Loved it. Such a cool place that you just need to check. We have had plans to come for few hours and continue to another place. We never got there. We just preferred to stay longer at Smithnation national air and space museum. This place is something I will never t forget anytime soon. And happy to share and recommend. To all of you who wonder if it worth it, if you ask my opinion, a definite yes is the only answer to that question. When we visited there weren't that many visitors at first. We got here early. After couple hours it got little crowded that kind of slow things. read more

See all

It's a long way around the National Mall, and though I had limited time in DC and wanted to tour the National Gallery of Art, as a space-loving nerd I couldn't resist making my way through the National Museum of Air and Space. Besides, it was on the way. The main room is huge and airy. Befitting, huh? There's a pretty impressive collection of objects that have traversed the skies and beyond. It was pretty fun looking around, though I had limited time as I was trying to check out the National Gallery of Art as well during a long Amtrak layover. The Wright Brothers first plane, a large glorified hang glider was something to see. Looked terrifying to pilot, especially considered every previous man-made attempt at a flying machine had crashed. It was cool seeing a scale model of a Mars rover, too, though it was ironic as on that day Opportunity was declared irretrievable after it's communications devices had been thoroughly blanketed with Martian loam after a months long dust storm. I've heard the rovers were as large as an SUV but I still couldn't help but imagine them as smaller til I saw the model. Some of the galleries here feel a bit dated. I'm not one to complain about stuff like that usually, but when the subject is outer space and space exploration it just seems like everything should look super modern. One of the galleries was closed for renovations so maybe they're on that. Don't know their funding situation, but admission is gloriously free, though I felt compelled to throw a fiver in the donation box. The IMAX theater looked very tempting, but again, I had limited time and it's sponsorship by war profiteers Lockheed Martin was kind of a turn off for me. Ya live by the Military Industrial Complex, ya die by the Military Industrial Complex... I had lunch in the cafeteria and it was alright. My Greek salad was a bit of a step up from the Amtrak cafe food at least. There's a lot of history in this building and there was a lot of kids running around. If you have limited time like me I'd suggest checking out the more impressive air and spacecraft and getting learnt about some of the other stuff elsewhere. read more

See all

Great museum but there's too much people. Long lines at all entrances to go in. It's not enjoyable anymore when everytime you want to see something there's a line or a crowd. The displays are cool but we didn't want to stay to see them all. The crowd was just too much. The inside temperature of the museum was still cool enough despite the crowd. We watched the D-day 3d movie. I would recommend it for history buffs. I wouldn't recommend coming here in the Summer. Too much tourists and families with kids off school. read more

Smithsonian - Big crowd everywhere. - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is one of my husbands favorite museum. They have everything related to air and space in this museum. From first airplanes to spaceships. They even let you walk through one of them. It was so cramped. They have a food court in this one as well. It is a two story McDonald's and always packed. Like all other museums in the area this is free to enter, and you will need to pass a security screening. They have moving exhibits as well but mostly staples that don't change. We spend half a day in here alone. So much to see and do. They have some planetarium shows as well which are paid shows. My son had a blast here and there is so much to engage children and adults. Lots of interactive displays. read more

Smithsonian - Lander - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I found out recently that this is actually the 3rd most visited museum in the country. And it is with good reason. Most cities will have their art and history museums, but almost none will have a space museum with the collection here. Visiting this place is a must for history buffs. This place has too many famous aircraft and spacecraft to list. Some of them include the Wright Brothers plane, the Apollo 11 module used for the first moon landing, the Spirit of St. Louis, and the Star Trek Enterprise model used for the show. They have artifacts of all sizes from all throughout history. read more

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC is a fantastic museum for anyone who loves and appreciates science. My first grader favourite subject is science so we made sure we stopped on over here. They closed some of the exhibits here earlier as they were getting ready for a big event, but we still had a great time. The entire building is lined up with dozens of airplanes, rocket ships and has an incredible aircraft carrier exhibit. If you never been on a ship, their aircraft carrier exhibit is something you will want to check out. It reminded us when we stayed on the USS Yorktown over the weekend. NASA donated some very cool spaceship material and the kids section is a definitely stop. If you have children you will want to stop there as it is interactive. Kids can go inside an airplane, play with gravity, physics and get a better understanding of how science works. The Wright Brothers exhibit is worth checkout too. I wish we would have had more time to spend here. Overall, if you love science this is definitely a museum you will want to check out and best of all, it is free... [Review #462] (47th Review of 2017) read more

See all

This review is for the museum in the national mall in DC. I'm from close by and I've come here for many years. I visited the other day and was totally disappointed. A lot of the rare artifacts have been replaced with cheesy theme park style exhibits. Some of the exhibits have nothing to do with air and space like the speed exhibit that has more cars and motorcycles than airplanes. Half of the museum is still under construction so no WWII stuff at all. There's lots of space, but nothing to see! The gift shop now is bigger than most exhibit wings. And now you have to get the free tickets online and then wait at the door. We waited at the door for almost half an hour in the hot sun. The ticket system is left over from the pandemic and in my opinion completely dysfunctional. Complete disappointment don't waste your time. read more

Free! Overwhelming! So much squished into one building. It's amazing to just look around and the items in this place! First off... there is a piece of the moon you can touch!! The Kids area is great! All hands on experiments and plenty of workers to help! We only looked at the space section but what we saw it's worth telling others to visit! read more

Smithsonian - Moon touching! - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Excellent museum. If possible take a tour with one of the Maura Burns. She's filled with knowledge and she's so funny. The tours are free. This is one of the best museums I've ever visited. So much cool history and seeing how technology has advanced in a little over 100 years is unbelievable. Museum is great from kids! read more

See all

The museum was great and it was not that big. It will take an hour and a half to go through the museum. It had nice artifacts such as Yuri Gagarins spacesuit and more. Due to the renovation some of the exhibits were closed. Good thing we went a week before it closed since it will be closed for several months. Its a great experience and I highly recommend it! read more

See all

Very fun and informative! The displays are beautiful and a lot of the stations are interactive. I just love how there are so many free museums in DC and this one definitely ranks high. Another great place to being your kids, a date or yourself. read more

Smithsonian - interactive! - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Such fun! Everything has a sleek new look to it after renovations. You should bring your own water cause you'll be walking a lot! I'm glad we got tickets a few weeks ago apparently they were all booked up. We are looking forward to going again when the last two exhibits will open. We didn't have time for the planetarium but will check that out next time. The Mars Cafe being upon was a happy surprise for us especially since it's been raining all day! We opted to the self check tablets and our was so easy to order and pay. The actual pick up line was a little harder to navigate, since they were so busy and names were being called out but it was hard to hear them calling out names. But food and the Lunar Hot Chocolate was decent for what we paid. Basically, a family of three can get a meal for about $35 depending on what you get. If you don't want to walk more and are done for the day, you can get did at food trucks or at the Native American Museum next door for a different food experience and more options. read more

This museum is very interesting to visit! I'm not that into planes and I came out learning a bunch of awesome facts! Security is definitely beefed up at the front. Bag checks and metal detectors were out. They were packed. We were hoping to get into an IMAX movie but the line was ridiculously long. Either way, it's a wonderfully entertaining and educational museum to go to. read more

Smithsonian - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Let me start with the only reason it is getting 3 and not 5 stars is the remodel has over half of the exhibits closed. Made for a super safe space geek. All in all it was a good time and with the exhibits being closed it honestly made it easier on the kids. They would have been bored to tears if we would have spent the whole day there. Pointers Go early, the line will be wrapped around the building especially on a weekend. Don't take too much stuff, you will be putting everything through x-ray Yes they take apple and Samsung pay The cafeteria is closed, but they do have some self serve options. Read all the signs! You will learn some seriously cool stuff. read more

See all

Who doesn't like free museums? Only downside is that it was incredibly packed, but at least anyone can enter at anytime. I visited DC once before and somehow managed to miss all the museums. This time around, I made sure to spend 2 hours at the National Air and Space museum. Lunar lander and Wright Brothers aircraft were the most iconic crafts among various other icons. A total treat to see these in person and a truly inspiring museum overall. read more

Skip the Air and Space museum on the National Mall in 2022 and go to the one out by the airport (Dulles) instead. They are renovating the A&S museum and most of the halls are closed and most of aircraft are removed. The kid-focused exhibit on the principles of aviation had almost 100% of the displays broken -- they all relied on compressed air and apparently the compressor is broken. We only spent about 45 minutes in the building and left. Luckily, we were on the way out to Luray VA and were able to fit in a stop at the Air and Space museum at Dulles airport. Holy cow, that is a fantastic A+ 5-star experience. I'll write about that separately. Just stay away from the A&S museum until the renovations are complete. Your time will be better spent in any of the other museums downtown. read more

What a nice place to go! My buddy and I walked in here while taking a last tour of DC. When we got here, there were three separate lines going into the museum. We got through them in a matter of minutes, which was great because it was very hot and humid that day. Once inside, I enjoyed the air conditioning and checked out their many exhibits. I can go on and on about them, but I uploaded over 30 pics. A picture says a thousand words, so check em out. The museum has very interesting and historic displays, including information on the apollo missions. There is a life-size model rocket that you can walk in, and see what life was like inside. This place is two stories tall, and well worth the visit. Admission is free. Just get here early, as the crowd can get sizable very fast. read more

See all

If I could give 6 stars I would. So much to learn and see here, from info about how ship navigation occurred before GPS to how we got men on the moon, and the icing on the cake is its completely free! I highly recommend coming early, gates open at 10, and the crowds start arriving around 11:30. If you want to get in some time before kids are running around everywhere the earlier the better. Definitely check out all the space related exhibits, and the section on the wright brothers, who made bicyles untill they decided to switch to airplanes. Steer clear of the imax stuff, especially if the aircraft carrier movie catches your eye...it's $9 and only about 30 min long, but mostly a commercial for the Navy and very little is actually about aircraft carriers. Also steer clear of the cafeteria, the food is terrible and overpriced...walk 10 min north and there are way better food options at much happier prices. read more

This is one of my favorite museums to visit, even with all the craziness of the summer school trips. Was here on June 3 (Saturday) and it was thick with school groups. School groups in general are noisy, sometimes disrespectful of both the space and the activity, and mostly don't seem all that interested in the museum; however, I recognize it might be the only time some of the kids get to travel and do this kind of event, so I take in stride. My answer is to wear headphones (and you can listen to some of the presentations with the right app). There were several new exhibits (drones, manned space flight, war artists) and some interesting sounding imax and planetarium topics (I didn't try any). I think its good to come back every few years to see the new exhibits. And definitely if you get the chance, go out to the Edvar-Hazy museum by Dulles Airport. read more

Smithsonian - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

If you can ignore the deafening screams of children echoing from every crevice of this museum, it can be quite an enjoyable experience. UGH! But seriously, there's lots of cool exhibits to see, though it's clear that this particular museum is geared more towards families. The giant planes hanging from the ceiling are impressive, and I'm especially a fan of the control tower art gallery. My friend really wanted to see that planetarium show narrated by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, so he paid $9 per ticket for this 20 minute show. It was decent. Per usual in every planetarium I visit, I fell asleep for a few minutes. It's impressive how many interactive exhibits this museum has to both appease the visitors who like to read descriptions and those who just like to learn through visuals. This museum is definitely worth a stop along your journey through the National Mall. It has a young and energetic learning atmosphere to it. There's even a food court to quell those fussy children you may bring along with you. Enjoy! read more

Smithsonian - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Probably top five - maybe even top three - as far as popularity goes in Smithsonian museums. Definitely my favorite when I was a kid. A lot of the sketches I did as a kid were of planes and rockets. I was always fascinated by flight and exploring the stars. I went back recently and I still love it. (My inner child isn't dead! Woo!) Because it is pretty popular, there are often lines to get in (I would rank these lines as less intense than the Natural History Museum lines - something about that elephant I guess...) so give yourself a few moments to get inside (especially if you're going during the busy season for school field trips - which requires a bravery/patience that I do not possess). My most recent visit...was on a Sunday in January so there were maybe 8-10 people in front of me. We were through security easily enough. The museum is open 10-5 Mon-Sat and 11-6 Sun, so maybe it's a timing thing? It's not the kind of place that will take the entire day, but maybe a couple of hours if you're with a group. The entrance is one of those spaces that's designed to feel enormous. Look up, there's lots to see. The exhibits are generally pretty well put together, and you get to see real artifacts of our advances in flight and attempts to explore the stars. There is a planetarium, and an IMAX theater as well - though the viewings in both do require purchasing tickets. (The rest of the Museum is free.) You can do so online or at their box office. Call ahead for large groups. I guess the real takeaway here is that there are rockets, so...definitely visit. read more

See all

Oh boy, what a let down this place was. The last time I was here was in 1989. While I don't remember much of what I saw back then, seeing it again in 2016 was shocking. Everything was so old and outdated. The museum seemed geared more to kids, yet I'm sure some of them would find the experience a bit medieval compared to their tech savvy lives of today. There are hands-on displays, old-school machines with manual cranks and viewing windows, walk-through displays, IMAX shows, flight simulators, a lot of life-sized aircraft hanging from the ceilings, and a ton of reading to do. I was anxious to see the exhibit on the planets, but it was nothing but cardboard cutouts of pictures and info which can be found online. Where's the virtual interactivity? It should feel like you're in outer space, not a big diorama. I know that this place is free (sans for the IMAX and simulators,) but I'd rather pay an entry fee to see something worth while. OVERALL: Old and outdated. Everyone told us after the fact that there's a newer, better air & space museum in Virginia? Hmm... read more

Smithsonian - The place - VN - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This was truly a wonderful experience. Who doesn't love the idea of space and flying. I sure do . This museum is worth the visit no matter what your age you will find something interesting. You will learn about the history of flight and space travel. I enjoyed learning about women in flight. This was an enjoyable tour . Take your time and really explore. Make this your first stop of the day so you don't feel rushed, The travels to moon and pictures are great. Enjoy the history and see the future read more

See all

This is a great museum even though, right now they have a lot of exhibition rooms closed. If you're in the area, I would still recommend it. This is one of the Smithsonian museums that had the most people, it was kind of crowded compared to the other museums we visited that week. Not too far from the Capitol, the Native American museums and the National Botanic Gardens, so you could visit those on the same day. This is great for all ages and remember: it's free, so, even better. read more

See all

This museum was a bit underwhelming compared to others like the Natural History and National Gallery of Art. But I am mostly giving it 2 stars for the planetarium. It costs $9 and gave me the worst migraine and vertigo after, so don't go in if you're prone to motion sickness! read more

Be prepared to spend the day here .. we'll really you could spend two days. The Smithsonian is an amazing organization that really does a top notch job of cataloging and preserving history. This place does an amazing job of making history interesting and fun.. truly something for all ages here. During the summer (when you visited) you'll find endless school tours so it's advisable to get in early to and try avoid the crowds. The center also features a great interactive flight simulator, one of which puts you in the seat as a fighter pilot and flips a full 360, really fun!! read more

See all

Lower your expectations. Half of the museum is closed off for renovations so there is not a lot to see. It has a huge multi level gift shop, which I thought was a poor use of limited space. read more

I have to say I'm shocked at the lackluster reviews of this place. I recently had the opportunity to explore this gem of a museum with friends and co-workers. The museum has plenty to offer for all ages. The NASA Skylab was one of my favorites to see and walk through, partly because a friend narrated the tour and also the pure history behind it! I felt like a kid transported back in time looking at the planes hung from the ceiling, seeing the exhibit on Amelia Earhart which took me back to the classroom. I didn't have a chance to check out the IMAX films but heard they were breathtaking and worth the time away from the museum exhibits. This is definitely a night I won't forget and I'm so glad I was able to add this to my list of things I got to take in while visiting DC! read more

See all

What: FREE museum focusing on space and airplanes. This was my hubby's choice outing for Father's Day. All the displays were very large and impressive. My 11 year old enjoyed the kids area where there are some hands on activities. The first floor was space and second was air. They had IMAX movies but we didn't watch them. We spent about 2 hours there and then went around the corner to McDonald's for lunch. We took the metro there (L'Enfante station). read more

First, I have to admit my bias. Because of my dad's work industry, I was forced to spend many hours in this museum as a kid. Fast forward to this past month and I finally got to take my family. Good to know: Its FREE. Expect more crowds on the weekend (especially, during spring break). The planetarium was revamped in 2014 (cost $9; but Dark Universe w/Neil deGrasse Tyson is so worth it). Go with an Aerospace geek. They will be entertained for HOURS and can provide you with plenty of behind the scenes info that you will never retain or need. Visit Welcome Center after entering for a map or info (maps no longer needed, just use your phone). There's a Food Court. There's a Huge Gift Shop. read more

Smithsonian - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Although I enjoyed the space exhibit, my favorite area here has to be the airline exhibit. They include various vintage uniforms and airline memorabilia, such as marketing items, airplane models, and aircraft parts from the 1950s, through the present. There's also an A321 cockpit simulator inside, so you can observe what pilots see during take offs and landings. It is the second-most well liked of the Smithsonian museums. Even though it is free to go inside the museum, there is a fee to view the IMAX and Planetarium Space Shows. I went and saw "Journey of the Stars" narrated by Whoppi Goldberg. That was thoroughly enjoyable and dazzling. The documentary shows us life and death of the stars in the night sky, other celestial bodies, the beautiful sun, and even featured the cluster of stars in the Pleiades. (My favorite star system) It is amazing how beautiful the universe is. When I leave my earthly life, I am going to visit other planets. I know that sounds strange, but the documentary opened my eyes to other possibilities. read more

Smithsonian - Apollo II Command Capsule - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

A nice way to spend the afternoon, but I think I like some of the other museums better. And there was a security guard that didn't want to be bothered when I asked a question. She was unbelievably rude. read more

See all

A PROMPT HAPPY 40th ANNIVERSARY Next year on July 1, 1976; the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum turns 40 years old. What an amazing 40 years it's been. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has been one of the most visited museums in the World. It is so popular that over eight million people visit it a year. From the time it was born to near it's 40th Birthday, over 311-million people have experienced the museum. For a place that celebrates air and space, it is a shining star. It is the largest of the 19 Smithsonian museums in Washington DC. The museum encompasses 21 exhibition galleries that lead visitors on learning adventures from the history of astronomy, to the development of air travel, to the historic flight of the Wright Brothers. Inside the National Air and Space Museum, the adventures start at the Boeing Milestones Flight Hall. This is the centerpiece of the two-story museum where exhibit halls encompass two hangar levels. When you leave the National Mall for the Jefferson Avenue entrance, and pass security, you will see airplanes hanging above. From this perspective, you look up at the airplanes, that in museum terminology are artifects. From the upper level perspective, you can look across and slightly up to see the airplanes closer up. This exhibit is to the National Air and Space Museum what Cinderella's Castle is to Walt Disney World. Concurrent to the 40th Anniversary, there is a major refurbishment that will include a Star Trek Enterprise studio model. Just like Disney World there is so much to see in the 21 exhibits on space and airplane travel. On level one, the exhibits include: Explore the Universe, How Things Fly, America By Air, Flight Simulators, and Jet Aviation. Then on level two, the exhibits include: Apollo to the Moon, Wright Brothers, Exploring the Planets, Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight, and Great War in the Air. For a charge, you can watch an IMAX movie in the Lockheed Martin Theater or watch a show in the Einstein Planetarium. There is just so much to see and learn about airplanes and space travel. These are first-rate exhibits featuring 60,000 objects from the 1903 Wright Flyer to touchable moon rock. The reality is that you could be here for hours if you read every description coorelating to an object. Just like Disney World, it could be overwhelming the first time. Unlike Disney World there is intense learning that can leave you gasping for air outside. After exploring the museum, my advice is to start at the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall and become acquainted with the museum map. From this point, I'd recommend a cursory tour of the two levels, then pick five exhibit halls to slowly tour. On my visited, I mixed airplanes with space travel. If you decide to spend a whole day here, I'd recommend having lunch or a snack. On level one, there is a food court with McDonald's, Donatos, and Boston Market. Outside the museum are food carts and interestingly a McDonald's food truck. It is not just the learning that can be tiring. The museum is hyper-crowded. At the time of my visit, there were throngs of crowds that included the camps. At times there was no room to take in an object and breath. I'd find myself getting slightly frustrated trying to learn about an object when a crowd of people would interfere with my line of sight and stymie my progression through the exhibit hall. Crowd control is a point of discontent that a few reviews addressed. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is one of the five institutions along the National Mall that I visited. As I report on the places I visited in Washington DC, I will be reviewing them. With that said, "A prompt Happy 40th Anniversary Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum." read more

Free museum for the family, the area where the Wright brothers history is interesting. The exhibition is good for anyone interested in planes, stars, space, shuttles. The amazing museum is free and has area to buy souvenirs for those interested. read more

See all

*DC State of Mind* Yelp 365 Challenge x 2 #207/365 Science was not my strongest subject in school and the only space movie I thought was interesting was Flash Gordon but Im going to guess that it's science fantasy, so it doesn't count, right? :) Anyhow, this museum has me wishing that my brain didn't cramp on the days we had science in school. The displays will just have you stand there in open-mouthed awe. From space technology to airplanes, it is pretty impressive on the inventions and the quick advancement through the years for air and space that I really wish they create something like the Jetsons that we just get in a tube and voila! we're clear across the world in less than a minute. It's like that floo powder in Harry Potter ;) This is one of the many museums that are a must-see as a family or if you are a air and space technology enthusiast. read more

See all

Space... The final frontier... These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: To explore strange new worlds... To seek out new life; new civilisations... To boldly go where no one has gone before! Lots of cool stuff here for space and aviation nerds like myself... But these school groups are horrible...thousands of loud kids, tweens, and teens acting like little brats...this could be a 5 star place if they reduced these school groups in half. These rotten children make me wanna go from getting a vasectomy to getting fully neutered instead. read more

See all

My son is a space maniac. I thought he would like it here. The most memorable moment for him wasn't all the huge models of the planes and flying things, it was the interactive exhibits. He was mesmerized by the thing with the air pressure and the floating ball. But the majority of the visit were the massive planes everywhere. The coolest one being the very original flyer -- the Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer! They should rename the museum to Plane and Space vehicles with some science elements museum. I thought it was pretty cool to see a piece of history (massive pieces, actually) right before your very eyes. In additional the the planes, they also had the spacecraft on display, such as the Apollo 11 Command Module "Columbia." Can you believe some of these spacecrafts walked the other planets or the moon and came back to tell their story? Now that is pretty impressive. There is even a piece of the actual moon on display and you can touch it! If you have a space buff or a flight fanatic, this is definitely the place to take them. As for kids, make sure they aren't exhausted before coming here so they can get the full effect of this museum's awesomeness. read more

Out of all of the museums that the Smithsonian as this one's my favorite. It's worth taking your kids out of school for a week and take them all through each of the museum's thou learn more then what they are learning right now in the classroom I can promise you that it worth your time. The history sing up close all of the aircraft commercial space private history future it's all there under one roof read more

Bottom Line: The most impressive artifacts of flight in the world's busiest museum are best enjoyed during the winter months when the crowds are slim. As the name implies, there are two halves to this Smithsonian museum. By and large, the "air" exhibits are on the west side while the "space" exhibits are on the east side. The most obvious artifacts are the large aircraft and spacecraft but the smaller artifacts and excellent signage are equally awesome. What is really cool about this museum is that the exhibits span 70 years and it's incredible to see how much was accomplished during those years from the first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 to walking on the Moon in 1969. How to Visit: There is a lot to see at the Air and Space Museum and the enormity of the museum certainly has the potential to be overwhelming. You could spend an entire day here but if you want or need to limit your time here, the docent lead highlights tour is a nice way to see the most popular artifacts, especially if this is your first time visiting NASM. The docents are volunteers who have spent their own time studying air and space and are super knowledgeable and engaging. I'd did a tour with Chris Carlisle and really enjoyed his narration. This museum is easily accessible via the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station on the Orange/Blue/Silver lines. When to Visit: My general advice about Washington DC is to not visit in May or June since its overrun with school children. Given that NASM is the most visited museum in the world, it's generally crowded here. However, this place was dead during my Sunday visit in January and it was wonderful! In fact, if you have flexibility in your schedule, I think a great time visit the Smithsonian is mid-January to end of February when tourists are trying to avoid the cold and potentially unfavorable weather. What to See: To give you an idea of the type of exhibits you will see here, some of my favorite exhibits are the most popular exhibits and include the following: - Wright Brother's original 1903 flyer (yes, the real one!) - Spirit of St. Louis flown by Charles Lindbergh over the Atlantic - Lockheed 5b Vega flown by Amelia Earhart - Bell X-1 used to break the sound barrier by test pilot Chuck Yeager - One of the first commercial airliners, the Douglas DC-3 - Apollo 11 Command Module Some other less popular exhibits I got a kick out of were as follows: - A bicycle built by the Wright brothers - His and Hers space toilets which answers the age old question about how astronauts go to the bathroom in space. Ha. Exhibits I missed but I hope you don't: - Apollo to the Moon exhibit including the touchable Moon Rock General Notes about the Museum: Also impressive about NASM is the size of the building. It's longer than two football fields and over eight stories tall. I am equally impressed by not only the restoration efforts on the displayed aircraft but also all of the engineering analysis that must have gone into the design of the building and how to safely suspend heavy aircraft overhead. Encore: America's Hangar expands beyond the building on the National Mall to the massive Udvar-Hazy Center about 40 minutes west of the National Mall and I look forward to visiting that wing of the Smithsonian in the future to checkout the famous/infamous Enola Gay nuclear bomber, Emerging F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Air France Concord, Discovery space shuttle and other extra large aircraft. read more

See all

This was one of the most impressive places I've ever been and definitely the coolest museum I've been to. If you're into aviation, it will not disappoint!! In the past, I was very excited to visit the aviation museum at the Boise airport and it was nice, but that was more of an exhibit that took maybe 10 minutes to explore. I was blown away when I walked into this Smithsonian museum, aircraft literally from floor to ceiling in an entire hangar! I went around 1pm on a Friday and there was no line to get in and it was not crowded at all. The observation deck allowed for an incredible view of Dulles airport. I saw many planes taking off, paired with the Flightradar app, it was fun being able to see what their destination was. I did not do one of the guided tours, but I saw a couple of them. There were no more than 6 people per tour group until I left at 3pm. I was just looking for a good location to kill some time with some plane spotting, definitely thankful I stumbled across this amazing museum. read more

Smithsonian - Museums Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia