lovehappyliving.com Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700:3034::6815:4c15  Public Scan

URL: https://lovehappyliving.com/
Submission: On September 28 via api from BE — Scanned from DE

Form analysis 0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Lonely Planet
Destinations
Planning
Inspiration
Shop

Search

Saves


Open main menu

Getty Images




NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

 1. Washington, DC,
 2. USA,
 3. North America

Top choice in Washington, DC

LoginSave

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The legendary exhibits at the National Air and Space Museum include the Wright
brothers' flyer, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St
Louis, Howard Hughes' H-1 Racer and Amelia Earhart's natty Vega 5B.

The hugely popular Smithsonian museum in Washington, DC, maintains the world's
largest and most significant collection of aviation and space artifacts,
encompassing all aspects of human flight.

It presents programs, educational activities, lectures and performances that
reflect the American spirit and the innovation, courage and optimism that have
led to triumphs in the history, science and technology of flight. Children and
adults alike love walking through the Skylab Orbital Workshop and viewing the
Apollo to the Moon exhibit.


The museum maintains the world's largest collection of aviation and space
artifacts © f11photo/Shutterstock


HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM

The Smithsonian Institute's connection to flight began in 1861 when its first
secretary, Joseph Henry, invited Thaddeus S.C. Lowe to inflate his hot air
balloon on its grounds. In 1876, a group of 20 kites was acquired from the
Chinese Imperial Commission, seeding what would later become the largest
collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world.

The collections were first housed in the institute's Arts and Industries
building, and were expanded after World War I to a Quonset hut erected by the
War Department behind the Smithsonian Castle. Affectionately known as the "Tin
Shed," the new building opened to the public in 1920 and remained in use for the
next 55 years.

President Harry Truman signed a bill in 1946 establishing the Smithsonian's
National Air Museum to memorialize the development of aviation; collect,
preserve and display aeronautical equipment; and provide educational material
for the study of aviation.

As the technology continued to advance and the collection expanded to include
artifacts related to rocketry and spaceflight, it became clear that the museum
was entering a new phase. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a law that
changed the name to the National Air and Space Museum to memorialize the
development of both aviation and spaceflight. The museum's collection on display
expanded to include missiles and rockets.

Funding to construct a new building was approved in 1971, and the National Air
and Space Museum's new building was inaugurated with great fanfare on July 1,
1976. The collection that started in 1876 with a group of 20 kites has grown to
nearly 60,000 objects now, and more avionic pieces reside in Virginia at the
Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center, an annex that holds more of this museum's
extraordinary collection. Both buildings combine to welcome more than eight
million visitors per year.


The museum is one of the most-visited in the world © Ritu Manoj
Jethani/Shutterstock


WHAT TO DO AT THE MUSEUM

The Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall is the museum's entrance gallery, and it
will appeal to aviation enthusiasts as it showcases the Spirit of St. Louis, the
North American X-15A-1, John Glenn’s Mercury spacecraft, the Viking Lander,
Pioneer 10, SpaceShipOne and a touchable lunar sample. 

How Things Fly is a fun, interactive gallery allowing children and adults to
explore the principles of flight through hands-on activities. It features a
Cessna 150, a section of a Boeing 757 fuselage, a model of the International
Space Station and more than 50 interactives, including a visitor-operated
supersonic wind tunnel.

Space-lovers will enjoy Exploring the Planets, which takes visitors on a tour of
the solar system and imparts some of the knowledge scientists have acquired by
exploring the planets via space missions and observations from Earth. The
largest single artifact in this gallery is a full-scale replica of a Voyager
spacecraft.

And of course, the full-scale mock-up of the Hubble Space Telescope is always a
popular attraction and is on display in the Space Race exhibition.


TICKETS AND OTHER PRACTICALITIES

The National Air and Space Museum is located on the National Mall at Sixth
Street and Independence Avenue SW. It is near Metrorail stops on the blue,
orange, yellow and green lines, and the closest Metrorail stop is at L'Enfant
Plaza. Metrobus stops are located on Independence Avenue SW and along 7th Street
SW.

Admission is free, although there are charges for immersive experiences
including the IMAX theater planetarium and flight simulators. The museum often
observes extended hours during the spring and summer - check the website for
details.

Note: In late 2018, the museum began a seven-year complete renovation so the
west wing of the building is currently closed for the first phase of the
renovation. In 2022, the first new galleries will begin to open to the public
and the east wing of the building will close for renovation.


ACCESSIBILITY AT THE MUSEUM

The Central Smithsonian Accessibility Office has an accessibility map that
depicts accessible entrances, curb cuts and designated parking for Smithsonian
facilities on the National Mall. There are seven National Park Service
designated accessible parking spaces located on Jefferson Drive across from the
museum. Visitors with disability hang tags or license plates can park for free
at metered spaces controlled by the DC government along Independence Avenue SW.

The museum has two wheelchair-accessible exterior ramps, and an elevator is
available at the entrance to the How Things Fly gallery on the first level and
The Wright Brothers gallery on the second level. Standard and bariatric
wheelchairs are available on loan from the security desk. All restrooms are
accessible, and there are two family/companion care restrooms inside the Flight
Line Café entrance on the first level.

Braille and tactile guides are available at the Southwest Airlines Welcome
Center. The museum can be navigated with Aira, a free app that connects users
with sighted agents who provide visual descriptions on-demand. Audio-described,
docent-led tours and discovery stations with models and tactile components are
provided, and sign language interpreters can be made available for tours, public
programs or evening lectures with advance notice.

A pre-visit social narrative is available to help prepare visitors with
cognitive and sensory processing disabilities for the situations they might
encounter when visiting the museum, and address what to expect, museum rules and
other safety information. Further information on accessibility can be found
here.

Read more


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CONTACT


ADDRESS

cnr 6th St & Independence Ave SW


GET IN TOUCH

202-633-2214

https:// www .airandspace .si .edu /

Suggest an edit to this attraction


LONELY PLANET'S MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS

 * Mount Vernon
   
   12.93 MILES
   
   One of America's most visited historic sites, Mount Vernon was the beloved
   home of George and Martha Washington.

 * National Gallery of Art
   
   0.22 MILES
   
   Two buildings. Hundreds of masterpieces. Infinite enjoyment. It's easy to
   spend a full day at the National Gallery of Art, which showcases a whole
   range…

 * Lincoln Memorial
   
   1.64 MILES
   
   Anchoring the National Mall's west end is the hallowed shrine to Abraham
   Lincoln, who gazes across the Reflecting Pool beneath his neoclassical,
   Doric…

 * National Museum of African American History & Culture
   
   0.72 MILES
   
   Located in Washington, DC, the sensational National Museum of African
   American History & Culture is devoted exclusively to the documentation of
   African…

 * US Capitol
   
   0.59 MILES
   
   Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government (ie
   Congress) has met to write the country's laws.

 * White House
   
   1.12 MILES
   
   Play image association with the words “Washington, DC,” and chances are the
   first thing that comes to mind is the White House. The president’s pad is…

 * Arlington National Cemetery
   
   2.42 MILES
   
   Sprawling across hills above the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia,
   Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for America’s most
   revered…

 * United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
   
   0.71 MILES
   
   Image bykanzilyou/GettyRF

View more attractions

View more attractions


NEARBY WASHINGTON, DC ATTRACTIONS

1. Hirshhorn Museum

0.17 MILES

The Smithsonian’s cylindrical art museum shows works from modernism’s early days
to today's most cutting-edge practitioners. Exhibitions of works drawn…

2. National Museum of the American Indian

0.17 MILES

Ensconced in an architecturally notable building clad in honey-colored
limestone, this museum offers cultural artifacts, videos and audio recordings…

3. Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

0.18 MILES

Works by Rodin, Arp, Moore, Miró and de Kooning are among those on show in this
sunken sculpture garden opposite the Hirshhorn's main museum. The site is…

4. National Gallery of Art

0.22 MILES

Two buildings. Hundreds of masterpieces. Infinite enjoyment. It's easy to spend
a full day at the National Gallery of Art, which showcases a whole range…

5. Museum of the Bible

0.25 MILES

This six-story museum explores the history and impact of the Bible through a mix
of scholarly displays and theme-park-style exhibits. On the 4th floor,…

6. Carousel

0.27 MILES

Kids love taking a ride on this musical merry-go-round with its 58 brightly
painted horses. It's on the Mall by the Smithsonian Castle.

7. National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

0.3 MILES

This 6-acre garden is studded with whimsical sculptures such as Roy
Lichtenstein’s House I (1998), a giant Claes Oldenburg typewriter eraser (1999)
and…

8. National Museum of African Art

0.31 MILES

Enter the museum’s ground-level pavilion through the Enid A Haupt Garden, then
descend into the dim underground exhibit space. Devoted to ancient and…

View moreView more attractions


For Explorers Everywhere


FOLLOW US

 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 


SUBSCRIBE


GET 20% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER.


TOP DESTINATIONS

 * New York City
 * Paris
 * Italy
 * Costa Rica
 * Japan
 * USA
 * Amsterdam
 * Portugal
 * Cancún
 * Chicago
 * England
 * Tokyo
 * France
 * Thailand
 * Ireland
 * Rome
 * London
 * Los Angeles
 * Mexico
 * San Francisco
 * Explore More Destinations


TRAVEL INTERESTS

 * Adventure Travel
 * Art and Culture
 * Beaches, Coasts and Islands
 * Family Holidays
 * Festivals
 * Food and Drink
 * Honeymoon and Romance
 * Road Trips
 * Sustainable Travel
 * Travel on a Budget
 * Wildlife and Nature


SHOP

 * Destination Guides
 * Lonely Planet Kids
 * Lonely Planet Shop
 * Non-English Guides


ABOUT US

 * About Lonely Planet
 * Contact Us
 * Trade and Advertising
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms and Conditions
 * Work For Us
 * Write For Us
 * Sitemap
 * Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy
 * Cookie Settings
 * Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

© 2024 Lonely Planet, a Red Ventures company. All rights reserved. No part of
this site may be reproduced without our written permission.

Language

English

 * Deutsch
 * Français
 * Español
 * Italiano
 * Česky