On April 3, 2009, a donation was made to the AMA from the Claude McCullough Estate for the construction of a new educational multipurpose facility. This new addition increases the space of the museum and allows staff the opportunity to provide improved traditional and non-traditional educational programming. 

 The Museum's Steering Committee, at their April 2009 meeting, reviewed the building's design and then officially presented it to the AMA Executive Council on April 25, 2009. The Council approved the project and The Gale Tschuor Company was hired for the project. The building was built over the summer and early fall of 2009 and opened officially on October 30, 2009 to rave reviews.

 About Claude McCullough

Claude began modeling as a young boy in 1935, and entered his first AMA Nationals in 1941. Over the years, he won many plaques and trophies based on his keen flying ability. He wrote articles, published model airplane plans, and edited for some of the most famous model aviation magazines of his time. He also designed and built model airplane parts such as transmitters, receivers, and escapements.
Claude served as elected AMA President from 1957 to 1958, as well as held other AMA positions and served on a number of committees over the years. In 1979, Claude was inducted into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame, and in 1991, into the Society of Antique Modelers Hall of Fame.