National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

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National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

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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.
(37949)

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.

10/28/2026

Which mnemonic do your students use for remembering the order of our planets? 🌎🪐
Share this one and other fun factoids to help set the scene in your next lesson: https://s.si.edu/4zKhYuI

10/27/2026

Today in history in 1969, NASA test pilot Bill Dana flew the HL-10 lifting body to Mach 1.58 at over 60,000 feet. The craft was air launched from a B-52 mothership and would then fly back to land.

📷: Dana next to the HL-10 as a B-52 flies overhead.

10/27/2026

The final two exhibitions of our multi-year renovation open this fall! Don't miss the opening of:
🧑‍🚀 "At Home in Space" on October 30
🪖 "Modern Military Aviation" on November 11

Learn more: https://s.si.edu/48ikjBc

10/26/2026

Many consider the P-51 Mustang the best fighter of World War II, with its combination of speed, range, maneuverability, and firepower giving it great versatility. On this day in 1940, the prototype North American P-51 Mustang made its first flight.

📸: The Museum's P-51 is on display in the "Jay I. Kislak World War II in the Air" exhibition at the Museum in DC

10/26/2026

We join Star Trek fans in mourning the loss of actor Walter Koenig. He joined the cast of the original Star Trek television series in its second season as Russian navigator Pavel Chekov, a key member of the Enterprise crew. Koenig portrayed Chekov in two seasons of the original series and all six of the original series major motion pictures. Koenig also attended the Space Shuttle Enterprise rollout in 1976 and the opening of the Museum’s Star Trek exhibit in 1992.

10/26/2026

On this day in 1977, Space Shuttle Enterprise completed its last free flight test at Edwards Air Force Base.

This photo is from an earlier flight test the previous month.

10/26/2026

On this week in 1911, Orville Wright set a world soaring flight record of 9 minutes and 45 seconds at Kitty Hawk, NC. This picture shows Orville soaring in level flight while spectators watch on.

10/25/2026

Giovanni Cassini discovered Saturn's moon Iapetus on this day in 1671. It is the ringed planet's third largest moon and is believed to be 75% ice and 25% rock.

10/24/2026

The U.S. Air Force's X-20 Dyna-Soar program began on this day in 1957.

Short for "Dynamic Soaring," the X-20 was meant to be a research vehicle to explore controlled atmospheric reentry, as a stepping stone to other potential military missions in space.

10/24/2026

On this day in history in 2003, the supersonic Concorde flew its last flight, with the end of British Airways' Concorde service. Explore why the Concorde was grounded on our blog: s.si.edu/3YloAhT

📸: Air France Concorde on display at our Udvar-Hazy Center.

Address

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

Telephone

+12026332214

Website

http://airandspace.si.edu/

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