National Air and Space Museum
Guests to the National Air and Space Museum can see the original 1903 Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis and the command module of Apollo 11, just a few of its over a hundred items on display in 22 exhibit galleries. Inside the architecturally-stunning steel and glass structure, the museum, the most popular of the Smithsonian museums, has a host of missiles, airplanes and spacecraft, representing the early history of flight through early ventures in space exploration. Guests can take a thrilling trip through space at Cosmic Collisions, or a more leisurely tour of the skies at The Stars Tonight, both of which show daily at the Albert Einstein Planetarium.
The museum's extensive selection grew so large that in 2003, it opened complementary facility Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The center displays aircraft and spacecraft, including the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world, and the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay. Atop the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower, visitors can watch the air traffic at nearby Dulles Airport.
Both locations have special event venues available and also offer group tours. Both the National Air and Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy Center are open daily from 10 AM to 5:30 PM. They are closed Christmas. Admission is free.
