Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Absolutely fantastic museum! The collection of aircraft is huge and well curated. Highlights are the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a Concord and definitely the star of it all: Space Shuttle Discovery! Participated in a free guided tour, which covered all the highlights and helped get an overview before exploring on your own. Our guide Leslie was really great. It is definitely a little out of the way of Washington, but you should 100% put it on your itinerary. I've even met a few people who visited during a layover at Dulles Airport. Be aware that you can easily spend 3 or more hours there!

Undeniably, one of the most well put together, interesting, convenient and organized museums in the DC area. Far superior to his sister museum in DC, don’t bother going there. The museum includes free tours every hour by knowledgeable, engaging and friendly tour guides, including some who actually flew the planes they are talking about, such as the SR-71. The museum is free to enter, no reservation required. They even include a section where you can view the restoration process of planes they are planning to display soon. The museum also has several zoom live feeds with experts on specific planes waiting to answer questions and tell you about the aircraft right from their homes!! Highly recommend checking out if you are in the area. Nothing but praise!

I visited with my child in October 2023 and it was fantastic. There are so many historical and interesting aircraft and spacecraft to see. It was cool to be able to see the shuttle Discovery, a Blackbird, the Enola Gay, Apollo 11 artefacts, and items spanning all periods of aviation from the early days to the present. Their interactive exhibits were quite enjoyed by my child.

This is a GREAT Air and Space Museum and it is FREE to get in. Parking is $15 though. The museum is very large and is sparkling clean. There are a lot of planes, jets and gliders on display, with a lot of historical information. There is a huge cafe and a large gift shop too. We enjoyed our visit there.

I like to bring my kids here a few times a year. We all love it. Inside, there is a very nice movie theater, a sandwich shop, gift store, many clean bathrooms, a few exploratory booths for kids and family, and a huge area to explore. Super kid friendly. Outside, a huge parking lot you pay at the entrance. The museum itself is free. There are also picnic tables past the parking lot. Open all year round except Christmas Day. We usually go here when the weather is not super nice because the inside is very comfortable.

I absolutely loved this place. I love aviation and getting to see things like the SR-71 blackbird, Concorde, the Enola Gay and the space shuttle was incredible. I also did the flight combat simulator and it was super fun. I would definitely come back.

So this place was absolutely amazing. We had spent half the day there. The only thing we didn't really get a chance to do was the simulators, but they seemed pretty cool. We even went in the tower. They have to overlook the entire area 360° view. It was nice. You can see a couple runways of Dulles airport from The view. But it had a lot more planes than the museum of DC. It was really cool seeing the space shuttle Discovery and the SR-71. Not to mention countless other aircraft. Passenger Jets personal planes military aircraft it was amazing!.

Wow it’s a dream coming true for us. We had been to this majestic location on a Saturday morning opens from 10 to 5.30pm. If dropping and going back in 30 minutes it’s free or 15 USD parking at least 800 to 1000 cars can park. The floor you enter is the upper floor where you can have an Ariel view of the the museum. You can see a century old air adventure of greatest minds. If you are interested just see it, you can finish the whole show on 2 hours. But if you want to explore it need at least 5-6 hours of patience. Either you can go up first or down, we choose going up first took around 2 hr plus and we went to restaurant for a break it turned around as launch. Well maintained restrooms Good quality restaurant be in the queue if so, place the order make payment your name will be called shortly, we choose some chicken strips plus a shake and an ice cream kind of special dessert. Enjoyed the food and then straight to the down floor Here you will see amazing display of concord flight, space shuttle, first nuclear bomber, and many simulations and so on, unable explain its real time experience unbelievable, worth every moments you spend. And don’t miss to have trip to top of the building at 7th floor a tower from where you can have a 360 degree view of the museum and location plus Dulles Airport runway, flights landing and take off. finally to the museum shop so much of collections, T shirts, caps, miniatures of planes,rockets etc.,. One of our greatest days in our life.

Absolutely fantastic museum! The collection of aircraft is huge and well curated. Highlights are the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a Concord and definitely the star of it all: Space Shuttle Discovery! Participated in a free guided tour, which covered all the highlights and helped get an overview before exploring on your own. Our guide Leslie was really great. It is definitely a little out of the way of Washington, but you should 100% put it on your itinerary. I've even met a few people who visited during a layover at Dulles Airport. Be aware that you can easily spend 3 or more hours there!

Undeniably, one of the most well put together, interesting, convenient and organized museums in the DC area. Far superior to his sister museum in DC, don’t bother going there. The museum includes free tours every hour by knowledgeable, engaging and friendly tour guides, including some who actually flew the planes they are talking about, such as the SR-71. The museum is free to enter, no reservation required. They even include a section where you can view the restoration process of planes they are planning to display soon. The museum also has several zoom live feeds with experts on specific planes waiting to answer questions and tell you about the aircraft right from their homes!! Highly recommend checking out if you are in the area. Nothing but praise!

I visited with my child in October 2023 and it was fantastic. There are so many historical and interesting aircraft and spacecraft to see. It was cool to be able to see the shuttle Discovery, a Blackbird, the Enola Gay, Apollo 11 artefacts, and items spanning all periods of aviation from the early days to the present. Their interactive exhibits were quite enjoyed by my child.

This is a GREAT Air and Space Museum and it is FREE to get in. Parking is $15 though. The museum is very large and is sparkling clean. There are a lot of planes, jets and gliders on display, with a lot of historical information. There is a huge cafe and a large gift shop too. We enjoyed our visit there.

I like to bring my kids here a few times a year. We all love it. Inside, there is a very nice movie theater, a sandwich shop, gift store, many clean bathrooms, a few exploratory booths for kids and family, and a huge area to explore. Super kid friendly. Outside, a huge parking lot you pay at the entrance. The museum itself is free. There are also picnic tables past the parking lot. Open all year round except Christmas Day. We usually go here when the weather is not super nice because the inside is very comfortable.

I absolutely loved this place. I love aviation and getting to see things like the SR-71 blackbird, Concorde, the Enola Gay and the space shuttle was incredible. I also did the flight combat simulator and it was super fun. I would definitely come back.

So this place was absolutely amazing. We had spent half the day there. The only thing we didn't really get a chance to do was the simulators, but they seemed pretty cool. We even went in the tower. They have to overlook the entire area 360° view. It was nice. You can see a couple runways of Dulles airport from The view. But it had a lot more planes than the museum of DC. It was really cool seeing the space shuttle Discovery and the SR-71. Not to mention countless other aircraft. Passenger Jets personal planes military aircraft it was amazing!.

Wow it’s a dream coming true for us. We had been to this majestic location on a Saturday morning opens from 10 to 5.30pm. If dropping and going back in 30 minutes it’s free or 15 USD parking at least 800 to 1000 cars can park. The floor you enter is the upper floor where you can have an Ariel view of the the museum. You can see a century old air adventure of greatest minds. If you are interested just see it, you can finish the whole show on 2 hours. But if you want to explore it need at least 5-6 hours of patience. Either you can go up first or down, we choose going up first took around 2 hr plus and we went to restaurant for a break it turned around as launch. Well maintained restrooms Good quality restaurant be in the queue if so, place the order make payment your name will be called shortly, we choose some chicken strips plus a shake and an ice cream kind of special dessert. Enjoyed the food and then straight to the down floor Here you will see amazing display of concord flight, space shuttle, first nuclear bomber, and many simulations and so on, unable explain its real time experience unbelievable, worth every moments you spend. And don’t miss to have trip to top of the building at 7th floor a tower from where you can have a 360 degree view of the museum and location plus Dulles Airport runway, flights landing and take off. finally to the museum shop so much of collections, T shirts, caps, miniatures of planes,rockets etc.,. One of our greatest days in our life.

Highly recommend this place; it was awesome. So many things to explore and learn about. It went to space and brought me back.

My two year old grandson loves airplanes and really enjoyed going. We have taken him several times.

This is one of our go-to places to visit with our kids because of several reasons (not in order): 1) They have a Shake Shack within the facility with specialty a space themed shake and custard, 2) They have an annual Halloween "Air N Scare" event which is super fun, 3) There's ample space for our kids to roam around as well as enough range to navigate with a stroller/wagon, 4) All of the staff here are so warm and friendly and seem like they love working here! This museum is more "air" than "space" but has so many cool things nonetheless. We aren't super into aviation but I can see how those who are would love this place. The space portion is small but it does house the Discovery space shuttle! There's also an observation tower which also overlooks Dulles International Airport. There are also clean and well kept bathrooms as well as multiple elevators, stairs, and ramps throughout the museum. As with all of the Smithsonians, this one is also FREE but parking is $15 (you also have the option to pay inside vs. going through the booth). There's also an IMAX theater here with limited showings. I like having this museum in our rotation, especially since our kids enjoy coming here too!

This museum was accessible by transit, but it took a couple hours from downtown-ish. Their lockers are free - the bigger ones could actually fit our carseat. Smaller ones surprisingly could fit our biggest carry-on suitcase. We loved there was a Shake Shack, and loved how the length of the museum is parallel to an IAD runway, so while we were sitting there to eat, we could see planes landing along the length of the museum through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The design of the main building we noticed is like an airplane hangar, which is pretty cool. There was an unexpectedly interesting art/print exhibit of the history of balloons - something I hadn't considered as part of the world's pre-airplane history. So interesting to see the Discovery Space shuttle, Enola Gay, and a BlackBird. Note there is an extra charge for the flight simulator.

Worth the drive! The full collection on display. If you're a plane lover this is for you. The refurbish shit is an aviators dream. The shuttle is on full Display in an area exclusive to space aircraft. This hanger is devoted more to aircraft. Well done, full of history. Many of these were on display in Washington now here where they can spread their wings.

Came with a group of kids in our mentoring program for a field trip. I have not been myself since I was in middle school and it was a delightful experience. It was nice seeing all of the planes and seeing the story behind each one. There is plenty of parking available at a nominal cost. Inside of the museum many volunteers are there to guide you along the way. They have guided tours once every hour, and you can walk through at your own pace if you wish there are plenty of exhibits so make sure you wear some comfortable walking shoes to explore the entire museum. A great time in educational experience I encourage anyone to attend. I know once we get a new group of kids in our program we will be back.

I've been to the Air & Space Museum in D.C. but always passed by this one. Finally took the opportunity to stop and immerse myself in this location. This location has more aircrafts on display. There's also an interactive area to experience. The space section reminded me of Kennedy Space Center. Variety of aircrafts showcased among the halls and massive hangers makes this museum fascinating. The bonus is there's a Shake Shack located inside the museum to dine. Museum is free but parking is $15.

4/7/24 Free entry and no advance ticket needed. The Air & Space in DC does require timed tickets. Put your walking shoes on because it is huge! There are so many different types of air transport throughout. There is even a 2nd level with a walkway with planes hanging from the ceiling. Take the tour with a docent you will learn so much!

This place is nothing short of impressive. Even if you're not an aviation aficionado, you will be awed and thrilled by this museum. Photos cannot do justice to the incredible display of historical airplanes and spacecraft. It is a hassle to get here from the city, and we were fortunate that a local friend was happy to pick us up from the District and drive us all the way there and back. If you don't have a car then the cheapest way to get there is taking the Silver Line out to a stop near the airport then either take a bus or a short Uber ride. Parking is $15 but admission to the museum is free. Almost all the planes on display have been restored to working order - that is, add fuel and oil to the Enola Gay and it could fly again. There are aircraft from all eras of human aviation, and a number of curious experimental and hobbyist crafts as well. The Space Shuttle Discovery is here. There's a complete 707. There's the Blackbird and the F35 Joint Strike Fighter. It's mind-blowing to see these planes so close you could practically touch them (don't try). This is completely worth the effort. Do not pass up an opportunity to come here.

Space Geek overload In progress. I've always wanted to visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, and today was the day. This place was amazing The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center displays thousands of aviation and space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, a Blackbird SR-71, and a Concorde, in two large hangars.

This is a must in the DC area. Seriously, so cool. I'm not really even into aviation, and yet this had me interested for a couple hours. All the different kinds of planes and helicopters, and the whole space section! You can walk around, below or above, and just take everything in. Even the history behind all the different items was fascinating. Kids or adults, this place is fantastic and worth the drive.

One of the best museums in the DC area, and that's saying a lot. I feel like there's something for everyone here, and it's also great that there's a Shake Shack inside as well. I loved seeing all of the older planes on display, and teens really enjoy the simulator. One of my favorite parts of the museum is being able to be listen in to air traffic control by nearby Dulles airport. So cool to listen in!

Went on a special occasion, their 20-year anniversary. Parking was free just for that day (instead of the usual $15) with parking attendants directing. Inside, they had book signings, talks, kids activities as well as scheduled music performances. Loved going through various aviation and space artifacts (including displays of engines, propellers, uniforms, and planes from the early 1900s to now). On the space side, loved seeing modules, satellites and rockets). The restoration hangar was also open to the public. We were able to walk through and observe scientists/curators restoring artifacts as well as explaining the processes of archiving, packing, preserving and making miniature models of the items they are working on. We also were able to watch a free 20-minute IMAX presentation at their theater. Great place!

I never knew this musuem existed until I was looking at Google Maps of places to go nearby Dulles airport. I'm so glad I got to check it out. You can see Space Shuttle Discovery, Air France's Concorde, Boeing 707, Red Bull Stratos capsule, old school FedEx airplane, military aircrafts, and so much more. There's also a free observation tower. There's no admission fee but you have to pay $15 to park, which is reasonable.

Don't forget your comfy walking shoes, because you will need them for this huge museum. Although it is about an hour train and bus ride away from the DC Mall area, it is worth the trip for any aviation enthusiast. A must-see! PRO-PARENT TIP: Free entry!! No pre-registration needed when we went. PRO-PARENT TIP: There is a Shake Shack inside. PRO-PARENT TIP: Wagons and strollers allowed inside to help little ones enjoy every inch of the museum.

I was watching a documentary about the Concorde--the retired supersonic commercial airplane--and I wondered if any are on display. Turns out that one is housed at the Udvar-Hazy Center! This is an annex of the Smithsonian National Air and Space museum, and it does not disappoint. The building is basically a large hangar holding marvels of aviation history. You can physically see everything in one visit, but you'll probably want to come back to take it all in. The Concorde is beautiful and you can walk right under it. The Space Shuttle Discovery is another highlight of the museum, and it is in a spacious area centered around space travel. There are tons of early planes, gliders, helicopters, flight suits, and more. There are also WW2-era planes, including several of the Axis powers, as well as the Enola Gay; this was not spotlighted, but it was historically relevant and heavy to see. There is also a 360 viewing tower to watch planes takeoff and land from nearby Dulles airport. There is an imax theater, too! And the gift shop is worth a visit. We picked up a toy helicopter, postcards, and astronaut ice cream. Next to the gift shop is a Shake Shack, which is the only food allowed in the museum. (You can bring bottled water, but nothing else.) Parking was $15. Admission was free. The building is handicapped/strolled accessible. If you love aviation, this place is a must.

This are two Air and Space Museums in the area. One is located downtown and this one by Dulles airport. This museum has a huge parking lot that costs $15 before 4PM and is free after that. Also, the first 30 minutes are free for drop offs and pick ups. Admission to the museum is free and they do not require a time ticket. You will see the giant stainless steel sculpture, Ascent, towering in the parking lot. It is definitely worth a closer look. The museum features many attractions. Some notable ones include a flight observation deck, that you have to take a short elevator ride to get to (you can hear and see actual radio traffic from neighboring Dulles Airport), an IMAX movie theater, flight simulators (additional charge), and green screen souvenir photos. They also offer guided tours of the museum that are scheduled, but I oped to go at my own pace. The museum is huge and has over 100 aircraft, but its featured aircraft are the Space Shuttle Discovery, a Blackbird SR-71. You will find other various aircraft including a Concord, rockets, missiles, bi-planes, bicycle planes, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, a F-14 Tomcat for the Top Gun fans, bombers, private jets, crop dusters, blimps, ballons, aircraft mounted weapons, different space suits, a Coast Guard HU-16 Albatross, and the suit that they guy that jumped from spaced used. There is a lot to see at this museum. In addition to all the aircraft, they have Discovery Stations scattered about the museum that teaches you different things and has displays like astronaut clothing, astronaut food, the effect of space of the body, and other subjects. If you go up the stairs behind the Space Shuttle you will find windows that look out over the museum's restoration hangar where they reconstruct, repair and maintain the museums exhibits. Every Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 10:30 am and 11:00 am, they hold what they call On-Site Drop In Story Time, where one of their museum educators reads a story to little ones. There are 3 different simulators to choose from: Ride Simulators, Interactive Flight Simulators and VR Transporter Experience. The cost of these experiences vary, as well as the height requirements. My littles were only big enough to Ride Simulator. I did not find it a very fun ride, but my little kind of enjoyed it. We spent about 2 hours here, and if we did not have plans, we could have spent at least two more. I really, really liked this museum. It is well organized, has an educational component, lots to see, and a amazing and friendly staff. Oh, and did I mention....It is free. I highly recommend checking this gem out. I know it is well off of the beaten path and will take some logistical planning if you are downtown, but it is so worth it.

Located about an hour outside of DC (depending on traffic), this hangar is a great supplement to the Air and Space Museum. Parking here is $15 and more or less the only way to easily access this museum. There is an hourly bus, but that's a big risk to take if the bus is late. Admission is free, and paid tickets can be purchased to the imax theater. The imax is... fine! I've been in better ones like the Pittsburgh Science Center, for instance. The guides here are amazing, and virtual volunteers can be found throughout the museum too! It's a great use of the space. You can also watch restorations take place! Cool!

Admission is free for this museum, but the parking is $15. This is a fabulous museum. There is so much history of planes. Not only do they have the space shuttle, the Concorde, and numerous World War II planes, but they have the Enola Gay! I have been here three times with friends and family who come to visit from out of town. It's a great place to spend the day with people of all ages.

Free admission,and on site parking for $15.00. Hundreds of historically significant air- and spacecraft, along with thousands of small artifacts, are on display in an open, hangar-like setting. Other features of the Center include the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower, the. Airbus IMAX Theather, and the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar, where visitors can watch museum specialists at work restoring artifacts. Spent several hours browsing the exhibit and enjoying the experience. If you love planes and history, this place is a must see!! Highly recommend!!!

Having been in the Washington D.C. Air & Space Museum, I never REALIZED you can discover the Air & Space Museum in Virginia. On April 4th we took a large group from Upward Bound to this museum. Mindblowing. But what it more amazing was the tour guide we had. His last name was Murphy, and I believe his first name was John. He was beyond a wealth of knowledge, His enthusiasm was heartwarming. He gave us 100% of his knowledge, enthusiasm, and energy, He even offered his throat lozengers out of his pocket as some of our students, who are at times shirt attention span with so many detailed facts as he provided, was beyond generous. When he talked, he looked right at us direct eyesight and his heart was beyond being connected to the details and people tied to so many vehicles in the museum. He brought these stories alive. One station by the NASA Space shuttle had a screen where there was a live guide at a remote location. It shocked them when they realized this was a live person on the screen and they interacted with him for over 10 minutes and this spurred more questions than we normally would have due to the unique situation of him being remote yet live. Great idea. We were right on the cusp of the start time of the Imax - your staff was courteous, patient, and got us in right on time. We went to the simulation center and several of us were late to get to both types of simulations, but you were able to get the group in and they LOVED IT. Alll your staff there made sure each of our students experienced an amazing simulation, and even refunded a few tickets for those that were in the store and did not have time to go through the second simulation you had, and they supported us without complaint. And the bookstore - your staff there were overwhelmed with people, OVERWHELMED - and yet they were patient, and even when a mug was bumped off the shelf and broke, a staff came over immediately. I had picked up the pieces in seeing them on the floor, and that staff member was amazing. As I waited for students, I walked around and put items back where they fell off because I had the time but because I was so grateful of the way your employees were so patient and helping so many in the store- they were GREAT. The volunteers you had giving out Eclipse glasses, AWESOME idea and thank you. The only area that we had a little bump and bruise in was the Shake Shack food area around 2:20 PM. I LOVE Shack SHACK and I love that you have one in this museum, LOVE. With a large group, there is always chaos, and yet, your young staff was awesome. The manager had some slight words and difficulty processing we needed a different type of burger than we had prepurchased due to one of our students practicing Ramadan, Instead of the standard Shake Shack Burger, we needed a Mushroom burger to replace the prepaid burger ticket we had obtained for the whole group. There was some disagreement in doing that, and we just ask that despite the chaos that occurs with large groups, if a little more understanding can occur in a situation like that. However, if you look above, the areas and experience we had were GREAT thanks to an amazing museum and we thank you. I will definitely be back again and our group was entranced. Thank you!

The Udvar Hazy Center is a unique place to visit. Outside of "DC proper in the suburbs," it is right next to Washington Dulles International Airport. If you are lucky enough to get clear weather, the observation tower allows you to look over the runways not far off. Here you can listen to air traffic control, along with seeing planes landing coming in for their approach. All of the docents who volunteer here, are knowledgeable and well trained. See if you can get an organized tour, but even without that, there's plenty to see and do. What really always blows my mind, is standing next to the US Space shuttle Discovery. Admittedly love that this one, was first back after the Challenger and Columbia tragedies. The SR 71 Blackbird is remarkable, as is the Concorde. This is a must for aviation/space geeks. I was surprised that they had several former Soviet fighter jets, and the simulators are quite fun and realistic. The only fee is $15 for parking, and there's a McDonald's and Museum shop to peruse through. If you are in the capital region, add this one to your list.

Yes!!! Wow, this is the Air and Space center of my boyhood and dad hood dreams :) it absolutely is a five-star representation of the nation's (and the world's?) best and most well known planes and spacecraft. Definitely worth a trip out of downtown to see this. What puts it over the top is being able to see work in progress, from the restoration hangar, to literally having pieces of significant stuff out on the main floor, to just find?!?! Like when we were there yesterday, there's a fuselage and wings of a B17 just sitting out there on the main floor! And sections of the famous Flak Bait in various places. So good so good!

A must visit place if you are in DMV area. I have always wanted to visit this museum and got the opportunity to visit last weekend unexpectedly. There's no entry fee and parking fee is 15$. As soon as you enter you see the majestic supersonic jet blackbird. You will see all kinds of planes including Concorde, fighter jets, old gliders, the grand Discovery etc. They also have guides there sharing information about all the aircraft's. We also experienced fighter jet simulator and it was super fun. You could rotate 360degrees and it was amazing. We also watched a 20 mins movie on the history of planes in the max theater within the museum. This museum is for everyone and a nice way to spend few hours filled with knowledge and fun.

I have been to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum several times, but I had never been to this additional museum, the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. It is well worth the trip whether you get here by metro or drive. If you take the metro, it's a little over an hour from The Mall. it is definitely worth the effort to get here. Two hangers filled with aircraft of all types, including the shuttle Discovery, an Air France Concorde, many space capsule's, satellites, cruise missiles, and it goes on and on. An IMAX theater has three or four different movies shown throughout the day. Eight dollars for admission with reduced prices for seniors and children. There is a fast food restaurant on site. I spent two hours here and ran out of time. I think I could easily spend a full day here.

This is a really top notch museum. Unbelievable number of planes with good interpretative info on each. Add in the space shuttle and this is one of the best museums (a Concorde is a nice touch). Can't beat the price (free, although parking is for a fee). Staff is very friendly and willing to share insights on exhibits. This is a must see museum.

My travels found me across the continent, on the east coast. My family & I decided to visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. We made the short trek up from Quantico VA, and found the museum easily. The parking lot is clean, spacious, and well laid out. There is no entry fee and you do not need tickets however there is a fee for parking (somewhere around 12-15 bucks). The museum was incredible, there are thousands of aviation & space artifacts. Plan to spend at least 2 hours here, and that's moving through quickly. Some of my group tried the simulators & they (adults) said it was awesome, very realistic and worth the $. We did not watch any movies although I wanted to (if I knew ahead I would have planned to be there much earlier). Cool finds in the gift shop, overall really cool experience and I came away feeling like I want to learn more about the different aircraft's used during different time periods. Totally geeky but eek, so cool!!

Love taking my friends here when they're first visiting VA! It's a great experience to just walk through all of the history and different planes. My friends definitely have more knowledge on the exhibits here, and its super interesting to see their takes and read the information on each plane. Would definitely recommend as parking is also very cheap and free after certain times.

I tried and tried to get into the main Air and Space Museum. I was a slacker and didn't plan in advance and couldn't get last minute tickets that they offer. What a bummer! But all is good as I found this gargantuan gem of a museum. By far one of the best aviation museum in the world. If you are an aviation fan this is a real treat. It's about a 34 minute drive from where I was staying in DC. Was a very easy drive. They do charge for parking but it's minimal. Parking lot is huge and best part you don't need to pre reserve. The inside is impressive. And the first thing you see is the black beast. SR71. It's amazing. I went there to see the SR-71, F35 and the space shuttle. Mission accomplished. Seeing the Concord, Enola Gay, and F14 was the cherry on top. I could have stayed all day... but my kids would have not allowed that. They have an Imax theater inside. Besure to check the schedule before you go. I would have loved to see the Imax on aircraft carriers. I'm going back soon!

This museum is super cool and is chocked full historic aircraft and spacecraft, including the Discovery Space Shuttle, an SR-71 and the Enola Gay. My companions and I followed the walking tour group for a little while, the docent who was presenting was very knowledgeable and interesting. We also enjoyed viewing the work being done in the restoration area and the space shuttle totally stood out as a favorite aspect of the museum. Additionally, there is an observation tower with a 360 degree view of the Dulles/Chantilly area, there is an IMAX movie theater and a variety of flight simulators to check out. The location is very convenient, just off 28 by Dulles airport and the museum is great for all ages with lots to explore. I totally recommend checking this museum out, cheers!

This is way way better than the Air and Space in the National Mall. You really need a car to get here, which honestly is probably why it is accessible whereas the other location is not. It is also way cooler than the one on the mall. This location had a concord and a space shuttle. What more do you need? It would be cool if you could get closer to the displays - like maybe if you could go into the concord? But it is a must see...if not for the spaceship alone. Giftshop is overpriced, avoid if you aren't in the market to spend a lot on nothing.

If you're a fan of Transformers, Jetfire from the second movie is here. Really fun to look at everything for free. The simulator for $10 was less than exciting. "To Fly!" the movie was kind of boring, but a great theater. Awesome that the museum is free. Very impressive collection.

Very fun museum for plane-loving folks and even those that aren't super into planes. My son loved all the different types of air crafts and colors. We went on a week day and it was pleasantly empty. Volunteers are all pretty friendly.

This is my favorite museum in the greater DMV. It is a bit far from the other DC attractions, but I always recommend people try to prioritize it. I love the models, the interactive displays, and the employees are always knowledgeable and kind. The observation deck and the windows overlooking the restoration hanger are two of my favorite spots to check out. The fact that it also has an iMax theatre and a Shake Shack are bonuses. Highly recommend to locals and visitors alike!

Every single visit is unique and enthralling. Keeps us captivated and engaging with friendly and always helpful staff

One of the most impressive air museums that I have been to, and it is extremely accessible for all people (and photographers). There are a massive number of planes and spacecraft on display, and they are very easy to access from different angles and view points. If you are photographer, you should definitely bring a long lens and a wide angle lens and be prepared to shoot with high ISO. There are no tripods allowed, but I was able to use my gorilla pod (small adjustable mount for my camera that clamps to railings and fixtures). My favorite displays were the shuttle (Discovery), the SR71 and some of the cold war planes on the far end. Be sure to spend some time on the highest level, you can come "face to face" with the Enola Gay at eye level. There is a cafeteria and gift shop which are both excellent. If you are interested, there is a simulated air traffic control tower that gives nice views of Reagan Int'l Airport with the current tower frequency pumped into the speakers. Overall, it's a wonderful experience and well worth 2-3 hours of your time.

What a lovely museum! Lived in the area for a few years now and this was our first time visiting the Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center. How exciting! There was plenty of parking available. It's $15 and you can pay at one of their machines inside the museum. Employees are incredibly helpful, patient, friendly, and knowledgeable. It is spacious, clean, and organized inside. They do such a wonderful job maintaining everything in here. There are restrooms all around and they are very clean. We learned so much and all of us had a great time together! The Airbus IMAX Theater offers a number of wonderful movies. Definitely check that out while you are here. Tickets are $7.50 for youth and $9 for adults. As for dinning options, there is a Shake Shack in here. Horray! There is also a small section at the back of Shake Shack that offers cold sandwiches, salads, fruits, yogurt, drinks, etc. The museum gift shop offers all sorts of goodies. I'm so glad we got a chance to visit and I can't wait to come back!

I used to love this place, but my recent visit left a bad taste in my mouth - and it wasn't just the milkshake from Shake Shack. Seriously, what is with Shake Shack? Have they sold their soul to the devil? I waited in the longest line ever for a milkshake and some drinks for my kids, and there was only one person at the register. It took over 10 minutes to get a milkshake. And let me tell you, nothing ruins a museum experience like bad service. I miss the good old days when there was a McDonald's there. But that's not even the worst part. I was there with my 3-year-old son, who was going at his own little 3-year-old pace. He wasn't even running, just walking fast. And then, out of nowhere, the fun police showed up - some grumpy old dude who clearly has nothing better to do than shut down a little kid's fun. Mr. Grumpest was in the building that night, and he gave us a stern warning. Newsflash, dude: this is a museum, not a retirement home. Despite all that, it's still a good place to go - just be prepared for some areas that have definitely diminished the experience. And maybe bring some running shoes for when you inevitably have to escape the fun police.

Everything about this free Smithsomuseum is excellent. The IMAX theatre has multiple pay to watch shows. The observation tower has amazing views. 3 pay to ride simulator rides are fun (one does a 360 degree turn). If you love different era military aircraft, this is a must visit Smithsonian. For food there is a Shake Shack in the museum. The space shuttle is the main attraction and is beautiful to see.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is an aviation enthusiast's dream. With an impressive collection of aircraft and space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, it offers a captivating journey through aviation history. Whether you're a seasoned aviation buff or just looking for an interesting day out, this museum is definitely worth a visit.

Absolutely love this museum! We spent hours here checking out all of the historic aircraft and spacecraft. Definitely worth the trip out by Dulles.

We went to this museum over the holidays with family. There's a little something for everyone! The kids enjoyed being able to go inside of an airplane and go to the top of the "airport tower." They enjoyed seeing everything from space as well. Overall there's a lot of interesting things packed into one space and while there were a lot of people there, it was clean and lots of room for everyone to spread out and see what the museum had to offer!

You need to come here if you're in the Fairfax area and appreciate Aviation, Science, Technology or just someone who wants to learn some really interesting stuff!! I came here on a rainy Sunday afternoon and there seemed to he approximately 200 people or so at any given moment. There are planes that were in wars, flew in outter space, commercial airplanes and many other flying things like blimps. This museum gives you detailed knowledge about what you're viewing, but it isn't overwhelming. My two recommendations is to one, take advantage of the experts that are livestreamed to answer your questions and do the flight simulator!! The experts are very knowledgeable, friendly and will take the time to explain things thoroughly. The flight simulator was very exciting!! I was initially scared, but it is basically like being in a real fighter jet scenario. Highly recommend this museum, it's one of my favorites of all the Smithsonian museums!! -ODL Connect with me! IG & YouTube: @AOEAT

This is the extension to the more well-known Air & Space Museum off the Mall in Washington DC, located out by the Dulles Airport. The museum itself is free, but parking is $15 (if you exit within 30 min it's free, so Uber and bus drop offs are usually ok). This is a giant hangar and extensions where you can find the Concorde, space shuttle Discovery, Enola Gay, and SR-71 amongst the more famous residents, and there are planes and rockets and other equipment here that didn't fit in the main museum. The layout includes a floor path you can walk closer to the planes, and two levels of walkways that are suspended allowing you to walk above the planes, too. There are simulators and an IMAX theater (both at an additional cost), but the observation tower is free. There's also a cool restoration center in the back, a Shake Shack to feed you, and a small store. While I wish they sold a set of small die-cast metal version of the planes in the shop (more plastic and stuffed items and stuff that feels less solid), some Legos and other items. A good morning activity to walk through and look at the historic planes here, though not as detailed as the exhibits in the A&S Museum in the city.

Why 5 stars? An excellent display of just about everything that goes up in the air. This is a must-see place if you're in the area and like museum experiences. Great place to go if you're into aviation, or just want to get away for the day outside of DC. It's "Free" as in you don't have to pay to get in which is awesome. I was told it was 15 dollars for parking, but I took a rideshare there from my hotel so it wasn't a big deal. I've been an Aviation geek since I can remember. Grew up w/ shuttle launches, SR71 blackbirds, and Air France's Concode excited me as a kid and I was so thrilled I could see them all here at the Udvar-Hazy center. I spent the greater part of the afternoon checking everything out and I could probably do this a few times and probably not see everything. They seem to have fit just about everything they could inside the space to include airplanes and things hanging from the ceiling as well! I also saw an abundance of experts throughout the place giving tours and they even had experts "working from home" answering questions remotely as you approached some of the largest displays which I thought was really cool. I didn't do the flight simulators or the IMAX theatre experiences but probably will next time around (these do cost money as well).

Positives - Great place, tons of planes, space craft, engines, satellites, history all around. They have a simulator you can sit in as well. You can go up to a control tower, but it does not have any thing in it, you just have the view, and can hear Dulles air tower on the radio. Not a ton of people crowding the planes, it is spaced out pretty well. The people there providing information are very knowledgeable and enjoyable to talk to. I would have to say this place is far superior that the one at the National Mall, a lot less crowded, better laid out as well. You do have to pay for parking, but I think that is a small price to pay considering everything you get to see. Some planes you will see, Enola Gay, SR-71, Spaceship Discovery, just to name a very limited few. Negatives- The Smithsonian needs to let everyone know about this on their map that they have. They show two building for the Air and Space Museum but show it right next to each other, and not that the second building is an old actual airplane hangar. This place is roughly 25miles away, and we actually did not know about it until our Uber driver told us about it. So please correct this on your maps Smithsonian.

I was so sad that the Air and Space museum was undergoing renovation while my bf and I were in DC. We are both nerds for this sort of thing and I really wanted him to experience the awesomeness this museum provides. To be honest, I had never even heard of this annex until I was looking at "things to do in Chantilly." I wasn't sure how cool it would be compared to the one in DC. I have to eat my words though because I can probably say that this place was better. Sure, the one in DC is being renovated for a better experience, but this massive hanger with full airplanes on display is AMAZING and an experience someone of any age could enjoy. The highlights of this place are the space shuttle Discovery, the Enola Gay and the area in which you can watch them restore the artifacts. It's weird to see objects with so much history just right in your face. It's one thing to see a sword that's 3000 years old in a museum, an object that is cool but you can't really connect with, and it's another to see the airplane that helped essentially end one of the worst wars in our history, less than 100 years ago. It was also so cool to see something you watched go into space on tv when you were a child. I think all of us wanted to be an astronaut at some point in our childhood. The sheer amount of expert volunteers was amazing too. Some of them were there in person and some of them were on screens, zooming with guests. One of the things I thought we'd miss out on are the flight simulators. I've wanted to get back into one since I completely failed my ride when I visited DC. I wanted to see how good my bf would be at it. They have them here!!! However, we both aren't meant to be fighter pilots. Crash! Bang! Boom! Yes, admission is free but parking is now at a whopping $15, but tbh, worth it.

Great exhibits chocked full of history and plenty to look at. There is always more to see giving you the chance to come back more than once. Between the theater, book signings and other events- it makes for a good free day to get out of the house without going all the way to DC But the accessibility is limited for those w wheelchairs, scooters, or strollers. Going through the gift shop, which is sharing traffic w Shake Shack, is a nightmare since you are either moving at a snails pace trying not to run into or run over someone's feet. Some of the gift shop cashiers and management are sweet and helpful even being bombarded by groups while others are pushy for emails and donations to the point of being irritating and even rude. So it is an experience, a good or bad one depends on how busy it is and what type of employee is trying to help you.

If you're interested in going to the air and space museum in DC, and you're willing to drive further out, I cannot recommend coming here enough! It was WAY less crowded than the Smithsonian museums we went to in downtown DC. This place is huge and has amazing things to see. The Discovery space ship and the Ebola Gay were two of my personal favorites, but there's so many to look at! It's so big that everyone feels very spread out. We had a great day here.