National Air and Space Museum facts for kids
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Ad Astra sculpture at the museum entrance on the National Mall
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| Former name | National Air Museum |
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| Established | 1946 (as the National Air Museum) |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums |
| Visitors | 3.1 million visitors (2023) |
| Public transit access |  Washington Metro     at L'Enfant Plaza |
The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) is a super cool place in Washington, D.C.. It's part of the Smithsonian Institution. This museum is all about the amazing story of human flight and space exploration.
It first opened in 1946 as the National Air Museum. Its main building on the National Mall welcomed visitors in 1976. In 2023, over 3 million people visited! This made it one of the most popular museums in the world.
The museum is a hub for learning about planes, rockets, and space travel. It also studies planets and Earth's geology. Most of the aircraft and spacecraft you see are the real deal! You can find the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia here. Also, John Glenn's Friendship 7 capsule is on display. Don't miss Charles Lindbergh's famous Spirit of St. Louis plane. You can even see the Starship Enterprise model from Star Trek: The Original Series! And right by the entrance is the Wright brothers' Wright Flyer.
The museum also has a huge annex called the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. It's located near Dulles International Airport. This center has a special hangar for restoring old aircraft. More restoration work happens at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland.
The main museum building on the National Mall has been getting a big update since 2018. As of August 2024, 13 of its galleries were open. The remaining 10 galleries reopened by 2026. The museum briefly closed on October 12, 2025, due to a government shutdown, but it quickly reopened.
Contents
A Journey Through Time: Museum History
How the Museum Began
The museum started as the National Air Museum on August 12, 1946. Congress created it, and President Harry S. Truman signed the law. Some items are even older! Kites from the 1876 Centennial Exposition were among the first. A steam engine for aircraft, from John Stringfellow, joined the collection in 1989.
At first, there wasn't one big building for all the exhibits. Many items came from the United States Army and United States Navy. These included planes from World War I. Some displays were in the Arts and Industries Building. Others were in a temporary "Tin Shed." Large rockets were even outside in "Rocket Row."
After World War II, many more aircraft were given to the Smithsonian. There was a big need for a proper storage and restoration place. In 1952, the Garber Facility was created. Curator Paul E. Garber found the perfect spot from the air!
Building the Main Museum
The museum's main location on the National Mall has a rich past. It was once an armory and a hospital during the Civil War. Later, temporary buildings stood there from World War I until the 1960s.
The exciting space race of the 1950s and 60s changed things. The museum was renamed the National Air and Space Museum. Congress then approved funds for a new building. It opened on July 1, 1976. This was during the United States Bicentennial celebrations. Michael Collins, an astronaut from Apollo 11, was the director then.
Recent Milestones
In 1988, a glass area called the Wright Place opened. It first had a restaurant. Later, in 2002, it became a food court with popular eateries.
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center opened on December 15, 2003. This huge annex was made possible by a private donation.
The museum also received COSTAR. This was a special instrument from the Hubble Space Telescope. It helped fix Hubble's vision in space. The museum also keeps a backup mirror for Hubble.
In 2018, the museum got the Schmitt Space Communicator. This device sent the first tweet from space! It was launched on a New Shepard rocket. The Smithsonian might also get the International Cometary Explorer someday.
Museum Design and Updates
The Building's Look
The museum is very close to the United States Capitol. So, the Smithsonian wanted a building that looked great but didn't overshadow the Capitol. Architect Gyo Obata designed the museum. It has four simple marble cubes for smaller exhibits. These are connected by three large glass and steel areas. These areas hold bigger items like rockets and planes.
The museum looks similar to the National Gallery of Art. It even uses the same pink Tennessee marble. The building was finished in 1976. A huge glass wall on the west side acts like a giant door. This allows them to bring in large airplanes.
Big Renovations
Since 1976, the museum has had regular repairs. In 2001, the glass walls were replaced.
In April 2014, the museum announced a big renovation for its main entrance hall. This hall is called "Milestones of Flight." Boeing donated $30 million for this update. This was the largest corporate donation the museum had ever received. The hall is now called the "Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall."
The renovation started in April 2014. Some older exhibits were temporarily moved. New exhibits were installed to better connect with today's visitors. One new exhibit was a fan from a 1930s wind tunnel. This was used by NASA's early organization. After the renovation, the hall looks more organized. It also has space for new exhibits. The famous Starship Enterprise model is now in this hall. The renovation also added a "media wall" and touch-screen kiosks. These help visitors learn more about the displays.
In June 2015, the Smithsonian shared a report. It showed that the museum needed extensive repairs. Many of the building's systems were old and failing. The roof needed replacing, and the marble outside was cracking. The glass walls let in too much ultraviolet light. This light was damaging some exhibits, like John Young's spacesuit.
The museum also needed better access for people with disabilities. New security measures after 2001 caused long lines outside. These lines made visitors wait in bad weather.
On June 30, 2015, the Smithsonian sought approval for a $365 million renovation. Quinn Evans Architects designed the updates. Inside, they improved accessibility and security. The entire outside of the building was replaced with new Tennessee marble. The glass walls were replaced with stronger, triple-glazed panels. These new panels are reinforced with steel.
The museum began this work in 2018. Some parts of the renovation finished in 2024. The remaining galleries are planned to reopen by July 2026. By March 2016, the project's cost had grown to $600 million. By June 2016, officials projected the total cost to be $1 billion. This included funds for construction, storage, and new exhibits.
In October 2018, the museum announced a 7-year renovation plan. Some galleries closed between December 2018 and January 2019. The museum stayed open during most of this. However, it closed temporarily in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 3, 2022, the museum reopened for a short time. It then closed again on March 28, 2022, for six months. The food court pavilion was removed to make way for the new Jeff Bezos Learning Center. The western side of the museum, with eight new galleries, reopened on October 14, 2022. This was Phase I of the renovation. All remaining galleries are expected to reopen by July 2026.
Museum Leaders
Carl W. Mitman was the first head of the museum. He led it from 1946 until 1952.
Here are some of the directors who have led the museum:
- Philip S. Hopkins, 1958–1964
- S. Paul Johnston, 1964–1969
- Frank A. Taylor (acting), 1969–1971
- Michael Collins, 1971–1978
- Melvin B. Zisfein (acting), 1978–1979
- Noel W. Hinners, 1979–1982
- Walter J. Boyne, (acting 1982–1983) director 1983–1986
- James C. Tyler (acting), 1986–1987
- Martin O. Harwit, 1987–1995
- Donald D. Engen, 1996–1999
- John R. Dailey, 2000–2018
- Ellen Stofan, 2018–2020
- Christopher U. Browne, (acting 2020–2022) director 2022–present
Images for kids
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Apollo Lunar Module LM-2, used for ground testing the spacecraft
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Apollo lunar space suit
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Apollo 15 mission: space suit worn on the Moon by David Scott in 1971
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Apollo–Soyuz Test Project Display
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Breitling Orbiter 3, first non-stop balloon circumnavigation of Earth (1999).
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Chicago, the first aircraft to fly around the world (1924)
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25-foot-long model of the LZ 129 Hindenburg used in the 1975 film The Hindenburg
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Lockheed U-2 and a spacecraft
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Mercury Friendship 7 spacecraft, first crewed American earth orbiter, 1962
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Missiles: Soviet SS-20 and U.S. Pershing II
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Ballistic missiles
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Pioneer H
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SpaceShipOne, first private space ship to carry a human crew (2004)
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Pitcairn Mailwing
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X-15
Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory
The Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory opened in 2009. This was part of the International Year of Astronomy celebration. It has a powerful 16-inch Boller & Chivens telescope. There are also special telescopes to see the Sun in different lights. The observatory is open to the public from Wednesdays through Sundays. It also opens about once a month at night.
Learning and Outreach Programs
In 2014, the museum started a TV show for middle schoolers. It's called STEM in 30. The show teaches about science, technology, engineering, and math. It uses museum artifacts and features special guests from air and space history. The show is currently in its seventh season. The museum also has programs called "What's New in Aerospace." These programs feature special guests.
Research Opportunities
The museum offers four special research fellowships. These are for scholars who want to study aerospace history. One is the Charles A. Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History. This fellowship helps a scholar write a book about aerospace history. It was announced in 1977, 50 years after Lindbergh's famous solo flight.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Nacional del Aire y el Espacio de Estados Unidos para niños
- Continuum, a sculpture at the south entrance.
- Delta Solar, a sculpture on the west side of the building.
- List of most-visited museums in the United States
- List of aerospace museums
- National Air and Space Museum Film Archive
- RKK Energiya museum, Russia's equivalent museum.
- Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics
- Architecture of Washington, D.C.
 | Bessie Coleman |
 | Spann Watson |
 | Jill E. Brown |
 | Sherman W. White |
