The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum is a goldmine for aviation enthusiasts, maintaining the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world, including some of the most famous artifacts of all time: the Wright Brothers' Flyer, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, and Apollo 11 – as well as the original Star Trek model of the Federation Starfleet's Enterprise.
It features two separate facilities, its original location at the National Mall building and the newer Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport.
At the National Mall building location are 22 exhibition galleries, an IMAX theater, and a range of flight simulators. A favorite for children, the gallery How Things Fly, features hands-on activities, a plethora of interactive devices and science demonstrations. The Albert Einstein Planetarium presents two shows daily: Cosmic Collisions and The Stars Tonight.
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center features the large Boeing Aviation Hangar where aircraft are displayed on three levels, including the fastest jet in the world, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, and the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay. This is also the location of the afore-mentioned Enterprise model.
Current and Upcoming Exhibitions
- Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)
- Milestones of Flight
- The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age
- Space Race
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- 10am-5:30pm Monday-Sunday
- Admission:
- Free
- Metro Stop:
- Blue, Orange, Yellow or Greenline to the L'Enfant Plaza Station
- Exit near intersection of 7th St Sw and Maryland Ave Sw
- Start out going East on Maryland Ave Sw towards 6th St Sw
- Turn left onto 6th St Sw
- Turn left onto Independence Ave Sw
- View Metro Map
- Contact:
- Location: 200 6th St SW Washington, DC 20024
- Phone: 202-633-1000
- Website: www.nasm.si.edu
