Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Museum documenting the history of aviation & space exploration, with displays of vehicles & more. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum maintains the world’s largest and most significant collection of aviation and space artifacts, encompassing all aspects of human flight, as well as related works of art and archival materials. It operates two landmark facilities that, together, welcome more than eight million visitors a year, making it the most visited museum in the country.

Launch into the history of flight by surrounding yourself with icons of air and space travel. The flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C, exhibits aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets, and other flight-related artifacts. The museum has an IMAX theater for out-of-this-world escapes. Due to ongoing renovations, some galleries are closed. Learn what’s on view. The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia, houses many more artifacts in an open, hangar-like setting, including a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and space shuttle Discovery. It also is home to the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies.