Skip to main content
  • National Air & Space Museum at Melrose Georgetown, Washington

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is the center for research on the history and science of aviation and spaceflight, as well as astronomy and terrestrial geology and geophysics. The museum features 22 exhibit galleries, historic aircraft, like the 1903 Wright Flyer, science demonstrations, an IMAX theater, and a planetarium. 
Smithsonians National Air And Space Museum of Melrose Georgetown, Washington

Details

Hours

  • Open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

prices

  • Admission is free.
 

Top Exhibits

  • The Spirit of St. Louis

    The Spirit of St. Louis is the custom-built, single engine, single-seat monoplane that was flown solo by Charles Lindbergh on May 20-21, 1927, on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris. On April 30, 1928, Lindbergh presented his monoplane to the Smithsonian Institution where for more than eight decades it has been on display, today hanging in the atrium of the National Air and Space Museum alongside the Bell X-1 and SpaceShipOne.
  • Apollo 11 Command Module

    Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first humans, Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, on the Moon on July 20, 1969. The command module is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C. Armstrong's and Aldrin's space suits are displayed in the museum's Apollo to the Moon exhibit.
  • Children's Favorites
    A favorite gallery for children is  the How Things Fly. This is the place for hands-on action, including fascinating science demonstrations; paper airplane contests, and 50 exciting interactive devices.
 

FAQs

  • Where is the Space Shuttle Discovery displayed?

    The space shuttle Discovery is the centerpiece of the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport is the companion facility to the Museum on the National Mall. The building opened in December, 2003, and provides enough space for the Smithsonian to display the thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited on the National Mall.
  • What are the top places to eat?

    The Wright Place Food Court offers menu items from Boston Market, McDonald's, and Donatos Pizzeria. A Café upstairs offers coffee, pastries and assorted food items. Food and drink, other than bottled water are not permitted inside the Museum.
  • Is there parking at the National Air & Space Museum?

    Located on the National Mall, the museum is located near several paid parking lots and garages, and there is limited metered street parking nearby. The nearest parking garages are: Capital Gallery Garage and Federal Center Plaza Garage on 6th St. SW.
 

Helpful Links

Map/Directions

Back to top Back to top Back to top