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The Museum of Flight
Category: Arts & Entertainment Museums Museums
9404 East Marginal Way SSeattle, WA 98108
(206) 764-5720
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
132 reviews for The Museum of Flight
Review Highlights
"We were able to tour Air Force One and the Concorde."
(in 47 reviews)
"The WWI and WWII section was by far my favorite."
(in 16 reviews)
"World War II exhibit--cuz there's weapons and stuff."
(in 5 reviews)
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132 reviews in English
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Review from Stephen R.
Houston, TX
1/8/2012 17 photos
The Museum of Flight = Awesome!
Why is it awesome? Well, to start off there is....
The T.A. Wilson Great Gallery, which houses many retired aircraft and a few flight simulators. Most interesting is the Lockheed M-21 Blackbird. It's an early variant of the SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest manned airplane ever built. (over 2000mph!) Marvel Comics based the design of the jet from X-men off of this airplane. I'm sure you knew that though, right? You can also sit in the cockpits of a few airplanes.
The Bill and Moya Lear Gallery focuses on space exploration. One of the most interesting displays here is a full size International Space Station research lab. Stepping inside I was amazed at how much was crammed into a small space. No gravity on the space station so the research lab doesn't need a floor (or ceiling). So 4 "walls" of usable space. A museum employee happened to be in the research lab and gave a detailed explanation and also pointed out a small window on the "floor." The space station has a video camera pointed towards earth that records as it orbits the planet. The window was actually a video screen that displayed a recording. While on the research lab, we were flying past the Virginia coast and out over the Atlantic Ocean. Probably the closest I'll get to space... hopefully not.
Right beside each other and across a bridge from the main museum building are the Space Gallery and Airpark. As of now there is not much in the Space Gallery, but it will be soon home to a NASA space shuttle trainer. Apparently the good thing about getting a trainer as opposed to one of the retired shuttles is that you'll be able to walk through the trainer. There was an outline of the shuttle on the floor of the gallery. I never realized how huge the shuttles are. Outside in the Airpark, there are numerous retired aircraft. There is the first Boeing 747 built, the first 737, the first 727, and a Lockheed Super-G Constellation. Maybe more interesting (especially since you can walk through them), are a British Airways Concorde and the first jet Air Force One.
The Concorde reached speeds of over 1300 mph. The typical speed for the non Concorde aircraft that we are all used to is 500-600mph. With the Concorde, flights from New York to London took a little less than 3 hours. (a normal flight takes around 7 hours!) Since the Concorde is retired, it was very cool to be able to walk through it. Actually, even if it wasn't retired, I probably would have never had a chance to fly on it anyway. Next to the Concorde is the first jet Air Force One. Have you ever wanted to know how past presidents traveled? Well, you can here. Big lavatories, multiple kitchens, communication center, meeting rooms, leather seats, and a secretaries desk complete with old an type writer. There is even a doggie door leading to one of the rooms. Who knew that Air Force One had a doggie door?
Two other exhibits are the William E. Boeing Red Barn and the J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing. The Red Barn has displays on the history of flight and of Boeing. The building is actually the original manufacturing building of Boeing. The Personal Courage Wing has WWI and WWII exhibits. The WWI and WWII exhibits are very large and are each contained on their own floor.
The Museum of Flight is such an awesome place. With the space shuttle trainer arriving soon, it will be even better. Anyone with even the slightest interest in air and space must visit this museum!Listed in: Seeing The Wild Blue Yonder
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Review from romeo s.
Kenmore, WA
1/30/2012
I brought the kids to the museum for the very first time on Sat. Jan. 28th, 2012.
There was one (1) Docent that was like a NAZI when it came to accessing the "paid" portion of the exhibits. I was abruptly told that this area is for "paid access" as I hastily entered the area. I was carrying my kids jackets on my left arm and the NAZI thought I was trying to sneak by as I quickly followed my son into an exhibit. After I showed the paper band to the stuttering man sitting dead center of the isle he backed off. There was another NAZI that commented to my Son that he was pressing the exhibit buttons to hard. Give me a break. If a 7 year old can break your exhibit button, the exhibit needs to be designed to be more durable.
The place is superb when it comes to the static displays.
The staff on the other hand needs to be retrained on how to approach the public.
Ive been to the Huntington Library, the Getty, The Science Museum in LA and have never been approached by DOCENTS so annoying.
The cafe is managed by McCormick & Schmiidts. I expected better food from an establishment. Microwaving food and serving it is terrible.
You can't tell me that the placed is not for children in mind, 90 percent of the gift shop is filled with toys from China.
There's a reason this location did not win a Space Shuttle, the staff here does not know how to approach people. Someone here goofed up the pitching session to NASA. Enjoy, the simulator. -
Review from Justin C.
Honolulu, HI
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good simulators.
Great visualizations.
Great planes. -
Review from Jamie A.
Olympia, WA
2/7/2012
Absolutely stunning. It was well put together and so fascinating. I am far from being a fan of planes but was intrigued once we started going through the exhibits. It was part of our City Pass package and was well worth the trip.
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Review from Megan E.
Boston, MA
12/17/2011
What an awesome museum!
Not only do you get to board actual airplanes-one being Air Force One-but you can do a crazy awesome flight simulator. Although this does cost extra, it's so worth it. For 5 minutes you and your co-pilot get to spin and turn in all sorts of different directions while shooting down enemy planes. I think we spent about half the time upside down. This was certainly the highlight.
They also have a great WWI and WWII exhibit. My favorite was the featured women in WWII exhibit, which was really interesting and well done.
I only wish we had more time to spend going through the museum. -
Review from Amanda M.
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've always been a fan of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, which is probably my favorite of the Smithsonian museums. Seattle's Museum of Flight is right up there, though, giving the Smithsonian a run for its money! Make sure you budget a good chunk of time if you want to appreciate all the galleries and check out Air Force One and the Concorde in the outdoor Air Park. The new space hall will soon house the shuttle simulator, which will be the only shuttle on display that visitors can actually walk through. We only had two hours to spend in the museum, which left us rushing through the WWII exhibit and we didn't even make it to the WWI section. Any engineer friends will probably love the technical descriptions and the rest of us can enjoy all the visuals (I say this because I went with two mechanical engineers who pored over every bit of written info while I just liked looking at the planes, but hey! still fun!).
At $16 for adult general admission, it's not exactly cheap, but I'd argue it's some of the best value for educational entertainment you can find under $20. Definitely worth a visit next time you have a free afternoon or some out-of-towners to entertain! -
Review from Justin H.
10/26/2011
I really like and enjoy this museum. I have been to several and this is one of my favorites. I am not even really all that into aviation and yet I still have a great time.
I gave this place five stars because they focus on one subject (aviation) but they offer soooo many different exhibits to look through. Easily a place to spend a greater part of the day at.
They do an awesome job of explaining the impact that this area has had in the aviation world and a lot of their exhibits are interactive. I suggest this place to anyone who likes to learn, heck even to people who want to just pass time. -
Review from Trisha F.
9/23/2011 1 photo
This place is def worth a visit. Like other reviewers have mentioned, it is a huge place, and there is a fair amount of reading and just looking, so kids under 8 or so are probably not in it for the long haul.
I feel like our 2+ hours here only scratched the surface. I'd love to go back without kids and take the time to fully experience all of the different rooms, take in a movie on the Mars Rover or Hubble.
Parking is free and the cafe is overpriced, but I probably don't need to point that out, since that is the case at every tourist trap.
Make sure to head outside and over the Boeing Access Road for a climb on tour of an old Air Force One and a British Airways plane. Other highlights are the kids play area w/ hang gliding experience, the shuttle landing simulator, and aerocar exhibit. -
Review from Michael M.
Seattle, WA
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Everyone please visit here at least once!!!!
Personally, I love airplanes so I felt like I was FLYING in heaven (haha get it? Lame...) But seriously, this place is worth seeing whether you like planes or not. You'll get a chance to see the older type planes where it all started, fighter planes with mock missiles on them, and everything in between. And of course the featured attractions: the SR-71 blackbird, Concord, and Air Force One (actually it VC-25A when the president isn't on board!).
There are simulators available for an extra fee that will allow you to experience the fun parts of flight like barrel rolls and flips! There are all kinds of exhibits to take part of.
As an aircraft enthusiast, please take a day or at least a couple hours to explore and take it in. Did I mention that IT'S FREE ON THE FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH?! Yeah, no excuses. Get over there! -
Review from Nick L.
San Francisco, CA
10/21/2011
A little on the pricier side but an interesting stop.
First visit to Seattle included a stop here to have a gander.
Pretty interesting. Plenty to see and quite interactive. Good for kids I'd say.
I am ambivalent when it comes to planes so it will take something a little more out of the ordinary to peak my interest. This place did it.
A worthwhile visit. -
Review from Erika C.
9/12/2011
This was a cool museum. I got my face-in-hole astronaut profile pic here. Any place with face-in-hole photo ops gets four stars from me.
The retro planes were very cool too. People used to dress up in Sunday best to fly. Now people go in pajamas.
They had a flight simulator contraption that looked like a sex swing. Just sayin'. -
Review from Sarah M.
7/7/2011
I really can't complain because I came here for free. On the first Thursday of every month, admission is free...and while we were like vultures trying to find a parking spot for about 30 minutes, we finally snagged one.
This place is deceptively huge - I would give 5 stars alone for the number of exhibits and the numerous hands-on activities for children (and adults who think they're children). There's definitely something for everything...and even their cafe is pretty impressive. (I only had a water but they had a huge, fairly upscale looking selection.)
So...my main reasoning for giving this place 3 stars is because it smelled like BO and it was really distracting. Terrible reason to give a museum a lower rating but it was so bad that I had to step outside at times. I get that there were a ton of people crammed into a small space but it made me want to get in and get out. Also, there were so many hands on exhibits but things felt like they were a little dirty and grubby from the little kids touching everything. I guess that's the nature of a hands-on museum like this one but my inner germ-o-phobeness came out...and I'm usually not that bad about noticing this kind of thing.
Still, my husband who is a man-child enjoyed his time thoroughly...and I would still recommend this as a fun place to come. Believe it or not, I think I'd come back only on a paying day to try to avoid the massive, stinky crowds. -
Review from clint w.
5/28/2011
Huge! Plenty to see, plenty to do. Lots of nooks and crannies.
It has several private rooms for special events and a massive parking lot right out front. Expanded to have exhibits across the street, it has things for military, commercial and space buffs.
Nerdites will love it. (No comments, please.) -
Review from Misty L.
Seattle, WA
11/28/2011
I'm writing this review of the Museum as a venue for a wedding. My husband and I held our wedding here this last weekend. It was amazing. Having our dance floor underneath the SR-71 in the main gallery was absolutely priceless. The museum staff was great and really helpful. Our guests loved it and especially liked that they got free entrance to the museum during the day before the wedding.
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Review from Chyvonna T.
Puyallup, WA
7/31/2011
I enjoy coming here on rainy days when it's too cold to venture outdoors with my children but am feeling restless enough that SOMETHING must be done! This is just that kind of a museum.
The airplanes are cool. I like them. My kids like them. It's informative enough that I feel mentally stimulated but not so boring that my 3 y/o and 4 y/o want to whine.
The old Boeing factory is my fave part of this museum and I adore that so much has been kept to it's original state. The hardwood floors upstairs creek under your feet in a way that makes one feel nostalgic. My kids favor the WWII crash site and always get SUPER excited when entering the Space Travel exhibit.
This is a great museum for families and whats more awesome is that for a year membership for a family (that comes with 4 free non-family member guest passes) is only $75.00! After 2 visits from myself and both of my kiddos, it payed for itself. SWEET!Listed in: Museums
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Review from Devo S.
We came here a few years ago (maybe seven years ago) before a cruise out of Seattle to Alaska, and it was alright. I'd have to say that this is place is GREATLY improved now! I especially LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the WWI and WWII sections of the museum.
I highly recommend all to visit here if you're in the Seattle area...free parking (which is rare), easy to get to, admission is only $15pp but you can find $2 coupons on the ferries, and a nice little cafe with free refills on the sodas. This museum is a great addition to Seattle...go there if you can! -
Review from Euge R.
6/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Museum of Flight is more than just a museum about airplanes. I've been here 5 times in two years as I love airplanes but the museum shows world history and how air travel changed things from war to the expansion of technology and culture. The museum is located right next to Boeing's main money maker 737 single isle commercial airplane jet factory. Two 737's being built a month, what an incredible feat.
The main attraction of the museum is JFK/LBJ's Air Force One which you can board and view. Next to the 707 is the British Airways Concorde which at Mach 2.0 can get you to London from New York in a little over 2.5 hours. Not available for viewing but still shines the biggest and the brightest is the first Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet.
If your a history buff you'll love this museum, every time I see the P-51 Mustang I get goose bumps. -
Review from Christine Z.
Seattle, WA
5/9/2011 1 photo
Apparently, I have a thing for guys who are huge geeks for airplanes!
My last BF went nuts over this place when we first moved from San Francisco to Seattle. I'm actually surprised we never got a MofF membership because we were ALWAYS here.
My current BF is the biggest WWII nerd I have ever met. On one of our first dates, he took me to MofF and talked my ear off about each.and.every.damn.plane there! It was cute!
I could spend hours just sitting in the air traffic control room watching all the planes land in Boeing Field. It's pretty wicked! I enjoy walking through the Concorde and old Air Force One. It's fun walking through the museum to learn about the history of aircrafts and aviation, what went on during different wars & periods of time, and it's such an interactive place! There are several different planes that line the outside of the MofF, so you can get pretty close to a bunch of planes as you make your way up to the entrance.
The MofF is AWESOME! It's a great place for kids and adults, airplane geeks and non-geeks. So, if you're ever looking for something fun to do - head over to the MofF and unleash your inner 7 year old! You won't be disappointed! -
Review from Greg W.
Portland, OR
3/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Huge hanger doors creak open and streaks of light pierce the darkness. The mighty Blackbird, developed in complete secrecy, rolls out onto a forbidden place only known as Area 51.
As the pilot pushes the throttle forward, the huge Pratt & Whitney engines let out a deafening roar as the jet takes off and hurtles towards the stratosphere on full after-burner.
Mach one. Mach two. Mach three. This bird can from New York to London in two hours. So fast, nothing can shoot it down; invincibility gained through sustained, supersonic velocity.
Only the finest pilots were granted the privilege to fly the SR-71 Blackbird, but in the Museum Of Flight, you can not only view the bird close-up in all of it's preserved glory, you can also sit in a real SR-71 cockpit.
This museum not only features what was once the fastest aircraft in the world, you can also tour an actual Concorde, JFK's Air Force One, and a simulation of the International Space Station.
The Grand Gallery showcases the finest jets of their age, including a Wright Brothers replica, a Douglas DC-3, and a S-4 Phantom. In addition to this, separate World War One and World War Two galleries showcase examples of war craft (and their weapons) from their era.
One can easily spend a few hours in this museum - not even including a trip to the cafeteria. Beyond the well laid out informational displays, passionate volunteers roam the halls and are glad to answer any questions. Plenty of activities exist for the kids, including interactive flight and space simulators.
The only other aerospace museum that I've been to that compares is the Smithsonian. Anyone with a passion for mechanical flight should pay a visit. -
Review from Hope D.
4/29/2011
I'm well on my way to visiting every remaining Concorde on the planet!
I love the interactive ATC exhibit, too. -
Review from reyz a.
5/23/2011
From what movie is this from?
Slider: Goose, whose butt did you kiss to get in here anyway?
Goose: The list is long, but distinguished.
Slider: Yeah, well so is my Johnson.
OK, this review is not about Fresh Foie Gras Recipes by Gourmet Food...and "Goose" is really a Tomcat call sign from the movie Top Gun.
I've always loved planes, and I should have been a pilot instead of a desk jockey. However, this place is fun because an old engine cowling will be the closest I'll ever come to being a pilot. There are interactive displays, static displays and flight simulators. Not only that, the museum is right at the old Boeing field. You can even have some coffee or munchies and sit outside by the tarmac and watch I-5 traffic or air traffic. It may not be hysterical but it is historical. Since I'm a WW2 nerd, there are many planes from that era.
If you're into planes--this is a must; if you're not, it still may be interesting to see how planes and our aerospace industry changed our lives.
Fun place. -
Review from Matthew H.
Oxnard, CA
7/11/2011
Plus
1. Concorde and Airforce one
2. Lots of planes from different eras
3. Full motion flight simulators
4. Lots of parking
5. Easy to get to, it is right by SeaTac airport
Minus
1. $16 entry fee -
Review from Shy A.
1/31/2011
I can't believe that it has taken me so long to finally visit The Museum of Flight. Hands down my most favorite museum in Seattle and a hard contender for the #1 spot in my book. After months of talking about it, we finally went. You don't have to be a hardcore fan of aviation to enjoy this place, the sheer history and the richness of the displays are enough to keep you entertained for hours. I almost expected that I was going to walk in and just look at miniature displays of planes and wander through aimlessly reading boring plaques on the wall but this place is so much more hands-on and interactive. Some key things that stood out and are a MUST see:
Space: Exploring the New Frontier-Absolutely fascinating to see the history unfold from visionary rocketry, Sputnik to replicas of the Destiny space station. Fun displays of space food and the first space suits are also featured. There are a few displays that allows you to get hands on like landing lunar modules on the moon and landed a space shuttle back from a mission-both of which, I failed terribly at!
World War II Fighters-This exhibit was intriguing if not tugging at my heart strings a bit more. It's fair to say that someone in our lives was impacted by WWII, my grandfather was in the midst of it floating on a MV somewhere on the Pacific. I had a knot in my stomach walking into this exhibit but I suppose it was more from a sense of pride that he alongside such courageous men and women fought for a sense of right and liberty.
We also did the X-Pilot simulator which was a blast. I don't think we had any clue what we were doing and I failed a gunner but it was so much fun getting thrown around and spinning around. Not too shabby for $8 a pop...and if you want to go again each ticket drops to $5.
After spending a few hours in the main museum, we got wind that the airpark was closing shortly so we ran over to check it out. We were able to tour Air Force One and the Concorde. Both were pretty cool to see but I wished that the other planes were open to check out as well.
We could've spent hours here...literally. I would love to come back and spend more time really diving in. -
Review from Jintana L.
Washington, DC
4/25/2011 3 photos
Super fun and interactive! I never really cared much about the history of aircrafts and aviations but I still had a pretty good time looking through all the exhibits. How could you not be in awe when you're in a room with a ton of huge model planes hanging above you?!
There are flight siumlator rides where you could experience being a pilot for $8. I wanted to try it but there was a really long line when I went. I think my favorite exhibit was the WW1 & WW2 section which was off to the north side of the museum. Restorations of planes, details of each plane, war memorabilia and videos... amazing. -
Review from Lorrie M.
12/22/2010
I feel like I should be someone that would enjoy a place like this. After all, being a mechanical engineer practically screams the enjoyment of mechanical devices and achievements in motion.
Flight is a huge achievement in motion, so ... of course I had to come visit. I guess flying was never a huge interest of mine but for what this museum is, its a fantastic display and chronological history of all things flight based. They even have rare planes and decommissioned fast fliers for show that you can walk through.
The price is relatively cheap (although it is quite a ways from downtown if you don't have a car ...) for admissions and the whole place is a portal full of knowledge of things you want to know, don't want to know, didn't know you wanted to know and didn't care to know.
I recommend it if you have a family and if you have at least a rental. If you're a local, well you're pretty much obligated to check it out. Cool! -
Review from Norm G.
1/9/2011
I love airplanes, so it is no surprise that I love this museum! Wonderful displays of commercial and military aircraft, and a fairly decent flight simulator. I don't think my daughter and I succeeded in shooting down any bogeys, but we certainly had a good time executing multiple barrel rolls while we were attempting to do so! I just wish they had more realistic sound effects for the jet engines, rather than the generic Microsoft flight simulator sound.
The docents were these retired military men who were very friendly and knowledgeable. The place was laid out very nice, so that you can get some interesting photos of whatever type of aircraft suits your fancy.
It was cool to go into the original Boeing barn, and across the sky walk were some interesting static displays out on the tarmac. We were permitted to walk through an old military version of a Boeing 707, which had served presidents as Air Force One before the more modern 747 was adopted. We also got to walk through an old Concorde. The passenger cabin is very narrow, but it's amazing to think how fast this old bird could fly. It was also interesting to see all the old avionics on the flight deck, since newer aircraft all have the digital glass display screens.
In the area of the museum reserved for the exploration of space, my son and I played a bit with a simple simulator where we attempted to land the shuttle. My son did a pretty good job, but I managed to crash the darn thing nearly every time. Guess it's time to make way for the new generation! Even the cafe where we had lunch was not bad. All in all, a memorable experience, just about up there with the Air Force Museum in Ohio. I would definitely come back, and hang out here all day. If you love airplanes, you understand how that would be possible. If you don't, you must surely consider me to be insane! -
Review from Dennis W.
Pleasanton, CA
9/20/2011
Wonderful place to visit if you have any interest in aviation or aviation related topics.
I boarded Air Force One and a British Airways Concorde jet.
The WWI and WWI sections are also awesome. Worth the $16 admission charge!
A must see if you are in the Seattle area. -
Review from Kate S.
10/30/2010
Im not the biggest fan of airplanes. Or space travel. Even with these personal preferences I have to say I am ever more and more impressed with this museum.
The expansions they have put in since my first visit have been amazing. their WWI & WW2 exhibits are powerful and super informative. And even for a person not interested in aviation the old planes are super awesome!
The education systems in this museum are amazing --from their flight sims to their space simulations! I had no idea what a jem this museum was. I really wish I had opportunities like the ones this museum presents when I was a kid.
History, interactive exhibits, a cafe with decent food and the possible space shuttle makes this museum a place to visit!Listed in: Museums!
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Review from Andy A.
Bellevue, WA
9/29/2011
A must see every 6 months! Kind of like seeing the dr... but instead you are looking at planes!
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Review from Tim H.
Sunnyvale, CA
4/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
When your on Hwy 5 you can see this huge place from the freeway.
Being a huge airplane freak I love to just look at these magnificent designs of flight. In the building you will see WWII, Modern Jet Fighters and the cherry on the top the USA fastest spy plane; the SR71 blackbird with a test pod mounted on top. This is one impressive piece of engineering. Designed to fly faster, higher than any Russian missile or plane.
The Concorde is also on display. And Air Force One from the 70's. Lots of displays of Moon missions, the lunar rover and space suits on display.
The Boeing building is full of allot of old plane engines, the machinery used to make the parts of the planes are also on display.
There's a new building for the space shuttle, they will know if they get this in two weeks, Now the building is almost compete. I hope they get it I will be back to see this.
They have a cafe with OK food, and a gift shop. Great for the brats!
I say fly in and check it out! -
Review from Jim D.
Seattle, WA
3/26/2011
(Full disclosure - I worked in the gift shop during college)
The MoF is AWESOME. Ever since I was a little kid I've come here and had my mind blown. This is the perfect place to take little kids, grandparents, even teenagers are bound to be impressed (insomuch as they ever can be!) Coming here as a child was one of those rare "change-my-life" things which caused me to go to college and get a PhD.
There's nothing I can say that others haven't really. It's a massive museum with some of the coolest exhibits from much of Seattle's history. Plus, when else are you going to get into the Concord or Air Force 1 ?!
This is one of Seattle's greatest attractions; I hope they continue to expand and stay classy. It would be SO fitting if we got one of the Space Shuttles. Having been to air/space museums around the country, I can think of very few places which would do it justice.
Take you kids, or send them to the awesome day camps they have in the summer. You'll be thanking yourself when they're walking for college graduation.
[fun fact: I was waiting to review this to be my 100th review on Yelp] -
Review from Mary K.
Bay Area
3/4/2011
Beautiful, wonderful museum. This is what a museum should be! I thought it was comparable to some of the museums in London (though this museum is considerably better than the British War Museum for sure).
Overall space: this is a huge museum that has about 4 parts- WWI & WWII space, another room with a mix of planes, the barn with the history of Boeing, and across the street is the Airpark. There is a good sized store in the middle of the building by the entrance, with a cafe next to it. Tickets are $16 and well worth it.
the airpark contains Air Force One, Concorde, and some other planes I dont remember. You can walk inside the Air Force One and Concorde, but the other ones are closed off. They have multiple informational boards outside each plane regarding their history, measurements, and famous people who rode them. It looks like they were fixing up the Air Canada plane when I was there (Feb 10, 2011) so I hope I can see that next time I go again!
We spent about 3 hours in there and still didnt get to see everything. There was a small exhibit on flight attendent uniforms throughout the decades that I thought was really fun. -
Review from George C.
Seattle, WA
3/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Lot's of history.
Check this place out, it's pretty cool. -
Review from Hooria T.
1/10/2011
I'm not a huge museum person and really prefer art but when my Dad insisted that we visit the Museum of Flight I decided I'd be a good sport and go along. I think you could appreciate this place a lot more if you're a 7 year old boy or an ME but it's still pretty interesting even for the lay person.
Given that I'm more interested in astronomy, the moon travel part of the museum was the most interesting part to me. The flight stimulator for an additional $8 was pretty tempting. Unlike many other museums, this one is kid friendly with a whole section devoted to little ones.
Tips:
*If you're a local and want to check it out, the museum is free the first Thursday of every month after 5pm (they close at 9pm) -
Review from Amanda W.
Seattle, WA
8/16/2010
I really enjoyed the Museum of Flight. After living in Seattle for a few years anywhere that offers free parking and lots of it starts a visit off right. I'm not really big into airplanes, but I found this museum to be fascinating. I even considered having my wedding here 2 years ago. I really enjoy their shop as well. Last time I was here I got Astronaut Ice Cream. Which is just freeze dried ice cream, but still pretty cool in my book. Out of all the museums I drag my husband too this one is his favorite.
You can climb in a cockpit, look at the cool planes, they have a simulator, and they have a outdoor section where you can walk through Air Force One, Concorde and a few others.
Tips:
-Museum is free the first Thursday of every month AFTER 5pm
and they close at 9pm. Most days they are ONLY open until
5pm. (However, I have not attended out of fear of it being
overcrowded)
- Adult= $15
- Active military- $11 -
Review from Ed U.
Cue for William Shatner's self-important, pre-Priceline voice ..."SPACE ...The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission... To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before." ...cue for the heavenly choir with the 60's beat.
I think the original Star Trek theme is an appropriate opener to this review since the Museum of Flight has the somewhat mildewy feeling of a hangar from the mid-60's (indeed it opened in 1965). However, it represents an impressive collection of historic aircrafts that will likely give any flight freak or space geek a chubby. Granted, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in D.C. is the platinum standard, but the Museum of Flight should please anyone with even a passing interest in aviation.
The museum's Great Gallery suspends many of the showcase aircraft by cable in a visually arresting aerial display (see photos). There you can see WWII bombers and the Blackbird (which cruised at speeds over Mach 3), walk through a US Air 737, and even try to squeeze yourself in the cockpit of a Hornet fighter or in one of the fake-and-shake flight stimulators if you're willing to push a deserving child aside for your selfish juvenile fantasies. As someone who remembers Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon, I particularly enjoyed the sections and dark rooms devoted to space travel with all the familiar astronauts whose names I used to know by heart.
The Red Barn offers a fascinating, in-depth history of the Wright Brothers and the nearby Boeing Company. There's also a flight tower that looks over Boeing Field, but the dashboard displays are a bit on the inscrutable side to fully appreciate. A walk across the Memorial Bridge over Marginal Way leads you to the airpark where you can wait in line for a walk through one of the last remaining Concordes, or more interestingly, through a mid-century Air Force One, a 707 used by all the Presidents from Eisenhower to Nixon (see photos). The Presidential toilets are quite an awe-inspiring sight.
I'm sure Mr. Spock would even be impressed because all this aerial history is laid out so logically for families to enjoy. In fact, there are a number of educational programs aimed at curious children. Naturally there is quite a gift shop to peruse once you've exhausted the grounds. General admission is $15, a bargain for anyone aching to make one giant leap for mankind. By the way, its south-of-Seattle, middle-of-nowhere location makes it the ideal final stop on the way back to Seatac for your flight home.Listed in: Shiftless in Seattle
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Review from Lisa S.
6/18/2011
Although I'm not really interested in planes or flight, and even though I pretty much only came to appease the boyfriend, I had a good time. The planes and contraptions are fascinating, and they are also aesthetically pleasing. I took a lot of pictures since many of them had beautiful lines and designs.
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Review from Peter S.
11/24/2010
Fabulous facility right in our backyard!
I've been to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in DC, and I sincerely believe some of the exhibits at the Museum of Flight are done better than the Smithsonian. -
Review from Sparkely K.
Silicon Valley, CA
4/29/2010 3 photos
Back in 2007 I went to what I thought was this museum, however, it was not the right one, and I left town sorely disappointed. (I went to the one north of Seattle near the other Boeing plant.) I love commercial planes, and though the MoF has much for the WWI enthusiast, I was not disappointed.
After what can only be described as a harrowing ride on the #124 bus (the schedule said 30 minutes from Point A to Point B), with many of Seattle's Down-and-Out-Joe-Americans, I got off the bus (disinfected myself) and paid just a little bit of money for a few hours at the MoF. (Also, I used the AAA card and got a discount.)
Here are a few highlights:
*How flight began
*The planes of Boeing (big hit!!)
*Moon travel (very interesting!)
*The Tower - a smaller version of Air Traffic Control ("ATC") (MEGA hit!! -- I wanted to be one..."this is Sparkely at SFO ATC...proceed to 1,000 and in your descent turn 15 NW to runway one-niner...over)
*The Concorde and Air Force One open for walk-throughs
It didn't take me long to walk the entire place and had the "4-D" simulator been working I'd have taken a ride in that. It would have been so much better than the ride I took on the #124.
Oh, the reason I took the bus is that it would have cost $50 to rent a car for four hours. I'm much too frugal for that, and besides, the $50 went toward a pair of new shoes at Nordstrom. Shoes vs. Safety....hmmmm...tough call.
:) -
Review from Charlie P.
Richmond, CA
9/5/2010
Awesome museum!!! A must do when in Seattle. Pay the 8 extra bucks (on top of $15 admission fee) to do the flight simulator and do flips and rolls cause this baby can pull it off and it feels incredible.
Of course Air Force One is a must and so is the Concorde (both are full size and located across the street) but the SR71 Blackbird is the cockpit only which was a let down.
You can also do real flight tours in an open cockpit plane if the conditions are right but we had a cross winds issue so flights were canceled.
