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Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour facts for kids
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The museum's Gallery in 2006
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| Established | December 16, 2005 |
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| Location | 8415 Paine Field Boulevard Mukilteo, Washington |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Visitors | ~500,000 (2017) |
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| Owner | Snohomish County |
The Boeing Future of Flight is an exciting place to learn about airplanes and how they are made. It's an aviation museum and a learning center located at Paine Field in Mukilteo, Washington. This center is also where the famous Boeing Tour begins. On this tour, you can see parts of the huge Boeing Everett Factory in Everett, Washington.
The building is about 73,000 square feet (6,782 square meters) big. Snohomish County owns it, and Boeing runs it. It opened in 2005 and cost $24 million to build. The money came from local taxes. Inside, there's a large gallery with cool exhibits, a theater, a cafe, and shops.
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History of the Aviation Center
The idea for this center started in 2001. Snohomish County worked with Boeing, the Museum of Flight, and Paine Field. They first called it the National Flight Interpretive Center.
Building the center took some time. Construction finally began in November 2004. A hotel was also built next to it. The name "Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour" was officially approved in December 2004. The center opened its doors on December 16, 2005.
In October 2018, Boeing took over running the center. Before that, a group called the Institute of Flight managed it. The museum's collection of items, which belonged to the Institute of Flight, was moved out when Boeing took over.
Exploring the Future of Flight Center
When the Institute of Flight ran the center, it had many interesting exhibits. These included:
- A display showing how the bodies of the Boeing 707 and Boeing 787 planes compare in size.
- Videos and models that showed how passenger planes have changed over time.
- A real Boeing 727 cockpit where visitors could sit and try out the controls.
- Working models of large jet engines, like the GE90 from the 777 and the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 from the 787.
- Actual airplanes hanging from the ceiling!
- Parts of jet aircraft, such as engines, landing gear, and pieces of tails and bodies.
- A special area where you could design and print your own airplane picture.
- The "How Planes are Made Family Zone."
There was also a rooftop observation deck. From here, you could see the Boeing factory, Paine Field, and planes parked outside. This deck used to be free to visit.
After Boeing took over, they changed many of the exhibits. Now, a big part of the gallery focuses on autonomous aircraft, which are planes that can fly themselves. Boeing also started charging a fee to visit the observation deck.
The Boeing Factory Tour
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The Boeing Tour takes you inside the amazing Boeing Everett Factory. Here, you can watch airplanes being built at different stages. This factory makes huge planes like the Boeing 747, 767, 777, 777X, and 787.
The main assembly building at this factory is incredibly big. Guinness World Records says it's the largest building in the world by volume! The tour usually lasts about 90 minutes. However, changes in how Boeing builds planes might make the tour shorter in the future.
The Boeing Tour was stopped in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is planned to start again in October 2023. While the tour was closed, visitors could watch a 45-minute documentary instead.
Shops and More
At the front of the center, you'll find the Boeing Store. This shop sells all sorts of items related to the Boeing Company. Next to it is a separate Future of Flight store. This one sells more local gifts and food items from the Pacific Northwest. There is also a small cafeteria in the lobby where you can grab a snack.