The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean is finally getting the star treatment. Two blockbuster films in 2009 feature the aviatrix from Atchison, Kansas. This spring, Academy Award nominee Amy Awards portrayed the pilot alongside Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian. This October, Oscar winner Hilary Swank will step into the role, for a biopic named Amelia.

Visitors can follow in the legend's footsteps inside her hometown of nearby Atchison, Kansas. The Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum provides an interesting look at the pilot's simple life, from childhood mementos to family photos, plus information about her 1937 disappearance.

The town celebrates its most famous citizen with the Amelia Earhart Festival, July 17-18. Activities include aviation displays, aerobatic performances, country music concerts, plus speakers and presentations.