The National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC is home to the world’s largest collection of historic aircrafts and spacecrafts. It was opened in 1976. It is 16also an important research center of science, history and technology.
Controversy surrounds one of the exhibits, namely the “Enola Gay”. It was the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Japan – Only one exhibit of many very meaningful objects in this historic collection of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.
Hundreds of original exhibits
The National Air and Space Museum has three facilities. Two of them are open to the public. The National Mall museum, one of these facilities, is situated on the stretch of the road between the Hirshhorn Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC. This building holds hundreds of original exhibits from the history of aviation on display. Including the aircraft of the Wright brothers in 1903, the Apollo 11 command module, or the “Spirit of St. Louis“. Furthermore, the museum offers a movie room, a flight simulator, a shop with souvenirs, a restaurant area and a planetarium.
The B-29 Superfortress „Enola Gay“
If you think that this is everything, then you should visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. This building holds the largest part of the historic aircraft and space vehicles and is the second facility of the National Air and Space Museum. For example, the B-29 Superfortress „Enola Gay“, the first Space Shuttle „Enterprise“ or one of the fastest Jets, the „Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird” are on display. Here you can experience the history of aviation up close. The large airships are exhibited on the ground and many smaller planes are hanging from the ceiling. In addition, there is also a movie room, which is located in an Airbus, a flight simulator, a restaurant, a museum shop and an observation tower on the Dulles Airport in Virginia.
Since 1976 the National Air and Space Museum is the most visited museum in the world. If you on a trip to Washington DC this museum is not to be missed. The exhibition is opened from 10 am to 5.30 pm and the entrance is free.
