A Journey into Tillamook's Old Mass Timber Hangar

Author and Photography by Talking Forests

Just off the scenic Highway 101 on the Oregon coast, a structure of impossible scale dominates the landscape. It’s a silent giant, a relic from a world at war, and its sheer size inspires a mix of awe and perhaps a touch of shock. This is Hangar B of the former Naval Air Station Tillamook, now home to the Tillamook Air Museum.

To visit is to step inside history, not just of aviation, but of timber engineering itself. But this isn't just a story about the past. It's a profound lesson in the endurance of wood and its potential to be reborn into the sustainable building materials of the future.

Stepping into a Wooden Hangar

The moment you enter Hangar B, the scale is what hits you. It is, to put it mildly, "enormously cavernous". At 1,072 feet long, 296 feet wide, and soaring 192 feet, over 15 stories, to its crown, this is the largest free-standing, clear-span wooden structure in the world. It covers more than seven acres, enough to fit six football fields under its roof. The air inside feels cool and damp, and a respectful silence seems to hang in the vast, dimly lit space

Destroyed in a Fire

This colossal structure was born of necessity during World War II. In 1942, the U.S. Navy began an ambitious project to build 17 wooden hangars to house K-class blimps for anti-submarine patrols. Two were built here in Tillamook, in a valley naturally sheltered by surrounding hills. Construction was rushed; its twin, Hangar A, was completed in a jaw-dropping 27 working days. Each hangar required more than two million board feet of lumber, sourced from fifty different Oregon lumber companies, with even gutters made of wood to conserve precious metal. These hangars were designed to house eight 252-foot-long K-class blimps, which patrolled the coast from California to Washington.

Sadly, Hangar A, which was being used for hay storage, was completely destroyed in a massive fire in 1992. Today, only Hangar B remains, a solitary monument to a remarkable chapter of history.

A Museum of Quirks and History

Inside, the hangar is a treasure trove for aviation buffs and the curious alike. The collection features more than 25 aircraft, from a Grumman F-14A Tomcat, the exact one featured in the 1986 film "Top Gun", to a massive Mini Guppy, a uniquely shaped cargo plane that once transported the Pioneer 10 space probe for NASA. There are also exhibits on World War II, including artifacts from the German airship Hindenburg and displays on major battles like D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.

But the hangar has its own personality, too. Visitors with a keen eye might spot one of its most famous "IRL Easter eggs": a basketball hoop mounted an absurd 192 feet in the air, a silent challenge to the laws of gravity and physics. It’s a quirky detail that has sparked countless jokes and comments, a testament to the human impulse to leave a mark, even in the most imposing of places.

The Challenge of Time: Restoring a Timber Titan

For all its grandeur, Hangar B is an 80-year-old wooden structure in the damp Pacific Northwest, and time takes its toll. The museum team noticed warning signs about the building's condition and was initially advised that a complete teardown and rebuild, costing upwards of $15 million, was the only option.

Thankfully, they sought a second opinion from the timber experts at Wood Research and Development (WRD). Understanding the hangar's historical significance and complexity, WRD conducted a comprehensive inspection of the staggering 3.2 million board feet of Pacific Northwest timber that make up its frame. The task was immense, requiring specialized telescopic aerial lifts to reach the highest points of the roof and catwalks 137 feet above the floor.

Using non-destructive methods like stress wave timing and collecting small samples for lab analysis, WRD assessed the health of the 50,000 unique timber elements, from massive trusses to ridge beams. They were looking for any signs of decay, rot, or damage from decades of exposure to moisture and the elements. The detailed report they provided gave the museum crucial information on what repairs were truly necessary, allowing them to chart a course for restoration rather than demolition. This expert intervention ensures that Hangar B can continue its legacy for many more years, a testament to the power of preservation and wood science.

From Old-Growth Beams to Modern Mass Timber

The story of Hangar B is more than just preservation; it’s a direct link between the heavy dimensional timber of the past and the innovative mass timber products of the future, like cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued-laminated timber (glulam). The principles that make this 80-year-old structure so resilient are the same ones that drive today's sustainable construction movement.

Properly designed and cared for, timber structures can have lifespans equal to or greater than concrete and steel. The key is proactive protection: smart design to manage moisture, regular inspections and maintenance, and the use of protective coatings and sealants. The challenges faced by Hangar B are moisture, rot, and the sheer scale of maintenance. They are issues that modern mass timber engineering seeks to solve through precision manufacturing and advanced, eco-friendly treatments.

Visit the Tillamook Air Museum

You are not just seeing old planes in an old building. You are standing inside a powerful symbol of sustainability and innovation. The massive wooden beams above your head are the ancestors of the sleek, strong, and environmentally friendly mass timber products transforming our cities today. This hangar is a living classroom, demonstrating that with expertise and care, wood is not just a material for the past, but an enduring and essential resource for a greener future. It’s a place where history inspires the next generation of builders, proving that what we build with wood can, and should, be built to last.

Donate today to the future of this much need restoration!

🌲✈️ Donate here: https://friendsoftillamookairmuseum.org

📧 Contact the museum: info@tillamookair.com Let’s keep this wooden giant standing tall for years to come.