National Air & Space Museum
add photosThe Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum has the the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. Your kids will think this place is out of this world literally and it's free!
34 Reviews for National Air & Space Museum
10
00 families found this helpful
"So Neat"
There are airplanes and aircraft everywhere in this museum. So many neat things to look at and so much to read. From the very first aircraft to modern day and even space ships. A really cool place to visit. So neat to see actual life size planes and rockets!
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0 families found this helpful
"Another Great Stop"
Whether you are an enthusiast or not, you will love this museum. From planes to rockets to space ships...it's got it all. Not only are there exhibits to look at and stand in awe of their true majesty....but there are plenty of activites for the whole family. My husband and I loved this museum on our honeymoon and found it hard not to join in all the fun that many of the children around us were having. We definitely felt like kids again!
0 families found this helpful
"Pretty cool"
AFter being in Washington D.C. for a week sight seeing you start feeling a bit sick of MUSEUMS, but this one perked the interest of both young and old in our family. Who would not be impressed with airplanes hanging from the ceiling. This was a fun place to just look and I would suggest you not miss this one.
0 families found this helpful
"Great!"
This museum was so much fun for everyone! The IMAX theater was amazing. My cousin who is currently in the air force and going to school to be a fighter jet pilot went with us and we got to see an IMAX movie about a fighter jet pilot, which the kids LOVED. They also loved all of the airplane models hanging from the ceiling, and the room where they got to look at airplane parts.
0 families found this helpful
"fun"
I remember this visit vividly from my 8th grade field trip to Washington DC and that was 12 years ago. Any kid I know or knew loved space and are fascinated by how people get into space. This museum has the largest collection of historic air and spacecrafts in the world. It is not only fun but a learning experience so parents you should be happy to visit this spot. I will say, tours are the best way to visit these types of places because parking is not the best and Washington DC is busy at all hours of the day so unless you know the area well save yourself the hassle. The gift shop is one of a kind, especially the freeze dried food. I think everyone that went on the trip bought at least one of the meals to see what is tasted like.
0 families found this helpful
"Don't go on or near a holiday"
I think we went at the wrong time. It was near a holiday so it was super crowded and long lines to tour the different exhibits. We couldn't even find places to sit. It needs to be renovated because we found it a little dated. It might have been better if we had gone at a less busy time.
0 families found this helpful
"National Air & Space Museum"
The National Air & Space Museum was out of this world!! It was so amazing to see so many ancient planes hanging from the ceilings of the museum! My favorite part of the museum was the Human Space Flight and International Space exhibit. I loved it! The National Air & Space museum is really large and offers various activities for children and adults of all ages.
It is amazing how far we have come since the first Wright Brothers plane! Plan on spending at least several hours at the museum. Also, check the museums website for special events!
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"dynamic"
fantastic spot for the aspiring pilot in the family. Tons of planes and displays on areo-dynamics makes this a great educational and fun destination. As well as iit being a great spot for the kids there are fun things for the adults to do aswell. And the gift shop carries very cool things like space icream and space blankets, all in all a good spot
0 families found this helpful
"Not very much hands on"
The National Air & Space Museum is one of the free Smithsonian museums. It is fun to look at all of the model planes and replicas of aircraft parts. My husband particularly enjoyed all of the shuttle parts and NASA memorabilia. There are a few fun activities for little guys. Don't plan on spending more than a few hours there if you have young ones. My toddler got bored pretty fast, so we got some ice cream from their indoor McDonald's and had to scoot.
1 family found this helpful
"Amazing!"
The National Air & Space Museum is AMAZING! It's museums like this that will make your children come to appreciate and LOVE going to a museum! Basically everywhere you look you will see some part of aeronautical history infront of your eyes, from the Wright Brothers to the Moon Landing...it's all here! Fun for kids of all ages, and specially those kids who are into planes/flying/space exploration ect.! Highly reccomended! We could spend all day here!
0 families found this helpful
"Washington must see..."
For history buffs, the National Air and Space Museum is a must see. We spent a Thanksgiving day there a couple of years back along with a few hundred of our closest friends. The hanging aircraft and the IMAX Theatre are pluses but is definitely for an older kid who can read and understand at least basic science concepts. You get what you want out of all the Smithsonian museums but can spend a whole day at the Air and Space museum and not be bored if you chose.
One of the nicest things about all of the museums on the Mall is that you can double back later in the day. It is nice that there is a Metro stop at the Mall where you kind of emerge up out of the ground and are right in sight of all of the sites.
The gift shop of this museum is one of the most memorable parts of the place!
0 families found this helpful
"National Air & Space Museum"
The National Air & Space Museum is a place that you must visit at least once. It is quite large, so allow plenty of time to spend there. We spent half the day there. One problem we ran into was that our two little kids (and even myself) began to get a little bored and tired. Little kids don't really comprehend the history behind the displays, so they had a short attention span. There are a lot of things that are very similar and repetitive. My husband, on the other hand, could spend all day there without getting bored. It is the type of thing that he is into. Keep in mind that there is a McDonalds located inside the museum. This might be a good way to break up the day if you have young children. They can eat lunch or a snack and have a little break from the museum. The museum itself is free and the prices at McDonalds didn't seem to be any more expensive than our McDonalds at home.
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"Maybe not for young ones"
I went here over the summer of 2009 and my little ones had some trouble with how long we were there and how little they had in common with the museum. I thought it was awesome, and so did the older kids who were with us. Overall, i think that this is a must visit if you live near or travel to D.C.
0 families found this helpful
"Good for older kids"
I have always been a big fan of the Smithsonian museums in DC. They are so well made and designed but they are ALWAYS packed but the wait is so worth it. My husband has been a long time fan of the National Air & Space Museum so we decided to leave home early one day and trek down to DC.
My kids loved all of the different things to look and even touch! They were enthralled with the IMAX theater and wanted to go a second time.
And of course; who could forget about the freeze dried ice cream? Kids love it and its mess-free!!! In the end great museum but it's really best for older kids who can really understand what everything is.
0 families found this helpful
"Go to!"
I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Smithsonian museums in DC but if you are traveling with kids then the air and space museum is definitely a place to go. Everyone of all ages can enjoy this museum. They have the IMAX and the planetarium which are always great to go to. It's fun to see the old airplanes too! Pick this museum if you have to choose one the whole family will enjoy.
'11
1 family found this helpful
"Something for everyone in the family"
The Air and Space museum is one of the most popular of the Smithsonian museums, so it's always busy. Even so, there's something for everyone.
Little ones are in awe at the planes, rockets, and big stuff on display in the main hall. Everyone can reach out and touch a slice of moon rock that's 4 billion years old. And that's before you even reach the galleries.
Like all of the Smithsonian Museums, admission is free. The extras do require a purchased ticket, but the price are reasonable. You can buy online in advance to save time.
We've taken school aged kids into the planetarium and IMAX shows -- always a hit. Even more exciting are the simulators, where visitors can take a turn in the cockpit for a rocking, rolling, full-body experience. (I think I'm still dizzy from a 12-year-old friend's 2-minute spiral roll!)
Among the free galleries are displays of space equipment -- our preschooler loved the space shuttle potty! -- which includes a multi-person space trivia game. Other rooms focus on the history of flight, milestones of flight, and military aviation, among other topics.
Our first stop is always the "How things fly" room that allows visitors of all ages and abilities to see and manipulate air power to create elements of flight. I never get tired of watching the station where folks can make a beach ball hover in a column of air. If that's not cool enough to impress, just grab the air duct and bend it so the ball is still hovering, this time feet away from the duct with nothing underneath. I've seen it dozens of times -- it's still a cool trick. Other displays introduce air pressure, wing shape, breaking the sound barrier...all of which will draw in the most hesitant of visitors.
If you're there at lunch time, the food court isn't exactly cheap, but it is very efficient.
Be sure to check out the website in advance to plan your visit -- this museum is chock full!
0 families found this helpful
"My 2nd favorite museum in the Mall"
This museum was super fun for my 5yr old daughter and even my 30yr old husband! They were both loving all the airplanes and space ships throughout the museum. My highlight was seeing the FIRST ever plane in person. How cool it is to see it has been preserved for so many years. We could have spent an entire day in this one museum but our 4-day trip kept us on a tight schedule to see all of D.C. I wrote a blog all about our D.C trip with reviews and tips on my travelersbarista website.
1 family found this helpful
"So much to see"
We've been twice to the Air & Space Museum and my kids (ages 5 and 8) loved it! There are actual rockets and spacecraft there to see and even go inside. Although a lot of it is for adults, the kids were intrigued. Our second visit included a viewing of "Night at the Museum 2" at the IMAX theater and it was amazing! Seeing the movie on the giant IMAX screen was a whole new experience for us. Although it is expensive, I would definitely recommend it!
1 family found this helpful
"Better for non-tots"
This museum is entrancing for girls and boys alike (I have a girly-girl and was worried she wouldn't enjoy it). You can walk through spaceships and planes, there are simulators to ride, movies to watch, and they are all very kid friendly. I would recommend kids 3 and up-- the little tikes have a hard time being entertained in this museum.
0 families found this helpful
"A full day of enjoyment"
Both my sons (ages 7 and 10) loved the Nt'l Air and Space Museum. In fact, we all had a blast exploring the many exhibits throughout the museum including rockets, shuttles, and a replica of the Hubble Telescope. The boys enjoyed the wonderful history of the Wright Brothers and their many attempts to fly. Inside the museum is also an IMAX theater (although not free) it was definitely worth watching a show. There's a great gift shop and a cafe for those tired feet to relax (although it was a bit crowded on a Saturday).
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