A must-visit museum for everyone
Written: Aug 27 '03 (Updated Jun 06 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: something for everyone, gift shop, IMAX, planetarium, exhibits well thought out
Cons: crowded, often many screaming children
The Bottom Line: If you don't already find the subject matter awe-inspiring, you will when you visit this museum!
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| zan720's Full Review: National Air & Space Museum |
Ok, so maybe I'm a little biased because I am majoring aerospace engineering, and naturally just love this museum. However, I would definitely place it on a must-visit list for anyone. Quite simply some of the most amazing achievements of the last 100 years are chronicled in this museum along with the original artifacts.
The exhibits:
When you first walk into the museum you are surrounded by artifacts representing some of the most amazing achievements of the 20th century. In front of you is the command module Columbia that carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to lunar orbit and back. Over to one side is the Spirit of St. Louis, first to cross the Atlantic. There is also the orange X-1 which was the first to break the sound barrier. And centrally located hovering above the gallery is the original frame of the first Wright flyer, re-covered in new canvas and complete with an Orville Wright mannequin, looking like he is sailing over the dunes on his famous first flight (The museum is taking this down and placing it in a new separate exhibit about the Wright brothers later this year). The Milestones of Flight gallery gives you an overview of some of the subjects and eras you will explore more in depth in other exhibit spaces. Also on the first floor you can find a history of the Space Race between the US and the USSR that resulted in man's first landing on the moon. Another gallery explores the history of commercial air flight (something that nearly everyone can appreciate... or not). There are also galleries focusing on the role of aviation in WWI and WWII, cutting edge aerospace technologies, "Where next Columbus?" about the possibilities of exploring beyond the earth and the moon, Apollo to the moon about the Apollo program, and many other exhibits. There is a exhibit aimed specifically at young children called "How Things Fly" in which there are hands on activities for kids to explore, as well as daily demonstrations and talks. In addition the museum is building a larger facility near Dulles Airport that will feature the Enola Gay, the space shuttle Enterprise that was used for approach and landing tests, and an SR-71 Blackbird. It opens on the centennial of flight, December 2003.
The staff:
Though I have never actually taken an official tour of the museum I have listened in on some of the docent’s talks and met people training to be docents. They must go through a six month training course to learn about all the artifacts and the history. From what I have listened in on, they are very knowledgeable and generally have no problems answering people's questions, including the inevitable "How do you go to the bathroom in space?"
Other things:
There is an IMAX theater, where they show aviation and space related movies in addition to the occasional film about Michael Jordan. The museum holds many of it's lecture programs in the IMAX theater and they often get "big name" people such as John Glenn or Jim Lovell, and tickets are free (though they must be reserved way in advance). There is also a planetarium upstairs which provides more insight into astronomy. The gift shop is three levels, and has everything from astronaut ice cream to a painting autographed by many of the 12 original moon walking astronauts to Rosie the Riveter t-shirts. There is also a large food court area with a McDonalds and trash cans that open automatically when they sense someone near them. There is also a small restaurant. There are plenty of restrooms on both the first and second floors.
Visiting the museum:
The museum is right on the Mall where most of the Smithsonian museums are located. It's easily accessible by public transportation and on weekends you can even find parking on the Mall or nearby. Be warned: there will be lots of screaming children and school groups at this museum. Though, overall, visitors to the museums in DC have gone down in the last two years, it is still pretty crowded. However if you want a slightly more peaceful experience I suggest going on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and New Years Eve and Day. In addition evenings after about 3:30 PM are good during the school year and even better during the summer. Having said all that, this is THE museum to take kids. It's hard to find a child that doesn't light up seeing real airplanes and space ships in person. Overall, it is really a museum for everyone to enjoy.
Update:
The new Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles has been open for a while. It's an amazing space, showing a lot more of the Smithsonian collection than one can imagine. To get there from the Mall museum there is a shuttle bus ($9-$12 depending on age and size of party) or you can take either I-66 or the Dulles Toll Road (toll) and pay for parking at the museum ($12). Again considering most museums outside of the Smithsonian charge admission greater than $10/person it is a good deal.
Tourism in DC has (finally) rebounded and the Mall museum is once again crowded, so going during off peak hours is the best bet. Also please be aware that security at the Mall museum involves metal detectors and x-ray machines similar to the airport. You can keep your shoes on but please take off your jackets and put all bags, keys, change, camera, etc on the conveyor belt as to not hold up the lines.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Dec - Feb
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Epinions.com ID:
zan720
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Location: Alexandria, VA
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Engineer, sales associate
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