International Forest of Friendship

A life-size bronze statue of Amelia Earhart gazes over the International Forest of Friendship, which is a living growing memorial to the men and women who have contributed to aviation and aerospace endeavors. The forest was established during the bicentennial by the City of Atchison and The Ninety-Nines Inc., an international organization of women pilots.

Each June, new honorees are inducted into the forest with plaques embedded in the walkway that winds through the trees representing all 50 states and over 35 countries in which forest honorees reside. The forest has several special trees, including the “Moon Tree,” which was grown from a seed taken to the moon aboard Apollo 14. It is encircled by the Astronaut’s Memorial, which honors ten astronauts who lost their lives in space exploration.