Guide to Visiting the Air and Space Museum in DC
This post provides information about visiting the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, DC. (We also have a post for the Dulles location)
We include details about how to get here, when you can visit, exhibits to see, security checks, and more.
Let’s get started!
The Air and Space Museum at Udvar Hazy (near Dulles) has reopened. It requires timed tickets to visit. The museum on the National Mall will reopen on July 30. Timed tickets will be released on July 23.
OVERVIEW
The Air and Space Museum is a Smithsonian museum located on the National Mall, and it’s entirely free to visit.
The attraction will be open Thursday to Monday 1030am-5pm.
There are several exhibits on display here covering some of the most notable moments of aviation history in the United States.
Since it’s located on the National Mall, the National Air and Space Museum isn’t too difficult to find, but you can always check our section on how to get there for step-by-step instructions.
We’ll also cover any guided tours you might be able to take at this museum, as well as tours you might want to consider either before or after your visit.
Visitors to the Smithsonian museums should expect “airport-style” security screening, meaning metal detectors for all guests and X-Ray machines for bags.
This could add up to 15 minutes to get through security, and during the busy school season possibly even longer.
Prohibited Items:
- Firearms or ammunition
- Knives (including pen, pocket, or “Swiss Army”-style knives)
- Aerosol cans (including pepper spray and Mace)
- Scissors
- Tools (screwdrivers, awls, etc.)
- Placards, signs, or banners
- Pets (except service animals)
- Wagons (collapsible and fixed wheel)
In addition to the Air and Space Museum on the National Mall, there is actually a second branch located at the Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport.
However, it can be a little challenging to reach, making it an attraction better suited for someone with a car or other means to visit.
If you want to know more, please read our post covering the Udvar-Hazy Center.
GETTING HERE
The main museum is located on Independence Ave SW, between 4th and 7th streets. If you are taking the Metro, the closest stop is the L’Enfant Plaza Station.
Follow signs leading to the Maryland Ave exit and take the escalators up. Head east along Maryland Ave and take a left on 6th street or walk up 7th street and turn right.
The National Air and Space Museum will be right in front of you!
The Independence Ave entrance is closed during renovations so be sure to head around the building to the National Mall side to enter.
You can also use many of the hop-on / hop-off bus companies to get around town – all of which have stops at or near the Air and Space Museum.
If you are driving, street parking is limited and is usually only 2-3 hour spots, so be sure to read the sign before you leave your vehicle.
WHEN TO VISIT
When the museum reopens, free timed tickets will be required to enter.
March-July is the busiest time of the year for DC. With Spring Break and school letting out, this is the time when most families and school tours visit. This means longer lines and crowded exhibits.
Saturday afternoon is one of the busiest times to visit.
We suggest visiting this museum on a weekday.
If you want to avoid crowds, we suggest planning a visit to the museum for the off-peak season (January-February and September-December.)
Typical weekdays during the high months will be a little more manageable, especially if you arrive when the museum opens at 10 am.
Opening Hours
- Thursday – Sunday
- 10am – 530pm
- Admission is Free but timed tickets are required.
How Long to Spend at the Museum
The National Air and Space Museum has 23 galleries exhibiting hundreds of aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets, and other flight-related artifacts, as well as a planetarium and an IMAX theater.
With so many things to see and do, we recommend budgeting at least 2 hours to see the museum.
During renovations of the National Mall location, many of these exhibits may be closed. You could probably see the entire museum in less than 2 hours during this time.
GUIDED TOURS
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry! we’re here to help with our private tour of the Air and Space Museum.
Whether you’re simply unsure which path to take or want to breeze through the museum with efficiency, a private tour is a perfect way to get the most out of your visit. You can book a private tour with us.
Once you’re done with the museum, enjoy exploring the rest of DC with one of our walking tours.
The National Mall and Capitol Hill tours are both nearby and are a great way to continue exploring Washington, DC.
EXHIBITS
Please note that from December 2018 – 2025 there will be rolling closures as the entire Air and Space Museum undergoes renovations to the decades-old building and exhibits.
Not all exhibits may be open during your visit.
The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age
The original 1903 Wright Flyer is the centerpiece of the exhibit that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Explore the beginning of flight with over 250 photographs and 150 artifacts that includes a reproduction of the Wright Brothers’ 1899 experimental kite.
Destination Moon
Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission is a traveling exhibit that celebrates the first lunar landing in 1969.
The exhibit is here with one-of-a-kind artifacts from the historic mission, including Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit.
A permanent gallery is set to be unveiled in 2022 that showcases the incredible exploration of the Moon, from the Moon race of the 1960s and 1970s to what is going on today.
Spirit of St. Louis
In the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall is the Spirit of St. Louis.
It was in this that Charles A. Lindberg completed the first nonstop solo transatlantic flight in history from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York to Paris, France on May 21, 1927.
Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory
This is an often overlooked part of the museum since it’s actually outside the museum on the eastern terrace, near the intersection of Independence Ave SW and 4th St.
Opened in 2009, the “International Year of Astronomy”, the 16-inch Boller & Chivens telescope, as well the Sun Gun Telescope, and other instruments, are available for public use (with staff assistance!) Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 3 pm.
They also do monthly evening programs; check the updated schedule for more information.
About the author
Canden is a historian and tour guide in Washington DC with 3 published books about the city. She has written for HuffPost Travel and has been featured in the Washington Post, WTOP, and numerous other DC papers. She's also been interviewed by the Travel Channel and Discovery Family Channel. Canden is the host of our podcast, Tour Guide Tell All
With a M.A. in History from University College London and a B.A. in History from Elon University, she is an authority on D.C. history, and has led tours in the city for over 10 years. She currently resides in DC, but has also lived in London and South Korea, and has travelled to 25 countries. Her two children (both under the age of 3) have their passports and own frequent flier accounts.