The Air & Space Museum is
one of the essential stops on a visit to Washington D.C. It is the most visited Museum in
the world for good reason, as exhibits like the Wright Brothers’ plane, the Apollo 11
command module, and IMAX movies never fail to captivate young and old alike.
The Air & Space Museum is the most visited museum in the world,
but the cavernous building accommodates the crowds nicely. One hardly notices how many
people are actually in the facility because most are engaged in viewing the exhibits that
are suspended from the ceiling. Exhibits include the "Wright Flyer"- the
original plane from Kitty Hawk, the X-1- the plane in which Chuck Yeager first broke the
sound barrier, and the X-15- the fastest plane ever built.
The current exhibit of "Business
Wings" doesn’t pack the punch of the other displays unless you’re looking
for the latest in corporate jets, but it hardly detracts from the museum as a whole. Kids
will want to check out the Langley Theater’s IMAX movies that are projected upon
five- story high screens or see one of the shows in the Einstein Planetarium. Either of
these activities will be a welcome break for parents, as on busy days the museum has few
unoccupied places to rest. The show in the planetarium is a bit dry, but the experience of
being in a planetarium makes up for it. Similarly, if you’ve never seen an IMAX movie
you should take this opportunity to check it out.
Kids will enjoy the Sky Lab back-up that
visitors can walk through as well as the actual Apollo 11 command module. There are over
fifty interactive stations where kids and adults can learn about flight, most housed in
the " How Things Fly" gallery.
AIR & SPACE MUSEUM
