The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum will be expanded into a 150,000-square-foot facility currently owned by Lockheed Martin.

Now located at the Martin State Airport next to the ATP Flight School, the Middle River museum is home to one of the largest aviation history collections with about 98,000 square feet of aviation artifacts -- the majority of which are stored off-site. They'll all be showcased at the upcoming facility.

The new location, situated on Eastern Boulevard just up the road from the museum's current location, will be named the Maryland Aerospace Heritage Center.

"Maryland has the deepest history of aviation of any state in the union and is the home of aviation," said the museum's executive director, Gustavos McLeod. "The Wright Brothers invented the airplane; Maryland taught the world how to build it."

Also in the new facility will be a Maryland aviation hall of fame, an event center and a school to teach aerospace engineering, air traffic control and more.

"This is going to be the largest aviation museum on the East Coast, and it will do great things," said Maryland District 6 Del. Ric Metzgar, who represents the area, during a news conference Sunday. "Lots of jobs, aviation school, aircraft mechanics, air traffic control -- it is going to be great and exciting things."

He and McLeod were joined by District 6 Sen. Johnny Ray Salling, District 8 Del. Nick Allen, Baltimore County Councilman David Marks and museum staff.

Of the 150,000 square feet, about a third of the building will be dedicated to schooling, and an eighth will be used to expand programming for the 300 kids they engage with each week to get them "excited about aviation," McLeod said.

The new building is still owned by the defense contractor. According to McLeod, Lockheed Martin will no longer own the building come April 26. Once the museum is in possession of the facility, the museum will work to retrofit the building to its needs, he said. A timeline for completion is unknown.

"Maryland has a great legacy in aviation to represent, and now, we have a place worthy of that," McLeod said.