, as well as Clune Arena and Falcon Baseball Field. There’s  also a museum dedicated to USAFA graduates and Falcons Hall of Fame. Arnold Hall features military and Academy exhibits. Honor Court showcases bronze statues and aircrafts.

Cadet Lunch Formation – From Monday to Friday, 11:30am to noon, you can catch the cadet wing marching to lunch. Weather pending, you can witness the display from the Honor Court wall or by the Cadet Chapel, which both look over the Terrazzo.

Hiking – There are some beautiful hiking trails open to the public during normal visiting hours, 9am-5pm daily. The trails are open to military/government ID card holders between 5am and sundown daily. Trails include:

• Falcon Trail – 13 mile loop open year round to hikers. It has interpretive signs along the way explaining various wildlife and geology of the region. It provides fantastic views around the Academy, crossing the road at several points, giving a chance to shorten the hike. Scouts can get a badge for completing the loop from a local troop.
• Santa Fe Trail – Most of this trail runs parallel with the Academy and I-25 from Monument to Colorado Springs. It’s 40 miles long, and the sections of the trail that cross USAFA land could be closed for security.
• Stanley Canyon Trail – 2 mile trail begins from the Academy Hospital parking lot through the canyon to Stanley Canyon Reservoir. Parts of the trail are steep with loose rocks. It does provide terrific views of The Springs.
• Farish Hiking Trail – Once you finish the above 2-mile trail at Stanley Canyon Reservoir, you can trek the Farish Trail into Pike National Forest. It’s a 5.5 mile trail following old dirt roads for a majority of the distance to Farish Memorial and Academy recreational facility. Due to its elevation it gets cold and storms come in quick in the summer.

The USAFA is open to civilian visitors normally every day from 9am to 5pm, but check their website before you visit to confirm.

Getting There

There are two entrances to the Air Force Academy: via the South Gate and the North Gate roads. Both are accessible from I-25 via the North Academy exit to the south and the North Gate exit to the north.

Address: Air Force Academy, CO (near Colorado Springs )

Phone: 719-333-2025

Map: USAFA Hiking Trails (JPG)

Website: usafa.af.mil

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The restoration of the Air Force Academy Chapel is the U.S.’s most complex modernist preservation project ever

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Up In The Air

[Editor’s note: This March 2 article shared some of the design history of the Air Force Academy’s modernist campus and the repair and restoration of its landmark Chapel. But it is just one small part of the story of the Air Force’s persistence and leadership in making it happen and the many facets of the project ranging from the exterior repair to interviews with the original design team.

In a few months, AN will publish a follow-up article that tells a deeper part of the story about how the Air Force served as project champions to gain funding, select the best team for research and documentation, and designer selection. We will also learn how this one-of-a-kind project is now organized to coordinate expertise the technical expertise of Air Force Staff, Project Manager J.E. Dunn, and a complex team of design and preservation consultants.]

Designed in the 1950s and completed over a decade, the United States Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado , marked a watershed moment in American architecture. Built at the peak of the high-stakes Cold War era, the campus was arguably the most expensive federal project in American history.

Listed as a National Historic Landmark District , the Air Force Academy campus is still one of the most advanced fusions of technology, education, art, and architecture that the country has ever seen. At its heart, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill ’s Walter Netsch Jr. designed an aluminum skinned chapel pointing straight up to the sky and the heavens beyond it.

Upon opening in 1963, the Cadet Chapel’s bold expression of lightness and form soon became a global symbol of America’s vision and technological promise. Unusual for most religious buildings, the chapel was designed as a non-denominational facility with worship spaces for multiple religious beliefs. Its soaring presence served as a daily reminder for cadets of the American ethos, and their mission to protect its freedoms of religion, speech, and assembly .

Like many modern icons, the chapel’s envelope has leaked for years. Over the decades, accelerating water and microclimatic effects threatened permanent damage to structural systems, stained glass, wood pews, and even the chapel’s two iconic historic organs .

Modernist Renewal

The $158-million, four-year project remedies several original design and construction shortcomings that led to the building’s deterioration. One of the biggest, of course, is water infiltration. Walter Netsch originally designed a complex network of rain gutters and a flashing system beneath the exterior aluminum cladding. But congressional debates and subsequent cost value engineering led to the substitution of the gutter system with extensive caulking between the exterior panels .

In 2015, the Air Force Civil Engineering Center selected an AECOM team led by Steve Robinson, AIA from AECOM’s Indianapolis office, and Sean Reish, PE, from their office in Colorado Springs, to restore the iconic building to its former glory. Included in the broader team are Bruce Kaskel and Bryan Rouse of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. for envelope repair, and, for technical preservation, Mary Katherine Lanzillotta, FAIA of Hartman-Cox Architects.

JE Dunn is the lead contractor. To meet federal historic preservation requirements they enlisted Michael Bjornberg, FAIA, from LEO A DALY ’S Minneapolis office as their Historic Treatment Specialist.

Now in its second year, the chapel repair and restoration is probably the most complex modernist preservation project ever attempted in the United States.

Tracking American change

Since the Wright Brothers, aviation had moved so fast that, by 1955 when SOM won the commission to design it, the Air Force knew that its future leaders would no longer merely take part in battle—they would manage it.

Nuclear war would be fought with satellites, missiles, computer simulations, and guidance systems. What mattered was the power of abstract thinking. The Air Force Academy Motto is Integrity First, Service before self, Excellence in all we do. For cadets, learning how to fly was optional, learning how to think and manage with superb precision was required.

Thus, it makes sense that SOM planned the Academy’s campus as an abstract ideal, a city of ideas built on an open plane based entirely on a 7-foot-by-7-foot grid, a campus for the future engineered with the precision of an advanced aircraft.

A who’s who of American culture

To win this extraordinary commission, SOM invested years in concept development and a staggering $100,000 ($1,000,000 in today’s dollars) on a roll-out exhibition that became a multi-media artwork itself. Gordon Bunshaft and other firm leaders enlisted Ansel Adams to photograph the 3,000-acre site’s expansive sky , shifting light, and vistas. The great architectural photographer Ezra Stoller also contributed. As typical of other big projects of the era, after winning the commission, SOM created a museum show with models, photography, plans, and renderings that opened at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center in May 1955.

The architectural selection committee, led by Eero Saarinen with members including Welton Becket and Pietro Belluschi, later had a strong influence on the campus plan. Anchored by SOM, the eventual planning and design team became a virtual who’s who of 20th-century American culture.

Eero Saarinen proved to be a major influence on the overall campus plan and the chapel siting, orientation, and design. He called for lowering the height of the chapel’s podium so that it could feel more integrated with the core campus and the daily life of cadets. Saarinen enriched the quality of the campus inside and out by reaching out to American design leaders such as the industrial/interior designer Walter Dorwin Teague .

Saarinen, who had already worked with Kiley on several projects, chose him to design the outdoor campus spaces. The design team even included the movie mogul Cecil B. De Mille, who designed the cadet and officer uniforms, pulling designers off the set of The Ten Commandments movie to do it. The Air Force intended the Academy campus to become a National Historic Monument—an all-compassing experience of space, architecture, landscape, and color—and a symbol of the American future.

The mid-1950s marked a cultural turning point when modernist office towers, college buildings, and even new glass bank locations challenged everything that came before. As a religious landmark, Netsch’s chapel soon became a target for critique.

Like the Trump Administration’s failed effort to mandate neoclassical architecture in federal buildings, members of Congress at the time, architects, self-styled critics, and masonry industry leaders lambasted SOM’s modernist vision.

Bjornberg shared some of the most stinging attacks in his presentations on the chapel’s current restoration: Naysayers branded Netsch’s design as: “alien to American monumental design,” “a social and spiritual fiasco,” and “a deliberate insult to God the almighty.” They also argued that the chapel resembled “an accordion” and that “worshipping in it would be like worshipping in a skating rink.”

A year earlier, Walter Netsch, then 34 and SOM’s lead designer for the chapel, was worried that traditionalist calls for another West Point or Annapolis could win the day. In preparing for the finalist presentation, Gordon Bunshaft sent the young designer abroad to visit religious landmarks. Netsch later recounted that :

I was really worried because Gordon had sent me to Europe to look at Gothic architecture and Renaissance architecture. ‘Because you’re going to do another controversial building, Walter, and you’ve got to be able to say that you’ve seen Chartres and Notre Dame.’ The trip took three weeks. I came back saying, ‘Gee, we don’t have stone masons today. We don’t have the love of labor through which something is added within the same vocabulary every decade. How can you achieve that effect, but do it all at once?’ We made a little model of a folded plate, which was  au courant . Take a piece of paper and bend it, and so forth. Origami. I started scribbling, drawing, trying to get a repetitive feature.

Like the 7-foot campus grid based on the tatami mat layouts that Netsch had seen while living in Japan, he sought out an organizing system to unify the chapel and its structure. Without even knowing it, he came up with the defining tetrahedron concept for the roof. Fortunately, Netsch’s colleague, the engineer Ken Nasland, was there to tell him what it meant:

Ken said, ‘What are you doing? Trying to draw a tetrahedron?’ That’s the way he talked. Very straight forward. I said, ‘No. What’s a tetrahedron?’ He drew me an equal tetrahedron. But I said that wouldn’t work. ‘Well, make one of your own,’ he said. So, I went home and got the tetrahedron to work…. I got it to flip-flop. That was the great thing. I could flip-flop it, turn it upside down, inside out.

The city on the plain

The campus plan and the chapel’s seventeen steel and glass spires (21 prior to value engineering), each composed of 100 tetrahedrons, grew out of a rationalist epistemology based in calculation, clarity, and distinct purity. Details could be precisely measured and replicated, even reversed. Walking distances, co-adjacency of departments, and even the Dining Hall were collectively designed for quantifiable efficiencies as if set down on earth by a remote yet purely rational mind.

In the Discourse on Method (1637), the French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes claimed that the city planned by a single mind is more pleasing and ordered than those designed by many minds and forces over time. As a metaphor for his rationalist belief in the clarity of measurement and valid knowledge, he argued that:

…there is less perfection in works composed of several portions, and carried out by the hands of various masters, than in those on which one individual alone has worked. Thus, we see that buildings planned and carried out by one architect alone are usually more beautiful and better proportioned than those which many have tried to put in order and improve, making use of old walls which were built with other ends in view. In the same way, also, those ancient cities which, originally mere villages, have become in the process of time great towns, are usually badly constructed in comparison with those which are regularly laid out on a plain by a surveyor who is free to follow his own ideas.

Such Enlightenment rationalism has shaped the American political landscape ever since, beginning with the Jeffersonian national grid based on 6-mile-square townships and 640-acre sections, the Radiant City with its federal legacy in public housing projects, and the Interstate system. SOM’s campus plan organizes time and space with machine-like perfection. The original designers developed cadet flow diagrams to study building relationships to ensure that there were no wasted steps in a cadet’s strict daily schedule.

For example, Air Force planners reasoned that pilots and base staff did not need more than thirty minutes for lunch. Thus, the Mitchell Dining Hall, used three times daily, was located at the center of cadet activity. SOM fine-tuned the exterior doors, circulation, exiting, and serving procedures to accommodate a simultaneous meal for all 3,000 cadets and staff in under 30 minutes. Every meal served at the tables in under 5 minutes would be equally warm, allowing 20 minutes for consumption and 5 minutes for exiting. Today, the Academy can serve over 4,300 meals in that 30 minutes.

The Dining Hall is considered one of the largest mass dining halls in the world at 1.4-acre of open plan. The column-free truss frame span of the 266-foot Dining Hall was designed by architect Gertrude Peterhans Kerbis. She used a newly developed University of Illinois computer system in a pioneering application for structural analysis. The prefabricated truss structure was assembled on the ground and the 1,150-ton roof was hydraulically raised in place in just over six hours, a technique that had been usually used in concrete-lift slab construction. Photographs of the truss design were published throughout the country showcasing the use of new technology.

Kerbis studied at Harvard, M.I.T. and I.I.T. She received an undergraduate degree in architectural engineering at the University of Illinois and a master’s degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. She worked for and studied under some of the 20 th century’s most significant modernist architects—including Carl Koch, Walter Gropius, Mies Van Der Rohe, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Being an all-male campus at the time, Kerbis was unable to witness her truss system being raised in place.

Like a proven equation or Platonic form, this campus scheme and the chapel itself were never intended to change. Thus, remarkably for a new 20 th -century campus, the plan never anticipated significant future growth.

Preserving a changing campus

Sixty years after its founding, the Air Force Academy has grown significantly but retains its core character-defining features in spatial patterns, circulation, and scale. To repair and restore the campus’s most visible building, the design team had to work at all scales.

After reviewing original construction documents and placing monitors throughout the building, the AECOM team created repair documents for removing the existing aluminum skin and constructing a second line of defense system within the tetrahedron volume. The old aluminum skin is now being recreated to aesthetically match the original— effectively introducing a new “rain-screen” wall design that looks like the original.

This extensive construction process will remove the exterior and interior skins to reinforce the existing structural frame, thereby stiffening the building to reduce the existing 8” movement swing and to allow the reconstruction of a gutter system and appropriate flashing system that alleviates the water infiltration.

AECOM is also removing some of the over-cladding of the intervening years to reveal obscured original Netsch details in the design. As with all federal properties, especially those with such high-level historic significance, the entire chapel project complies with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties. Planning has been closely coordinated with the Academy and the Air Force and continues to be reviewed in construction by the National Park Service and the Colorado Historic Preservation Office.

Attention to craft and handmade materials

LEO A DALY’s Michael Bjornberg, FAIA, and Kimberly Sandbulte, AIA, are advising on the treatment of historic materials and finishes, including exterior and interior aluminum panel replication, Dalle de Vere glazing, interior plaster replication, curtain wall replacement, wood pew restoration, and the two iconic M.P. Moller organs, designed by internationally recognized organ builder Walter Holtkamp.

For the last year, construction crews have been planning and preparing for the dismantling of the 52,000-square-foot chapel roof piece-by-piece to address the failed building envelope and resulting water infiltration dating from its completion. Bjornberg and Sandbulte are now overseeing specialty contractors as they begin the delicate process of repairing and replicating the shell materials and protecting the historic interiors.

The Dalle de Verre glazing will be inventoried, cataloged, removed, and repaired. The north and south curtain walls will be replicated with insulated glass. The combined 8,000 pipes of the two pipe organs have been carefully removed, crated, and transported off site to be repaired and restored.

For review and monitoring, Bjornberg and Sandbulte travel monthly to the Air Force Academy campus and to the specialty shop facilities of preservation sub-contractors including: pipe organs in Lithonia, Georgia, the Dalle de Verre glazing in Los Angeles, the metal panel fabricator in Kansas City, the interior plaster wall/ceiling panels and, for the restoration of the American walnut and mahogany pews, specialists in Garden of the Gods, Colorado.

This attention to detail is essential for any structure with the chapel’s historic architectural and engineering significance. Bjornberg noted that Walter Netsch originally hand-selected the location of each of the 2,000 panels of Dalle de Verre glazing. This requires precision in the removal, repair, and reinstallation of each of those 24,000 unique slabs.

Such a high-level of preservation architecture requires extraordinary technical and organizational skills in documentation, data management, and quality assurance. No stranger to large-scale preservation architecture, Bjornberg led the restoration and updating of the neo-gothic style Notre Dame campus as part of its $500,000,000 Colloquy for the Year 2000 campaign for campus renewal and expansion. Starting in 2005, he also oversaw HGA’s multi-year $317 million restoration of Cass Gilbert’s Minnesota State Capitol Building , lavishly built with Georgia marble and St. Cloud Granite. Sandbulte joined that project in 2012.

From these and other projects, the two have become self-trained architectural historians with expertise in using archives, oral histories, materials research, and the interpretation of plan documents and specifications.

Bjornberg continues to give presentations to client groups and others about the Academy’s design history and the details of the chapel renovation, including the surprising fact that the Academy was not designed to be a flight training school.

Sacred space and the march of time

Of course, the Air Force Academy campus has changed over the decades. Over the last thirty years, enrollment has grown from 3,000 to 4,300 cadets with an expansion of the Dining Hall and student housing to support it. From a historic preservation perspective, such campus changes are inevitable, yet they need not detract from the original design intent. New construction can and should reflect such “character-defining features” of materials, fenestration, massing, and scale.

As a gleaming sacred setting for many faiths, the chapel, lies at the campus heart yet transcends the Academy’s everyday flow of space and movement just as Saarinen intended.

Some argue that buildings like the French cathedrals that Bunshaft sent Netsch to visit should ideally not change at all. But we do not live in a changeless world or in perfect Cartesian buildings that never age. For preservation engineers and architects, the challenge is to steward their unique character through the ravages of human wars, gradual deterioration, and now, the effects of climate change.

How should modern landmarks age over time? Is the patina of aging part of their character today? For the Cadet Chapel, one of the biggest challenges is to match the exterior panels made from an aluminum that is no longer manufactured. The exterior panel selection process reviewed original specifications and has gone through years of samples and development to reach accurate replicas. In a 2020 interview with Bjornberg and other team members, Andy Sturdevant noted :

One of the biggest challenges for the architects and contractors is replacing the exterior metal panels with modern-day aluminum that closely approximates the ethereal qualities of the original after decades of weathering in the High Plains sun, rain, and wind. There’s no way to recreate aluminum from the 1950s and 1960s because metallurgy has made enormous advances over the past 50 years. The project team is going to great lengths to create the best match, and the process for that is part chemistry, part forensic science, and part historical reenactment.

Hence the preservation conundrums: How can architects match the nuances of aging found in no longer available materials? If the patina of time is part of their value, at what point in time should we seek to document and replicate it?

Even though modern landmarks like the Cadet Chapel, the Seagram Building, and Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute were rendered and built as pure and finished statements, they never really are. Nor are their preservation treatments. Modernist building preservation is grounded in traditional preservation but adapts to the unique challenges of modernism’s materials, 20 th -century construction techniques, and design intent. In the generations to come, the Cadet Chapel will be repaired and “preserved” many times with new methods and technologies. Much of what is being done today will be subject to improvement.

Sacred sites and buildings live on in a different pace of time from most of what we build. In the great landmarks of modernism, time proved that their original systems, water barriers, and climate controls were not good enough. On opening day, their materials seemed so timeless and pristine, yet they were already transient.

Rather than framing sophisticated restoration projects like the Cadet Chapel as a return to perfection, preservation specialists are handing on today’s best practices for future preservationists who will ask the same questions of character and authenticity that we face today.

For preservation architects like Michael Bjornberg and Kimberly Sandbulte, the genius of design is to develop new preservation methods and technologies that work for the foreseeable future while taking the time to revisit the character of every pane of glass.

The author would also like to give a special acknowledgment to Michael Bjornberg for his help in collecting the historic images and connecting the parties involved with the restoration.

Architecture and Engineering Restoration: Architect and engineer of record: AECOM Preservation architect: Hartman-Cox Architects Structural and envelope consultant: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Organ consultant: Bynum Petty

Construction: Contractor: JE Dunn Historic treatment specialist: LEO A DALY Organ restoration: AE Schlueter Pipe Organ Company Curtain wall replication: Alliance Glazing Technologies Interior ceiling panel replication: EverGreene Architectural Arts Dalle de Verre glass restoration and repair: Judson Studios Pew restoration: Woodwork Restoration Aluminum exterior panels: A Zahner Company

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United States Air Force Academy in Colorado

The Academy is one of the most popular attractions in Colorado, welcoming more than one million visitors each year.

Find out everything you need to know about visiting.

The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado , located north of Colorado Springs, is an institution that educates, trains and inspires men and women to become officers of character motivated to lead the United States Air Force and Space Force in service to our nation.

Hours & Visitor Info

The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs is open to visitors daily from 5:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. and the Visitor Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m . The Visitor Center is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Visitors to the Academy can enter through either the South or North Gate, which can be accessed from Exit 150 or 156 on Interstate 25, just north of downtown Colorado Springs. The public is welcome to use the Arnold Hall food court, hiking and biking trails, the stables and golf course. Stop by the Visitor Center for more information.

All guests over the age of 18 are required to have a valid state-issued ID, Defense Department ID, or passport. Random vehicle inspections may also be required. Learn more about getting on base .

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR

Top 11 Must-See Attractions at the U.S. Air Force Academy

1. barry goldwater visitor center, 2. u.s. air force academy planetarium.

Travel to space or other far off lands in free, immersive screenings presented on an incredible 8K projected display with surround sound.

3. Noon Meal Formation

Watch as thousands of cadets march in formation to Mitchell Hall to the Air Force song and other anthems.

4. Cadet Chapel

Closed for a major restoration until Spring 2027, the stunning chapel features striking architectural elements inspired by Air Force vehicles.

5. B-52 Display

It'll be hard to miss this massive static display of a B-52 bomber that served in the Vietnam War and is the last bomber in aviation history to have downed aircraft with machine guns.

6. Cadet Field House

Cheer on the Falcons at this massive sports arena, home to basketball, volleyball, ice hockey and indoor track competitions.

7. Academic Overlook

Soak in your surroundings and marvel at campus buildings at this scenic overlook.

8. Athletic Overlook

Nearby the Academic Overlook, this vantage point offers sweeping views of the Academy's sprawling sports fields.

9. Arnold Hall

Home to a 2,900-seat theater and a food court, the Hall also features commemorative displays of the Tuskegee Airmen and other notable historical Air Force figures.

10. Doolittle Hall

A giant Pegasus statue greets you at Doolittle Hall, home to the alumni association. Nearby, find the Challenge Bridge, Mall of Heroes, Memorial Wall, and Southeast Asia Pavilion.

11. Falcon Stadium

Sit among 46,692 fans as they cheer on the Falcons at this impressive football stadium, also host to the Academy's annual graduation celebration.

In addition to state-of-the-art technology and modern architecture, this campus offers eleven different sites for civilians to explore.

U.S. Air Force Academy Chapel

PLEASE NOTE:

The U.S. Air Force Academy Chapel is closed for a major restoration that is estimated to last until spring 2027. Those interested in seeing the Cadet Chapel can check out the virtual tour .

The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado is perhaps best known for its stunning chapel. Soaring 150 feet toward the Colorado sky, the Cadet Chapel is an all-faith house of worship designed to meet the spiritual needs of cadets. It contains centers of worship for Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist chapels, an All-Faiths Room, and a Falcon Circle, each with its own entrance. The Chapel is capable of holding services in all rooms at one time.

The aluminum, glass and steel structure features 17 spires. There is no significance to this number. Original designs were too expensive, so changes were made, among them a reduction in the number of spires. The changes did not alter the basic design or the interior square footage of the chapel, however. The chapel structure cost $3.5 million to build. Furnishings, pipe organs, liturgical fittings and adornments of the chapel were presented as gifts from individuals, organizations, and donations from Easter offerings made at Air Force bases. The chapel was named one of CNN's most epic churches in America .

U.S. Air Force Academy Planetarium

The Planetarium features free shows for cadets, school groups and the public. Enjoy shows such as Black Holes, Fighter Pilot and Superpower Dogs. One of the oldest structures at the Academy, it was originally used to teach cadets celestial navigation. Now, after a refurbishment provided by generous donations, the advanced technology and capabilities serve a new generation of cadets leading the way in space, as well as STEM education for K-12 students and community outreach.

Check out the latest schedule of free public shows and enjoy the reclining theater seats and 8K projectors offering a 360-degree near-hemispheric screen to deliver a visually immersive field-of-view.

View All Attractions

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the united states air force academy in colorado.

The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado is located just north of Colorado Springs on a 18,500-acre campus that sits against the beautiful Front Range mountain range. Colorado Springs was selected as the site of the Academy at the recommendation of a special commission appointed by the secretary of the Air Force upon the Academy's formation by Congress in 1954. The commission had traveled 21,000 miles and toured hundreds of sites during their research process, ultimately selecting Colorado Springs as their top choice overall. Construction on the Air Force Academy began in the summer of 1955.

What kinds of hiking and biking trails are available at the U.S. Air Force Academy?

The U.S. Air Force Academy maintains over 30 miles of trails which visitors can enjoy. Pack sunscreen and layers of clothing as the mountain weather can change quickly. Bring a buddy to explore the Rampart Range and carry water with you to stay hydrated. Here’s a list of all the trails available to explore. To view a full map of U.S. Air Force Academy trails, click here .

Are there dining options available for visitors on base?

Yes, there are plenty of options for grabbing a snack or meal while you are on the base. They include fast food and favorite chains, pub fare and several restaurants serving lunch and dinner. Here is a  list of all the dining options  and their hours of operation.

What kind of events happen at the U.S. Air Force Academy?

There are events year-round at the base. For a full schedule, visit the Academy’s calendar of events . The U.S. Air Force Academy cadets compete on 27 NCAA Division I teams, primarily within the Mountain West Conference. To get tickets to an upcoming game and cheer on the Falcons during their most popular sporting events including football, basketball, volleyball and hockey, call 719-472-1895 or visit www.goairforcefalcons.com .

Who attends the U.S. Air Force Academy?

The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado is among the most selective colleges in the United States. Candidates are judged based on their academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, athletics and character. To gain admission, candidates must also pass a fitness test, undergo a thorough medical examination and secure a nomination, which usually comes from one of the candidate's members of Congress. Recent incoming classes have usually consisted of about 1,400 cadets; just under 1,000 of those usually make it through to graduation. Cadets pay no tuition but are committed to serving a number of years in the military service after graduation. Graduates of the four-year program receive a Bachelor of Science degree and most are commissioned as second lieutenants.

Is camping available for youth groups or scouts?

The U.S. Air Force Academy is proud to host local youth organizations on base for camping. Our designated campground for overnight stays is conveniently located near the North Gate. The primitive campground is adjacent to the B-52 static display and available to reserve year-round . There is no fee to reserve the campground. In order to allow time for processing, please make your reservations at least 45 days in advance. Nestled along the base of the Front Range, the Academy preserves over 18,500 acres of forests and mountain terrain, ideal for outdoor activities.

Due to base regulations, groups camping overnight must have a designated sponsor with a valid Department of Defense/military ID card.

You may not be able to go to 55 attractions in 5 days, but we did.

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U.S. Air Force Academy’s Cadet Chapel restoration hard-hat tour

Marty Rickett, JE Dunn Construction and Carlos Cruz-Gonzales, Air Force Academy Director of Logistics lead hard hat tour of Academy's Chapel restoration

Enshrouded in a fourteen-story cocoon for the past two years, the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel in Colorado Springs is undergoing a $150 million renovation.

Dedicated in 1963 the chapel was plagued with leaks ever since it first opened. Extensive water damage over the past six decades led to the restoration , which involves removing every aluminum panel and more than 20-thousand brick-sized stained glass blocks.

Join correspondent Tom Wilmer for a hard-hat tour of the Cadet Chapel in the midst of renovation with Carlos Cruz-Gonzales, U.S. Air Force Academy Director of Logistics, Engineering & Force Protection, and Marty Rickett of JE Dunn Construction.

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Nearly 1,000 cadets graduate from Air Force Academy at Falcon Stadium

When the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Class of 2024 arrived on the Colorado Springs campus in 2020, the ordinary freshmen faced an extraordinary challenge: navigating the first full school year at the service’s four-year university as the coronavirus pandemic raged around the globe.

Parents were unable to give their cadet a “proper goodbye” at dropoff, Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard Clark said.

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“They basically had to kick you out of the door and keep driving,” Clark said, recalling the uncertainty of the pandemic’s earliest days, when testing lockdowns, quarantines, virtual classes and plexiglass partitions became ingrained in daily life, and students were forced to forgo visits home during the holidays and spring break.

Four years later, an undergraduate journey that began with tumult ended in cheers Thursday as nearly 1,000 seniors celebrated at a commencement ceremony at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs.

Of the 1,164 cadets inducted into the academy in June 2020, 974 graduated Thursday, bringing the total number of academy graduates to more than 56,600 since 1959, according to statistics provided by USAFA .

Though many uncertainties of the pandemic’s early days have lifted, the newly minted second lieutenants are entering the military as the Pentagon faces another set of unknowns: rising tensions in the Middle East as the war between Hamas and Israel has intensified, Russia’s war in Ukraine passes the two-year mark, and the potential for competition with China to boil into conflict in the Pacific.

Biden thanks Air Force Academy grads for choosing ‘service over self’

More than 900 academy graduates are becoming second lieutenants in either the air force or space force..

Those challenges come as the Air Force races to modernize for a global fight , one that Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told cadets he believes they are ready to take on.

“You are beginning your careers during a strategic competition that is the greatest challenge our country has faced in modern times — perhaps in our entire history,” Kendall said. “[China] has designed and built its armed forces with the goal to deter and defeat the United States’ ability to project power, particularly in the western Pacific.”

The Class of 2024 included 70% men and 30% women, a gender breakdown similar to that of recent years, USAFA data shows. Still, the graduating class is less racially diverse than others in recent years, at a time when the Air Force is trying to overcome gender and racial disparities within its ranks.

In 2022 and 2023, 31% of USAFA graduates were minorities; that number fell to 25% in 2024. This year’s graduates include 136 Asian cadets, 127 Hispanic cadets, 70 cadets who identify with at least two races, 65 Black cadets, 23 Pacific Islanders and seven Native Americans.

Rising number of pilot hopefuls among 2022 Air Force Academy grads

About 975 newly minted air and space officers graduated at falcon stadium in colorado springs, colorado, on wednesday..

Of 387 graduates headed for rated career fields, 357 are assigned as pilots, 12 as drone operators, 12 as combat systems officers, and six as air battle managers, the school said. Academy graduates owe the military at least five years of service, depending on their career path. Those who become pilots must fly in the Air Force for at least 10 years.

The academy is also sending 92 cadets to the Space Force, bringing that total to 485 graduates who have headed to the military’s newest branch since it was established in 2019. Six students are commissioning into the Army or Marine Corps.

Each time a speaker mentioned the Class of 2024 during Thursday’s ceremony, cadets yelled “Roy” — acknowledging their chosen “exemplar,” or an aerospace leader who students pick to emulate as part of school tradition. This year’s exemplar was Maj. LeRoy Homer Jr. , a 1987 USAFA graduate who flew the C-141 Starlifter.

Homer joined United Airlines in 1995 and was the first officer on Flight 93, which crashed in a field in Shanksville, Penn. on Sept. 11, 2001. Homer was among those on the flight who fought back against Al Qaeda terrorists who attempted to hijack the plane and attack the U.S. Capitol.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the day’s keynote speaker, brought Homer’s wife and daughter to Thursday’s ceremony as honored guests, telling the graduates she believes his vision and spirit lives within them.

“Wherever you go from here you are ready. You all are ready. You already you have the skills. You have the knowledge and the strength of character to meet any challenge. You are warriors,” Harris said. “You have dedicated yourselves to the service of our nation and America’s security relies on you. I know you will make our country proud.”

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The day also closed a chapter for Clark, who became USAFA’s first Black superintendent in 2020 and will retire from military service on Friday.

But first — a selfie. Clark invited Harris to join him in the frame as he angled his phone toward the sea of seniors to snap the memento.

“You have a great ability to lead through uncertainty and overcome adversity, and those traits will prove invaluable throughout your career in the Air Force and Space Force and throughout your lives,” Clark told graduates. “Equally valuable will be your development as leaders of character. Always remember to put integrity first and live honorably in every aspect of your lives.”

Courtney Mabeus-Brown is the senior reporter at Air Force Times. She is an award-winning journalist who previously covered the military for Navy Times and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., where she first set foot on an aircraft carrier. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy and more.

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US Air Force Academy Class of 2024 graduates

C OLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Nearly 1,000 cadets celebrated their graduation from the United States Air Force Academy on Thursday.

A replay of the first hour of the ceremony is available at the top of this article.

Click here for more information about this year’s graduating class of cadets.

Click here to submit pictures and videos of the ceremony, Thunderbirds and other graduation related events or memories!