National Air and Space Museum
The Wright Flyer, the Apollo 11 command module and the Spirit of St. Louis under one roof. Free timed-entry passes are required, so book them online before you go. A few galleries are still being renovated; check what's open.
- Open
- Every day 10 AM–5:30 PM except December 25
- Price
- Free, with a free timed-entry pass
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Best time
- First thing in the morning, before school groups.
- Address
- 600 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20560Google MapsApple Maps
- Getting there
- L'Enfant Plaza (Blue, Orange, Silver, Green, Yellow) or Smithsonian (Blue, Orange, Silver). The entrance is on Jefferson Drive.
- Accessibility
- Fully accessible; wheelchairs can be borrowed.
- On site
- A café and restrooms; bags are checked at the entrance.
Why go
The most visited of the Smithsonian museums tells the story of flight from the Wright brothers' 1903 Flyer to the Apollo 11 command module Columbia and the Spirit of St. Louis that Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic. A long renovation has brought new galleries on space exploration, World War II aviation and how things fly.
Tips
- Passes are released ahead online; check what galleries are open, as a few are still being renovated.
- Aviation fans should also see the Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport, with the Space Shuttle Discovery in a vast hangar.
Nearby
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