National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution Celebrating the greatest feats of aviation and space at two locations in DC and Virginia. The Museum in DC is open every day from 10 am to 5:30 pm.
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Timed-entry passes are required and can be reserved here: https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/museum-dc

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, is open every day from 10 am to 5:30 pm. Passes are not required. 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. This page represents both the National Mall location in Washington D.C, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. Together, these facilities welcome more than eight million visitors a year, making it the most visited museum in the country. We encourage you to share your visits using . Please feel free to share thoughts about our posts, ask us questions, or tell us about your visit.

Sending people to space meant figuring out how to feed them there. NASA developed nutritious food for its astronauts tha...
06/01/2026

Sending people to space meant figuring out how to feed them there. NASA developed nutritious food for its astronauts that could be eaten easily in space, using freeze drying and special packaging to keep foods fresh. Dehydrated foods were prepared during flight by injecting the package with hot or cold water. Most of the food for NASA’s early human spaceflight programs was packaged by Whirlpool Corporation in St. Joseph, Michigan.

This pineapple fruitcake, which flew around the Moon on Apollo 11 but returned uneaten, is the Michigan artifact for our "50 for 50" project. View the map: https://s.si.edu/4wqAl74

On this day in 1993, Patty Wagstaff donated her Extra 260 aircraft to our Museum. Wagstaff became the first woman to win...
06/01/2026

On this day in 1993, Patty Wagstaff donated her Extra 260 aircraft to our Museum. Wagstaff became the first woman to win the U.S. National Aerobatic Championship with the aircraft in 1991, and then did it again in 1992: https://s.si.edu/3C9r7B8

On this day in 2008, Buzz Lightyear launched to infinity and beyond aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-124) as part of ...
06/01/2026

On this day in 2008, Buzz Lightyear launched to infinity and beyond aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-124) as part of NASA's Toys in Space project. The space-flown toy is now in our collection.

The Boeing Stearman trainer was the backbone of U.S. primary training in World War II. It was best known as “the Stearma...
05/31/2026

The Boeing Stearman trainer was the backbone of U.S. primary training in World War II. It was best known as “the Stearman” by the thousands of WWII pilots who flew it in primary training and is considered the most widely produced biplane series in history. The Museum's N2S-5 Kaydet, painted bright yellow to maximize visibility for new pilots, was used to train naval aviation cadets at Ottumwa Naval Air Station in Iowa.

Explore the full "50 for 50" map: https://s.si.edu/4wqAl74

On this week in 1951, Charles Blair flew his P-51 Mustang "Excalibur" from Norway to Alaska using just a $12 surplus ast...
05/31/2026

On this week in 1951, Charles Blair flew his P-51 Mustang "Excalibur" from Norway to Alaska using just a $12 surplus astrocompass. This was quite the feat because at the time the North Pole was notoriously tricky for navigators. Learn more: s.si.edu/45v1xq6

After the Apollo 12 command module splashed down in the South Pacific, this Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container (ALSRC)...
05/30/2026

After the Apollo 12 command module splashed down in the South Pacific, this Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container (ALSRC) was flown to Pago Pago International Airport on American Samoa, loaded on another aircraft and then flown directly to Texas for immediate processing. The ALSRC was designed with a triple seal and aluminum mesh liner to prevent Earth’s atmosphere from contaminating the samples and to absorb the impact of reentry, splashdown and transport. The Pago Pago International Airport on American Samoa served as an essential support location for several Apollo recoveries.

Discover what artifacts represent the other U.S. state and territories in our "50 for 50" project: https://s.si.edu/4wqAl74

This Vought OS2U Kingfisher served aboard the USS Indiana and was used to rescue two U.S. airmen shot down over Guam dur...
05/29/2026

This Vought OS2U Kingfisher served aboard the USS Indiana and was used to rescue two U.S. airmen shot down over Guam during World War II. Pilot Lt. jg. Rollin Batten Jr. earned the Navy Cross for his heroic actions that day

The Kingfisher is our featured Guam artifact for our "50 for 50" project: https://s.si.edu/4wqAl74

Flown for 20 years by Tennessee-born pilot Bob Hoover, the North American Rockwell Shrike Commander 500S is the most rec...
05/28/2026

Flown for 20 years by Tennessee-born pilot Bob Hoover, the North American Rockwell Shrike Commander 500S is the most recognized Shrike Commander in the world. Hoover drew on his extensive experience as a test pilot and fighter pilot to become a legendary air show figure, elevating a simple business aircraft to international fame. Hoover began flying at Nashville's Berry Field in 1937, where he taught himself basic aerobatic maneuvers.

Explore the full "50 for 50" map: https://s.si.edu/4wqAl74

Baker the squirrel monkey and Able the rhesus monkey were launched into space on a Jupiter rocket on a sub-orbital fligh...
05/28/2026

Baker the squirrel monkey and Able the rhesus monkey were launched into space on a Jupiter rocket on a sub-orbital flight on this day in 1959. Both monkeys survived the flight. In this photo, Baker sits on a model of that rocket.

Today in history in 1958, the McDonnell F4H-I Phantom II flew for the first time. Some aircraft are remembered for the l...
05/27/2026

Today in history in 1958, the McDonnell F4H-I Phantom II flew for the first time.

Some aircraft are remembered for the large number produced, others for their length of time in service, and others for their ability to perform their mission. When one aircraft is known to be one of the leaders in all three categories, it stands out among others. The Phantom II is one such aircraft: https://s.si.edu/4tZluOm

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Independence Avenue At 6th St, SW
Washington D.C., DC
20560

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