National Air and Space Museum

This is one of the most popular and busiest museum in DC. My children loved this place. There are some plastic models of dozens of aircraft from the ceiling. In some of the gallery, you can sit in the cockpit and imagine performing in mid air.The building is very beautiful with cherry blossoms outside. Thre are several theaters to watch movies. The IMAX films like To Fly! is a favorite kid's film that makes you really feel like you are leaving the ground. There is also a Einstein Planetarium where there is a 20 mins. tour of the universe. The Stars tonight was really fun because you can see what is in the sky at night. This is one of the museums best place to visit! more

The Air and Space Museum is one of the best in DC! There are many hands on activites that both children and adults enjoy. The area where the retired space shuttle and rockets is amazing! There is also a life size control center for a aircraft carrier that you can explore and push buttons. This museum will take quite a while to get through so if you want to see everything it has to offer you should plan to stay the whole day. more

This is another place that as a child we took field trips to yearly. Then, as I had had my own children, I took them back here to show them what I grew up with. The history that is displayed throughout the museum is fun and educational. Kids will get a kick out of walking through an airplane, as well as viewing the displays hanging from the ceiling. This is one of the more popular museums on the mall, so be prepared to be squashed like sardines! more

What a great place. I have been going to Air and Space since childhood, and still enjoy it, whether it be the giant, real life planes, space capsules, demonstrations, films, exhibits, games, and moonrocks. If you've never been, shame on you. This is paradise for the kid in you, and it is free. Thanks, Smithsonian! more

I can't say I'm a big fan of traditional museums, but I nonetheless still enjoyed the National Air and Space Museum for the most part. There are scores of exhibits representing air and space and several historical items (like the spirit of St. Louis). It's been a few years since I've been, but when I went, I do remember getting somewhat bored despite being a fan of this type of stuff. As someone said, this is probably the better of the museums in DC. I would recommend not spending all of your time here but spreading it out among the different landmarks. more

Some of this museum is really fascinating. They have an astonishing collection of vehicles no less important to American history as the Mayflower. There is a profound sense of accomplishment and wonder in the Spirit of St. Louis, for instance, or the Gemini capsule. Other parts rapidly lose their attraction on the second or third visit. We don't really need to be explaned to in simple museum-language how things fly. And the section on computers in aviation is ridiculously outdated. One section of the museum that was relatively quiet but incredibly effective (for me) was the quadrant apportioned to space art. The way that America has visualized and portrayed spaceflight is, in many ways, as interesting as the flights themselves; our creative spirit shines through even in the most pragmatic works of engineering as a rocket. Don't force yourself to look at anything dull here. Focus on the relics, the connections between us and our fledgling attempts to go beyond this world - you know, that whole deal - and you won't be disappointed. more

Very cool museum to visit. They have everything from aircraft to space shuttles on display. The placards for each exhibit give a plethora of information and history on the display. The entrance fee is very reasonable and you can easily spend 2-4 hours in this museum. A great place to take the kids on the weekend. more

This is one of the more fun Smithsonian museums. There's lots of models of planes, space ships, and other flying objects. The museum is large and there's lots to see. It's definitely more hands on and visual, and a place your younger kids can have a lot more fun. The summer can get pretty crowded, so try to come off season if at all possible. more

This place is so huge that you'll never make it through it in a lifetime of visits. It is a great place to go though nonetheless. The airplane and war exhibits are very interesting. I recommend just picking a section to go through on your trip and just doing that in order to not get overwhelmed and disillusioned. There is a lot more to see in DC so save your energy! more

The air and space museum was the best museum I went to in Washington D.C. The museum was clean and well organized.The information about the history of wars from the past were very true and not false.I would recommend this museum to other people that go to this place every year. more