Opened in 1976 to house the previously disparate collections of the National Air Museum (founded in 1946 but without a centralized location), the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) is the most visited museum in the country. Located on the south side of the National Mall along Independence Ave., NASM was specifically designed with subdued grandeur in mind, so as to not detract from the nearby Capitol building. Designed by Gyo Obata, it is made of pink Tennessee marble like its sister museum the National Gallery of Art across the Mall. Obata structured the museum as a series of 4 massive marble blocks, each connected by sparkling glass atria that house the museums larger pieces in their full glory with natural light. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is a fan favorite!
Smithsonian National Air And Space Museum
Dedicated to the U.S.’s pursuit of the skies and the stars beyond, the NASM is home to some truly invaluable national treasures. Visitors to the museum are greeted at the entrance by the Wright brothers’ plane that first flew at Kitty Hawk in 1903. Elsewhere the museum is home to the Bell X1 (the first plane to break the sound barrier, or Mach 1), the Apollo 11 command module from the moon landing, the Friendship 7 capsule from John Glenn’s famed flight, and Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis. Exhibits range from the practical to the fantastical, with military missiles and rocketry on display next to models and replicas of some of science fiction’s most famous vehicles, including the Starship Enterprise. Indeed, in addition to showcasing the U.S.’ history of aviation, the museum is also dedicated to the history and science of planetary exploration, terrestrial geology, and geophysics.
Visiting the Museum
As part of the Smithsonian Institute, there is no admission fee to visit the museum. With over 7 million visitors annually, the NASM is the 2nd most visited museum in the world (and #1 in the U.S.). Getting to the exhibit halls is easy, with DC Metro stops located nearby and community bike share docks all along the National Mall. An annex, the 760,000 square-foot Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, is located at Dulles Airport in Virginia. It is home to several larger aircraft and spacecraft, including the Enola Gay, the Space Shuttle Discovery, and an SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest plane on Earth. Contact us to learn more about the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum