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The National Air and…
117 reviews
Washington, DC
Category: Museums
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Rating Details »
National Air And Space Museum
14390 Air And Space Museum Pkwy
Chantilly, VA 20151
(202) 633-1000
14390 Air And Space Museum Pkwy
Chantilly, VA 20151
(202) 633-1000
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
37 reviews for Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
My favorite air museum in the world.
Want to see the Space Shuttle? They have one. Want to see a SR-71 Blackbird? The have one of those too. Want to see WWII German Nazi jets... Yes Jets! They have those as well and so much more. Take the family or go by yourself. You'll love it.
My husband had been here one afternoon last time we were in DC...so we ventured out with a friend. I found it far superior to the main annex on the Mall...they had a lot of cool things. There's more exhibit helping literature on the Mall, but between what they had and overhearing a few tours, I felt like we had a good experience. Three hours and felt like I'd seen my fill...my husband could have spent all day.
Only bummer is $15 parking...but that's still a cheap way to spend a day.
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I haven't been to the original Air and Space museum in probably 20 years because it's always overrun by tourists and a complete f'ing nightmare to be in. Which is too bad, really, because it's a great museum.
Enter the Udvar-Hazy Center, a wondrous place with a ton of airplanes of note, numerous missiles, helicopters and rockets and the really amazingly large Space Shuttle Enterprise. While the Chantilly location makes UHC a bit of a pain to get to, its off-the-mall location translates in to crowds are really manageable, and the enormous size of the place affords one enough room to comfortably check out the displays without feeling crowded or overwhelmed.
The (free) tours at UHC are long, but quite worth it-- the tour guides are really knowledgeable. If you're not a tour sort of person but want more information many of the docents are former Air Force and are enormous informational resources on both planes and history. Three cheers for the docents for giving of their time and knowledge, because they bring a really interesting personal dimension to the machines.
This is a great museum for both the air and space buff and a lay person with only a passing interest. It is very large, so don't be disappointed if your feet give out before you see everything-- that just sets you up for another fun trip.
Side note: I heard several people bitching about the $15 parking fee while there. This is an "only in DC moment" since we locals who are so fortunate to live by the Smithsonian carry the mindset that all history should naturally be open and free. However, compared to museums around the rest of the country (and the world) this parking fee is really nothing. Pay it, help support the Smithsonian, and realize how lucky you are to live in a great city where history and culture is freely accessible.
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It's one of the hottest days of year, so the logical thing to do is to find a large air conditioned building and hang out there for a couple of hours. Naturally, if you don't wish to have several dozen brain cells die, I'd suggest staying away from Tyson's Corner, and checking out a museum instead.
The cool thing about the Udvar-Hazy Center, as opposed to museums on the Mall, is that you don't need to worry about finding a parking space and then trekking 5 blocks from said space to desired museum. UHC has a huge parking lot just steps from the front door. Sure, you have to pay $15 for the privilege, but considering the museum is free and your car is most likely ferrying 2 or more people, it's really not that expensive.
I took two little friends - boys ages 5 and 7 - here on a Sunday morning. Benefit to coming early: good parking spot, no lines, no crowds. We first checked out the observation tower, which is very cool, but because there's only one (not-very-large) elevator, lines do form later in the day. Then we just walked around and checked out all of the cool airplanes, helicopters, etc. Truly amazing variety of stuff here. You can get free tours, but those aren't quite appropriate for such young 'uns, so we did our own exploring. We were done in under 2 hrs, but the boys said they enjoyed it a lot.
Sure, there was a time when I dreamed about being an astronaut, but that time has long passed and I have only a passing interest in flight and flying machines, but this place is really quite cool.
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Space shuttle, SR-71, Enola gay weeeeeeeee
Being the air and space fanatic that I am, I was foaming at the mouth to get here and I was totally in my glee inside this place. The great news is you don't have to be obssesed about planes to appreciate in here. I went with someone casually into planes and they were able to enjoy inside here and marvel at things.
one important thing GET THE TOUR.. I knew a bunch of stats and information on most of the planes (a disturbing amount) because im nerdy like that, but I went on the tour and both of us were impressed at just how much the tour guide knew. Looking at the planes wouldnt have been the same without the guy explaining us so many neat things and nuances about them. You got to learn about planes that dramatically changed the war. After taking the tour I was able to further appreciate how technological advances have had a profound effect on history.
Other cool things here are the IMAX and the simulators. I'd say the only down thing about here is that you have to pay 12 bucks to park. But other than that its really cool. (update: someone told me its $15 bucks now...)
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This is a wonderful museum and our go-to spot when we have out of town visitors.
The SR71 Blackbird, The Concord, The Space Shuttle, The Enola Gay are all here. The best exhibits are the ones with "The" in their name - but the place is huge and is organized into Military, Commercial, Sports and Space sections.
They have a few interesting examples of Nazi aviation, including a cool single person gyrocopter, which was working 20 years before Sean Connery's "Little Nellie" in You only Live Twice.
Volunteer docents give free tours all the time, there are simulators for kids and a movie theater.
They are building two massive extenstions - one will be open next year and you will be able to see aircraft being restored, the other will be a document repository.
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My husband is a pilot. Like many boys, he likes planes and trains. He likes to be up close, pretend he's in the cockpit turning dials, ascending, descending. . . speeding through time.
The first time I went to his apartment, when we were dating, his collection of baubles and books were strategically placed. Milan Kundera, Edith Wharton. . . and his flight book. "Oh, you're a pilot?" I asked, hopeful and impressed.
At that time he was just trying to get his license. Now he's working on renewing it. It's quite an experience to be in the presence of passion, and when we went to the Udvar-Hazy Center I was treated to my favorite kind of experience. . . seeing my hubby beam.
Not just that, though, because nowadays I'm feeling mighty patriotic. I'm impressed by what humans are capable of. . . constructing the Sears Tower, creating works of art, and building and flying some of the most impressive planes and space machines ever. It's pretty damn incredible to see the Wright Brothers stretch canvas across a frame and make it fly and then walk under the Concorde. Ritzy, glitzy and supersonic, it no longer flies which seems about right in a recession.
I was in awe. I am a girl. I like ponies and dolls, right? But I loved being in a goliath hangar, imposing and complex and holding some amazing relics of flight. The Enola Gay is a beautiful shiny beast. The Space Shuttle Enterprise is colossal in construction and accomplishment.
Humanity felt good that day, despite the acknowledgment of all the lives lost in and amongst this air ships. From the man standing next to me, to the entire country. Salute!
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While I don't know the difference between most types of aircraft, I had a pretty good time here.
This hangar/museum is awesome. THE original Enola Gay, the test Space Shuttle Enterprise, as well as the fastest jet ever built are all on display. From early aviation to modern aviation, just about every vehicle and weapon involved with flight are here. You can take a free guided tour with one of the museum's knowledgeable docents, from whom I learned that the museum has special procedures in place for a windy day. The docent said the doors will not open once the winds reach 10 mph because some of the smaller hanging planes will begin to take flight. It sounds pretty funny; wish I could see that.
There's an observation tower, from which you can overlook neighboring Dulles Airport. It's nothing grand.
Entrance is free, but parking is $15. There's no gum chewing or outside food and drink allowed, but you can bring bottled water. A McDonald's restaurant is inside for the desperately hungry.
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I love this place. I've come multiple times but despite having seen a lot of the aircraft, it's still fun to visit. Unlike the Air and Space Museum in DC, the one here is more focused on just showing you what aircraft mankind has produced from the dawn of flight to the modern era. You'll see propeller planes, fighter jets, supersonic commercial airliners, and even the space shuttle Enterprise. Missiles and motors, rotors and rudders, this place has it all. There is also an IMAX theater with a variety of programs (the Fighter Pilot movie is great) as well as feature films (I watched The Dark Knight here last year; fantastic). There are two flight simulator type things as well as a Cessna that one can get into and play with.
If you come here, you'll likely leave wanting to become a pilot. It won't help that you're near Dulles airport, with planes flying out very close to you (though not as close as at Gravelly Point). Bring $15 for parking, $10 a head for food, and $10 a head for an IMAX movie if you want. I'm not a big fan of the flight simulators.
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This was a great museum. It's a bit out of the way if you're not on your way in or out of IAD. However, it's well worth it.
Some advice:
1) The only food available onsite is a McDonald's. I had lunch there, but if you want something else, brown-bag it and eat it outside. There are some benches on the small plaza between the front door and the parking lot.
2) There are lockers available on-site. Bring a quarter and you can park your luggage there. The big lockers are big enough to accomodate a small rollaboard suitcase.
3) Entrance is free, though parking is not.
4) I checked my luggage that morning at IAD and then took a shuttle from the passenger terminal to Udvar-Hazy. Grab a schedule from the information desk at IAD. The shuttle runs a couple of times/hour and the ride takes about 15 minutes. Fare is 50 cents.
The place is so big that when a couple of buses discharged full loads of children, the hangar just swallowed them up. I felt like I had the place to myself.
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For airplane and space vehicle geeks, this is probably an even better destination than the downtown A&S museum. They just don't have the room downtown to really display things of this magnitude.
Let me give you an example. Me and the boys were walking through the WW2 section, looking at the Japanese aircraft. I then noticed, for some reason, that the ceiling of the hangar seemed kind of low, and looked up. I then realized that I was standing underneath a frigging B-29 Stratofortress (the Enola Gay, no less), which was hung from the ceiling like a kid's model. Only much, much, MUCH bigger. Very cool.
Oh yeah, and they have an entire space shuttle inside, and it doesn't even fill up the room. Big place.
While there's not nearly as many interactive exhibits as there are downtown, it's still a cool place to go. We were there on a February weekend (Sunday, roughly 1 pm) and it was pretty empty -- which was great, since the kids could tear around willy-nilly and not bother anyone.
The simulator rides are OK, especially if you're 6. The IMAX is a very nice one, too, and the Fighter Pilot movie is pretty neat.
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This is a pretty cool place. I come from a family of aviators, so I think they get a bigger kick out of it than me. Great view from the observation tower.
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Pretty darn cool!! Museum that looks like a hanger or is it a hanger changed into a museum!? I must say that I don't have a clue about planes but had a great time here. Lotsa history about aviation to stroke the imagination. Planes and copters of all different sizes.. even a Boeing 707 is in there!!
Moreover, this is my first time seeing a space shuttle.. My Gawd, my jaws dropped! I wish I could go in! Plenty of missiles and rockets too if that is your cup of tea.
It's a little out of the way from all the other Smithsonian in DC. But it's definitely worth a visit. It's free like all other Smithsonian, but there's a $12 parking fee.
I would say you probably need AT LEAST two hours to explore the whole museum. If you actually read all the descriptions and stuff, you probably will need more. And there's IMAX theater there too!! So plan accordingly.
I checked out the observation tower. You can see Dulles airport from there, and they just installed a receiver, so you can listen to the pilot talking to the air traffic control center. I won't spend too much time here.
The fun part is seeing all the planes and helicopters from the different period of history in the hanger. The space shuttle section was also very neat to check out. I was just wondering around taking pictures, and my plus one actually spent time reading all the description and story for most of the planes. I think he enjoyed to see all the history of these planes. Overall, I enjoyed this museum more than the one in DC. Worth the $12 parking fee.
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On a personal level, I would give this museum a 5/5 stars, but, to review the Udvar-Hazy Center fairly, I give it a 4. That's because it's not for everyone
This is the sister building to Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at the mall in D.C., and they do compliment each other well. The purpose of this building? To house all the airplanes, of course.
I grew up building model airplanes and looking at fighter plane picture books (Thank you grandpa!), so for me to see an actual F-14 Tomcat up close and be less than 5 feet from the nose was a dream come true. I think I spent 10 minutes looking at that plane, which, if you think about it, for a single exhibit is a long time. It was a heartwarming moment.
Aside from my blabbering, this is my favorite museum. It is easy to get to... personally I didn't park, instead I took the 50 cent Dulles to Dulles bus which point to point has 4 major stops: U-H Center, IAD Airport, Dulles North Transit Center, and Dulles Town Center. I saw in previous reviews that parking is $12? I recommend parking at the Town Center or the Transit Center and taking the bus. However from one terminus to the other is a 45 min. ride.
It is in the middle of nowhere, although there are clear directional signs.
The only food available is McDonalds, which has prices similar to those in airports. There is a McCafe with the McDs, which has more deli stuff.
The museum is pretty much a giant hangar filled with airplanes. They;re parked on the ground, they're hanging from the ceilings, they're everywhere. They have civil planes, war planes, and foreign planes. They have helicopters, hand gliders, and spaceships. They have it all. So, to be able to see these things are pretty cool. It's too bad you can't go into any, however.
The space shuttle is pretty impressive as it is still used by NASA for research purposes, because it was the first space shuttle built. I happened to be there for an "ask the expert" session which was about space shuttle Enterprise which was very imformative.
The walkways above were awesome, because you got to be closer to the suspended planes, and you get a great view of the hangar. For it to run the entire length is pretty cool.
The tower was O.K... you do get a great view of the Dulles runways to see take off and landings, but besides that the view isn't of much. It is Virginia, after all.
Even the bathrooms are nice and clean, and best of all clearly marked with a checkered wall. Everything itself is clean here, and if there on a sunny day there is a lot of natural light, making the museum well lit.
I give it 4 stars because if a family of 5 were to go, then 4 would enjoy it.
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Great museum, even though I expected more in the space section. Funny how the Enola Gay was surrounded by Japanese fighter planes!
My favourite museum since the history of my museum going experience. SF's Exploratorium wins, so does the new Cal Academy of Science out there in Golden Gate Park. But the air and space museum... the hubble telescope's first model, the enola gay, the moon lander.... it is a place like this with real world, three dimensional, tangible experiences that identify children and adults with the history of discovery... and the ultimate connection with out pride in innovation and technology, or imbues the sense of awe and wonder Carl Sagan always wanted for science....
A stunning place.... and to quote Homer Simpson, when a professor was suggesting that there is no air in space.... "What about the Air n' Space Museum"?
Ahh... yes Homey. Yes.
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I will spare the details of my visit, but they were the same as others. You can do this in 3 hours easy, this includes the imax, observation tower and museum. I did my visit in about an hour and a half and skipped the IMAX due to time constraints.
The authentic planes are awesome. I am not an aviation buff but thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I wish I had a little more time.
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An absolute amazing display of aviation history. Want to see a space shuttle? Want to gawk at the SR-71? See different trinkets throughout the history of aviation? This is your place.
I never paid the admission price since my office does our Christmas party here (oh wait - should I say holiday party instead?). But otherwise, with it being so out of the way, I can't see myself making it here more than once a year.
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What a great place to spend a few hours. Forget the Air and Space museum off The Mall with the rest of the museums. You have to go here instead. I loved being able to go so close to all the planes. I took at least 100 pictures with my camera.
Best parts are the SR-71 blackbird, the Corcord, and the space shuttle. Also loved seeing the Tomcat up close after having watched Top Gun so many times as a kid.
Breathtaking displays of flight and human history make this a must-see if you're ever in the area. I found myself standing a few short feet away from the Enola Gay, reminding myself repeatedly what this single metal beast represents. When I came back to the same spot again before leaving, I noticed two older men standing in silence with their heads down. It was a touching moment.
There's plenty of inspiring history here as well. From the first flight of a machine that looks surprisingly frail to space exploration, I learned an incredible amount of trivia.
Should you come here with kids, they'll be far more interested in the big machines versus the side displays, but do try to set some time aside to look at these oft-overlooked spaces as there's a ton of fascinating artifacts and stories to study.
Going up to the observation tower is interesting, though waiting for flights to come in can be tedious. I saw more interesting approaches from the parking lot afterwards, and wouldn't have had a better view from the tower.
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By any means I am no aerospace enthusiast. I couldn't tell you anything about planes or space shuttles if my life depended on it. But after visiting this museum, I have a better appreciation for those who have dedicated countless hours in building and designing these beautifully engineered exhibits.
It's a must see for anyone visiting DC or if you are stuck in the Dulles airport area. Highlight of my visit has to be the Stealth Bomber and the Concorde. Biggest bonus = this place is FREE!!
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I'm not a huge fan of airplanes but my boyfriend was really excited to see the Space Shuttle Enterprise and the Blackbird for some crazy reason so we trekked off on a Saturday morning for Chantilly. I was pleasantly surprised that there were some exhibits that I found interesting as well. We didn't realize the Enola Gay was at this museum - I didn't even realize that Fat Man and Little Boy were dropped by two different planes. I thought that I had seen the Enola Gay when I was at the Dayton USAF museum. Thanks to this museum I've been educated and realize what I saw there was the Bockscar!
The hangar layout of the museum made it feel much more spacious than the downtown museum. The only crowded part was where there was a HUGE line to go up in the traffic control tower so you might want to come early for that, we decided to pass on it.
Everyone else has already mentioned the $12 parking...but I read in a travel guide that there's supposed to be some sort of reduced cost shuttle to downtown DC but I think it might have been discontinued since I couldn't find anything about it on their website.
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Even more wow factor than the museum on the mall. My mouth is generally agape for my entire visit whenever I come. I love the beauty and engineering of these plane and to see them in person makes my heart skip a beat. This place is pure spectical and worth a spot on any trip to washington, or for the jaded local.
even after multiple visits here i can forget about the pricey parking and long drive as soon as I see that Mustang hanging at the entrance to the hanger.
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Sister museum complimenting the National Air and Space Museum. A must see for flight enthusiasts. Wonderful history here with orignal planes in flying condition.
You can stand under the Enola Gay, the airplane that dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima. Ponder what it was like and think of the history change due to this one airplane.
The museum is between two active runways at Dulles Airport so you can see modern planes land and take off. Also, there is a level to see how the FAA operates and controls the planes.
The planes, however, are the main attraction. From early flight, through all the wars, the planes are there. Incredible collection of WWII German and Japanese fighters and bombers.
SR-71 spy plane along with space shuttle test vehicle.
Many areas with hands on for adults and kids. Also, has an IMAX theater with great flying films.
Highly recommended for a visit. Plan for at least 3 hours to do it justice.
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When I lived in DC a decade ago this was being built as the storage place for the Enola Gay. I didn't realize that the museum would end up being far more than that. It is amazing that the Smithsonian has just so much air and space stuff to display that they can fill an entire second museum. Overall, this museum is very well done and it is worth the trip (even out on a weekend day from DC). And no huge crowds like the downtown Air and Space museum!
Highlights: The Concorde, SR-71, Enterprise (wow!), Enola Gay, huge array of Allied and Axis WWII planes including German stealth planes and a kamakazi plane.
Criticism: Maybe it is just because I still think of this place as the storage site for the Enola Gay, but I would have liked for it to have its own space, a bit removed from the other planes (there is a lot of putting planes right above/below/next to each other in the displays) because it warrants some private space for reflection. They have the room here to give it a separate display.
Put the Udvar-Hazy on the To Do list! Even if you are sick to death of the original Air and Space museum. There's a lot of different stuff to see here.
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Most creative exhibit choice: Astronaut Barbies, Flash Gordon and Star Wars action figs, Space Patrol lunch boxes and other kid stuff.
Most amusing: model of the UFO used in making Close Encounters, which has all kinds of little gag figures that didn't show in the movie.
Most impressive: the space shuttle and other real astronaut apparatus. And the Concorde. And the Enola Gay. And the rest of the World War Ii planes. And... And... And...
Most wonderful: the whole museum.
Only drawback: the restaurant is one under-sized MacDonalds :-c
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Tired of the same old Smithsonian Museums? Seen the lunar command module and the Spirit of St. Louis so many times that they're no longer interesting? Then take a drive to this recent annex of the National Air and Space Museum and enjoy.
Admission is free as per all Smithsonian Museums, but it's $12 to get into the parking lot. I didn't mind because I was with two others, so it's basically $4 for a new experience. This building is primarily a huge hangar, and it's breathtaking how many huge planes there are. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, fastest jet ever made (except for top-secret military prototypes), is on display, as well as the Enola Gay (plane that bombed Hiroshima), one of the last Concorde jets and the space shuttle Enterprise (practice shuttle, never actually flew).
Aside from that, you can see all sorts of military aircraft, older aircraft, helicopters, artifacts from various historical eras, models, and interactive displays that let you have a 360 view (through Quicktime VR) of the inside of numerous airplane cockpits. Personally, however, my favorite moment was finding one of the R2-D2 models in a corner of the space wing. It was just really cute.
If that's not enough, there's a McCafe in the building that sells decent coffee and cafe pastries and sandwiches. I had just seen a Travel Channel special on unique McDonald's locations that included the McCafe in Montreal, so I had to stop by. I wound up eating just traditional fare from the McDonald's menu and kitchen across the room, but my companions each had coffee. Warning for the frugal: the price of pretty much all the food is marked up, as you would normally expect at museums.
Check this location out if you have the time. I am definitely going back the next vacation around because I did not get a chance to ascend to the observation deck on the tower. Also, I probably skipped over a few planes and exhibits here and there even after 3 hours.
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Outstanding aviation museum near Dulles airport! I've stopped here several times while on trips to DC. Definitely a must see if you are into aviation or are curious about aviation history! Clean, well laid out, and inexpensive.
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I had been wanting to go here since it opened and finally got to go this last Friday. I spent about five hours here and could have spent more time. They have so much space here to display things they can't on the national mall and they do an outstanding job of it. There is really something here for everyone. There is so much history here on so many different levels it just boggles the mind and nothing here is more than around 100 years old. It really is a monument to the struggles and triumphs of the 20th century. They really know how to put an exhibit together here and maximize your experience. I especially liked seeing the displays on the Berlin Air lift, the propaganda rockets and leaflets from Vietnam, and the beautifully displayed satellites . Don't miss the memorabilia area with paramount studios close encounters mother ship model, Buck Rodgers toys, and astronaut barbi dolls either! I want to go back here again. I still have lots to explore. I could spend days here.
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This extension to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, has a wonderful collection of aeronautical and aerospace exhibits. Since it's on the outskirts of the DC metro area, they have lots of space to fill. The preponderance of exhibits are skewed toward aviation, but there is the Enterprise Space Shuttle and an SR-71 Blackbird inside (just to give you an idea of how big the place is).
The museum admission is free (as with most of the Smithsonians), but there is a hefty fee for parking (that's where they get ya) and no where to park within walking distance without parking onsite.
Wanna see a real Space Shuttle up close? It's much bigger than it looks on TV. Wanna see the Enola Gay, dropper of atomic bombs? How about the Concorde, maybe small open air helicopters are more your speed. Maybe you'd like an observation tower where you can watch planes landing at Dulles. A collection of models and space toys, including a model of the mother ship from Close Encounters interest you? Take a drive out to Chantilly, right near Dulles and check out the National Air and Space Museum, part deux. I would have given it 5 stars, but for two things - 1. you can't go in any of the planes; 2. McDonald's is the only food option without leaving the premises.
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When it comes to seeing history first hand, there is nothing that compares to the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. I visited the center about two months ago when looking for something to do in the area and didn't fully know what to expect. I knew that the B-29 Superfortress the "Enola Gay" (the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima, Aug 6, 1945) was housed there and was very excited to get to see it first hand, but I didn't quite grasp the breadth of the exhibits until I set foot in the hangar.
Most people come to this museum expecting to see the big sights and often overlook some of the less famous but very impressive pieces that are housed in the Smithsonian's collection at the annex. Not only are the Enola Gay, Enterprise, the last flown Concord, and an SR-71 Blackbird there, but they also have several of the Nazi-era Horten experimental airframes such as the HO 229A and several other test and production frames. Accompanying the other axis power airframes is the only surviving type 22 "Okha" (Cherry Blossom) human-guided missile, a weapon Kamikaze pilots were to pilot to their targets.
As a history buff, the Udvar-Hazy center appeals to me much more than the generic exhibits of the Air and Space Museum on the National Mall. The gigantic hanger allows you to see all of these beautiful marvels of engineering from any angle and without feeling overly crowded by school-kids and tour groups. The only issue some people take with it is the parking, which costs $12 . Unfortunately, like Dulles International Airport and the toll-road bearing the same name, the Udvar Hazy center is located on private land and the parking proceeds go to pay the land owners rather than to the museum itself. Make sure you eat before you go as there is only a MacDonald's there at the center. Most importantly, bring your camera and your sense of wonder. The Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy center houses so many one-of-a-kind airframes and so many amazing exhibits and peripherals that you'll want to spend all day just wandering around it's aisles communing with these metallic wonders of grace and power. If you have to choose between the Udvar-Hazy center and the Air and Space Museum on the National Mall, take the time and pay the $12 parking fee. The sheer amount of history under one roof is worth your while.
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OK, so they did get us with the parking. But we enjoyed the museum immensely. The Space Shuttle Enterprise, the Enola Gay, the Concorde, a stealth bomber - all very cool! It is a drive to get down there (it's next to Dulles Airport). But do check out the observation deck. Not only is a great view of the area but also great to watch the planes land as if you were an air traffic controller.
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The Udvar-Hazy Center is one of the coolest museums around. I'm not a "plane" person at all, but I was completely enthralled by the huge collection of pieces documenting aviation history, from ancient looking wooden planes to a Concorde jet. Highlights are the SR-71 Stealth plane and the Space Shuttle Enterprise, but a lot of the little planes are equally cool and well worth a look. The facility is huge--think about how much space it must take to house one large plane, multiplied by about 50. There are plans for expansion in the works, so it will only get bigger and better.
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We went here while my Mini was getting a 4-HOUR oil change (see my review of THAT). I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a plane-person, either, but this place was really cool. This is a great place to take kids (as well as adults), and we can't wait until our 7-month old can appreciate this place. One of the coolest things they have, I think, is the model of the Mother-ship from the movie Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind. It's this model that was made from all sorts of stuff, and it looks enormous in the movie, with all of the special effects. The funny thing is, the model builders just threw on all sorts of crap that you can totally see when you look at it up close. Stuff like, a mailbox, a tiny R2-D2, tiny planes, etc. The one thing that sucks about this museum is the food options (or lack there-of). OF COURSE they have a McDonald's there, and then a tiny little "McCafe". There is nothing vegetarian to eat there except sweet stuff at the McCafe (pound cake, blueberry muffins, etc.). Not a sandwich or anything. So if you plan to eat lunch there, fellow veggies, bring it yourself. Other than that, this place rocks.
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this museum is so cool... everyone else already highlighted the good stuff. best visited when having a long wait for a flight at dulles. our friend had to drop us off at the airport around 8am, so we took a taxi for about $15 (NOT $8-$12 per their website) to get there right at the 10 am opening. there is a 50 cent shuttle provided by VRTA, but the first bus doesn't arrive at the museum until 10:45. there weren't many people on a monday morning. we spent about 2 hours looking at the planes and covered everything we wanted to see. then we waited for the shuttle for nearly an hour! (this should translate into a one star for VRTA.) some how we missed it, even though we were 10 minutes early at the stop, and there was like zero competing traffic to confuse us. no idea what happened to it, but we made it back in time for our flight.
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