Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center

This place is amazing! There is so much to see. The highlight is the space shuttle. Simply amazing to see it in person. We had 6 kids under the age of 8 with us and they hung in for about 90 minutes. Then we went to the observation deck and watched planes landing… they loved that.
We will be visiting again!

I will admit I am rather late on finishing up this review by nearly a year, however the experience is simply amazing and I have no doubt that if I was to return in 20 years that my review would be any different.
On a recent work trip to DC I was able to get out a little early and head over to the Steven F Udvar-​Hazy Center, which is actually the only part of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum that you should visit when in DC. Forget about the site on the National Lawn, you must come here instead.
Admission is free, however there is a fee for parking which is totally understandable once you step foot inside this massive structure and witness some of the most amazing aviation and space artifacts of our generation. I could go one for hours and hours and list all of the aircraft that are on display here, however I will say that the highlight of the trip was the space shuttle Discovery, which is on display in its entirety. It’s an amazing experience to be standing next to such an iconic piece of American history. I could go on for hours listing some of the amazing aircraft on display and talking about them but instead I am simply going to say that no matter what you do while visiting DC, this must make your list. It will be an experience you will not soon forget.
While admission is free, there is still a parking fee of $ 15/​car before 4:00pm, after its free until close (5:30pm). Do not wait for the free parking, as you will not have enough time to explore this massive structure. There is also a cafeteria should you get hungry while exploring and a gift shop to pick up the perfect souvenir.

This is my new favorite museum. Before this, the Air & Space Museum in DC was my fave. But this place? Eclipses the other, no pun intended.
I first came here for a Girl Scouts event and fell in LOVE! First, there’s an IMAX theater — what’s not to love about that?! Then, there’s the McDonald’s inside — convenient lunch, check! Aside from that, it’s just a really fun museum.
My 2 favorite things here are the Enola Gay and Shuttle Discovery. But they’re flanked by so many awesome planes, missiles, and otherwise amazing artifacts that it’s overwhelming in the best way possible. I’ve only ever been here with kids, and they were always fascinated. I brought one here twice and she was completely engrossed both times. There are plaques for reading, but plenty of interactive exhibits that balance the heavy «educational» stuff with a lot of fun!
In full disclosure, this place is out there. It’s basically next to Dulles airport so it might be a hike getting there. Although admission is free, there’s a $ 15 fee to park, which you can pay by cash or card. Luckily, the lot is HUGE and you’ll usually get a good spot. I’ve been here on days where it was packed and still found what I felt was a great spot.
I’ll definitely be back here again and again. I love this place!

A hanger chock full of amazing aircraft through the decades. There’s the Discovery Space Shuttle here. That alone would warrant several stars in my book. But there’s more!
Comprehensive collection of recent aviation history. They were panoramic photos of the cockpits and all of the aviation artifacts were artfully displayed with several levels of planes all neatly organized. There were even displays honoring women aviators. Huge LIKE for that! Smithsonian knocks it out of the park again. Five stars. FIVE.

I love aviation and it was my idea to come here. It was not a disappointment. It was an incredible experience. They have a huge collection of 1000 planes and other things related to space. One of the most popular things to see is the space shuttle discovery. The space shuttle discovery is the most accomplished of the space shuttles. When I first saw it I was blown away by the size of it. The shuttle is worth the visit alone. It gets better, they have the Enola gay. This is the b-​29 Boeing super fortress that dropped little boy over Hiroshima, Japan. They also have a concord which is a beautiful and fascinating plane. The concord is a very slick and cool airliner that flew people from Paris to New York in in 3 hours. There are also many other planes including fighters and general aviation aircraft. After I saw all the planes, I walked over to the simulators and purchased a interactive simulator ticket for my father and I. It was definitely worth the 16 dollars. The simulator can barrel roll you which is awesome. However it was a letdown it only twisted you 40 degrees vertically. It was really fun and my father and i enjoyed it. After the simulators my father and i went to the viewing tower which had an amazing view of runway 1l at Dulles international airport. I got to see a 787 land so i had a great time. However there is one big problem with the viewing tower. It takes Usually about half an hour to get up and then down because there is only one elevator. The elavator is also always packed. This didn’t ruin the experience for me though.
Summary: I had tons of fun here with my father and it was 4 hours of time well spent!

This museum was an epic event for my wife and I.
Its is spotlessly maintained and professionally staffed.
It is big, roomy, not stacked and racked!!!
The American aviation history is preserved and presented in awe inspiring fashion.

Better than the DC air and space museum! Well worth the trip, and the $ 15 parking fee. They have an iMax showing hunger games right now. The space shuttle and fighter planes we’re impressive. It was a little confusing getting around with a stroller, and I wished they had more food options than McDonald’s. You could easily spend five hours here.

The Udvar-​Hazy Center is an incredible museum. $ 15 to park but free admission. We went on a Sunday afternoon, we were staying very close by and arrived early for check in so decided to come here as our first museum of the week.
The space shuttle Discovery is the highlight by far, it’s amazing how huge it is. Also very neat to see the Enola Gay as well as the Concorde.
Great collection of all eras of aviation including balloons and they are constantly updating and included equipments used in Felix Baumgartner’s 2012 jump from space. I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t find the Transformers display that was there when I visited several years ago. Well designed with lots of catwalks to see the displays hanging from the ceiling closer or get different views of the airplanes on the ground level.

Amaaaazing playground of general aviation aircraft, spaceships and even a tower that you can go up on to watch airplanes landing at the nearby airport (and learn about air traffic control).
When I was in DC, I knew I had to visit both aviation museums and it’s really a toss up between which one is better (I could go either way depending on the day of the week). However, if you’re visiting and you’re a big airplane buff, it’s worthwhile to catch a 35minute über/​Lyft to the Hazy Center.
It’s an amazing place to walk around, see literally over 100 airplanes (including the Spirit of St. Louis!), the Discovery Shuttle and so much more.
Whether you’re into spaceships or airplanes, this museum has something for you (they even have a damn Concorde plane here for God’s sake)! Best of all? It’s absolutely free!

Is there a museum that’s better than the Udvar-​Hazy Center? I bet that people would say Wright-​Patterson, and they’re probably right, but I’ve never been, so they’re wrong. One thing is certain, this museum blows the downtown Smithsonian location away in everything except convenience and proximity. You pay your $ 15 for parking, which is steep, but it’s well worth it. The aircraft displayed are fantastic, and they’re all kept in immaculate shape. I visited this location about five years ago, and everything is in exactly the same spot it was, then, with the exception that Discovery has replaced Enterprise, things have been jockeyed around a bit in the space area, and the restoration area is now open for viewing from the catwalk.
Still, it’s awe-​inspiring to see things that men and women have been able to conceive, build, and actual make work. These aren’t sketches, these are actual flying machines. If only da Vinci had been born 450 years later, what a world we would live in, today!

While the collection at Udvar-​Hazy is not quite as extensive or impressive as the one at Dayton, Udvar-​Hazy does have distinct advantages. Such as: they have a space shuttle.
In all honesty, what I want is the Dayton collection in the buildings at Udvar-​Hazy. Thanks to a cool (if not sometimes kind of hard to navigate) system of catwalks at Udvar-​Hazy, you can really get up above the majority of the collection (just not the stuff hanging from the ceiling) and therefore get a better perspective and appreciation for the signature items, like the 707 prototype, an SR-​71, the B-​29 «Enola Gay», and an Air France Concorde. Being able to look down on the planform of those impressive artifacts is really awesome, and it’s the one thing I really missed being able to do at Dayton. The amount of information presented is probably about equivalent to what’s available at Dayton — maybe slightly better in some cases.
The restoration area is also very impressive — you can watch people at work and there’s a stupid amount of stuff under restoration, at least when I visited. Easily a dozen items in various stages of repair. Also worth visiting is the observation deck, perfectly located between Dulles’ two main runways. You get a great great view of equipment coming in for landing, and if you do a little research and visit at the right time, you can catch a lot of international heavies. They even play ATC on a short delay so you can listen in on some of the arrivals. Very neat.
This museum is not free — you basically pay for parking ($ 15) and then you don’t pay anything else. But it’s extremely worth the $ 15 for a carload. How I managed to avoid visiting here as I was flying in and out of Dulles for weeks, I’ll never know.

I don’t see how it can get better than this.
Where else can you see the Enola Gay, The Black Bird & the Space Shuttle all in one location?
And…see an IMAX movie as well?
The IMAX experience is a bit sketchy though. They allow you to purchase tickets on their web site in advance but they charge a fee of $ 4 bucks… then you still HAVE to stand in line to pick up a ‘real’ ticket. it’s always a long and slow line.
They when you get to the theater door… you stand in line AGAIN so someone can TEAR your ticket… really?

Awesome museum! If you are into flight or space this is the place to be! There are all kinds of crafts to view, both on the floor and from above. With the walkway a floor above, you are provided the opportunity to view aircrafts from below and above!
There are exploration stations throughout the museum where children and adults can get additional information and explore manipulatives that are relevant to the area of the museum where it’s located.
There are a few extras, like a 3D Imax show and 3D simulators that you can pay extra to experience. None of them were over $ 10 for kids or adults, however some of the experiences have height requirements.
This museum was absolutely worth the drive out!

It’s $ 15 to park, but parking is free after 4pm (They close at 5:30). Admission is free. It is so neat to be able to see iconic pieces of aeronautical history up close and personal. The Space Shuttle, The Enola Gay (WWII), aircraft spanning the early 19^th century to present day. The sheer size of this museum is impressive. The sky tower is pretty neat and gives you an expansive 360 view of the Dulles Airport and surrounding area. The food court is a McDonalds, so if you’re not a fan, I suggest eating before or after you arrive. Wear comfortable shoes, there’s a lot of walking to be done. The main lobby has an IMAX theater and concessions for an additional fee.

this place is pure genius.
when you walk in, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed after seeing all the planes in this monstrous warehouse. some hanging from the ceiling. others resting on the floor. so many different styles and sizes. from the gargantuan discovery space shuttle to the sky baby. a tiny craft that barely fits 1 person. i recommend getting the free maps that are available. they really help you figure out where you want to focus your time if you’re in a time crunch.
there are catwalks around the museum that bring you close to the aircraft that hang from the ceiling. it’s flabbergasting being so close to that kind of history. some of these craft have flown in wars, been 1-​of-​a-​kind made for specific reasons, and they even have satellites that have orbited in space.
i’ve also been to the air and space museum in DC. this one is better. simply because they have the room to display the actual planes.
oh. and there’s a mcdonald’s in the museum. it’s larger than the souvenir shop. it should be the other way around.

This was my 4^th visit and I leave more impressed with each visit. I’m an aviation junkie, humble to have lived most of my adult life around aviation. However, I have to give credit to management for maintaining an outstanding team so hospitable and eager to help out. The security personnel, volunteers and other staff members do an incredible job helping visitors. Kudos to Officer Ramirez for his professionalism handling security and great customer service.
This museum is kept very clean, organize and more than adequate to handle thousands of visitors per year. I highly recommend this place to anyone, one of a kind! I’ll be back.

The Steven F. Udvar-​Hazy Center is a sister museum to DC’s Air & Space. They’ve been around since ’03, offering discovery stations, exhibitions, stimulators, tours, and an observation tower. I checked out their Airbus IMAX (real IMAX) Theater, as I’d heard that they recently had a major upgrade (new screen, new 3D glasses, dual 4K laser projection system, and a better sound system). These upgrades were apparently done to only 1 of 3 theaters — the screen size, while large, isn’t the largest. I did enjoy the upgraded 3D glasses, as they stay on your face better: P The images were definitely on-​point, as it was super crystal clear and much brighter (usually when you put on 3D glasses, it dulls/​darkens it a bit)! The sound, while great, was still faint — I just wish that they would just turn it up more (this place has always been on the fence in increasing the volume!). Another qualm is that they do not have reserved seating (which is usually the case), but due to showings of other educational documentaries and films before blockbuster-​released films, you may not be allowed to enter the theater until 15 minutes (while we were there, it was actually 5 minutes (!)) before the showing time. With such renovations, I really think this theater could take advantage of it, providing an authentic IMAX experience for IMAX films, especially showing Hollywood movies that were shot in IMAX! Grab a show that is after 4PM, as parking will be free (usually $ 15!); also, leave all your personal belongings in the car, as they do a bag check at the front.
+recently-​renovated Airbus IMAX theater (!)
+dual 4K laser projection (!)
+upgraded 3D glasses (!)
+need to increase the volume (!!!)
+can enter theater only 15 minutes or less, prior
+no reserved seating
+limited blockbuster films released
+free parking after 4PM
+leave belongings in car (bag check at entrance)

I came here on a Sunday. This one draws a crowd, but it didn’t seem quite as crowded as the DC museum (also went in a Sunday).
The observation tower is really neat. I enjoyed learning about air traffic control and all the complexities of it. I knew it was a hard job, but I have a much bigger appreciation for it now! I recommend doing that early as the line for the elevator (the only way up) gets long as the day goes on.
Other than the tower, it’s pretty much a giant hanger full of planes and things to look at. The exhibits aren’t as elaborate as they are in DC, but the stuff they have is really incredible to see (like a real space shuttle). Since there isn’t as much for me to read, I did one of the free tours. Unfortunately, I happened to get stuck in a group full of nerds that like to ask tons of questions at each stop, so the tour went much longer than the 90 minutes I was expecting. The tour guide had a lot of interesting things to share though. He actually flew in the Concorde and he even shared some pictures with us. After about two and a half hours I decided I had enough and went back to looking at things on my own, so I’m not sure how long it actually went.
As others have noted, McDonald’s is still the only food choice. Unlike the museum in DC where I can easily walk somewhere else, I don’t have that luxury here. I don’t hate McDonalds. I snarfed down my burger and fries like a true American, but alternative options would have been nice.
The location isn’t very convenient in terms of proximity to DC. It took me over two hours to get here using public transportation from Alexandria. I took the silver line to Weihle-​Reston then jumped on the 983 bus and it took me right to the museum. It’s not complicated, but it takes a little while, especially since the metro runs trains so infrequently on the weekends. It’s not the museum’s fault, but if you’re staying closer to DC and relying on public transportation, it’s something you’ll want to plan for ahead of time.

Simply one of the world’s best aviation museums, period.
Take a free guided tour– if you get a good person, it’s worth doing.
The museum is kind of broken into three sections– fighters, space, commercial aviation and heavies. Mixed in are general aviation aircraft.
Don’t forget to spend time on the catwalks, looking at all the planes suspended from the ceiling.
$ 15 to park, free to enter.

Massive hangars packed to the gills with some of the coolest air– and spacecraft in history? Yes, please.
Having grown up in Dayton, Ohio near another well-​known aircraft museum, I’ve wanted to visit the Air & Space Museum’s Udvar-​Hazy Center for a long time. While not as big as the USAF museum, the Smithsonian offers such a remarkable collection of historic aircraft in an amazing facility. The best part of this museum are the one-​of-​a-​kind pieces. The Enola Gay and Discovery alone are worth the trip. But, other lesser known but just as significant examples, like Langley’s Aerodrome or the Arado Ar-​234, are just as astonishing.
Amazingly, they pack 169 aircraft and just about as many smaller craft in a relatively compact space making it very accessible. I especially liked how they used catwalks throughout the two hangers to create three different viewing levels. It was cool to gaze down the fuselage of the Concorde from above. If all they had were just a bunch of airplanes, this museum would still deliver a great experience. But, they also managed to create a multitude of engaging and enlightening displays immersing you in the aircraft and the history of aviation. In every way, this is an exceptional museum.
What can you say negative about this place? On top of all of this, it’s free! Sure, you pay the $ 15 for parking, but that seems like such a small price to pay for a great experience. The crowds can get pretty bad at certain times, so timing you visit well is good idea. Regardless, if you’re in the Northern Virginia area, do not miss out on an afternoon here.