Great Bend Municipal Airport was constructed in the early 1940s as a World War II Army Air Force Base to accommodate the B-29 Superfortress bomber.

The airfield included three intersecting 8,000-foot long paved runways, taxiways, aircraft park aprons, aircraft storage hangars, and several support facilities to include administrative buildings, barracks, and automobile access roads.

The men and women who contributed to the success of the war effort included elite combat crews, mechanics, armorers, cooks and clerks. Early in 1944, the 58th Bomb Wing took off from the airport runways.

After World War II, the airport was transferred to the City of Great Bend, and the City began to modify the facility to better serve civilian aviation. Located at the entrance to the Great Bend Municipal Airport, the B-29 Memorial Plaza is dedicated to everyone involved in building, flying and providing support for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The memorial honors bomber crews, groups, and individuals on bronze plaques and bricks. Visitors are welcome 365 days a year. There is no admission charge.

For additional information on the Airport please see the Barton County Historical Society website.