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Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Photo: Paulo JC Nogueira / CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

🎡 Attractions

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Washington, DC · National Mall

About

This is the place where the actual machines of flight hang overhead: Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, the Wright brothers' 1903 Flyer, and the Apollo 11 command module Columbia that carried three astronauts to the Moon and back. A phased reopening is rolling out all-new galleries and a renovated planetarium for the building's 50th anniversary on the Mall. Admission is free, though you should grab a free timed-entry pass online before you go.

Highlights

Spirit of St. Louis and the 1903 Wright FlyerApollo 11 command module ColumbiaEight new galleries plus a renovated planetariumFree admission with a timed-entry pass

Getting there

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Washington D.C. Attractions23 places

Washington D.C. Attractions

No city packs more world-class attractions into a walk than Washington, and most of it is free. The Smithsonians line the National Mall like a museum mile, from the moon lander hanging in Air and Space to the Hope Diamond and the Wright Flyer. Between them stand the monuments and memorials: Lincoln gazing down the reflecting pool, the Washington Monument over the Tidal Basin cherry trees, the marble halls of the Capitol and the Library of Congress. Bring good shoes and a full day, and you still will not see it all.