Photos: Dulles National Air and Space Museum

The National Air and Space Museum at Dulles houses a variety of aircraft and spacecraft exhibits. The museum is a part of the Smithsonian Institution and serves as a satellite location in Northern Virginia preserving and displaying artifacts that can not be exhibited in the Washington DC National Mall location.  The two sites together showcase the largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world. Both museums offer a wide range of programs and are among the top attractions in the region. At the Udvar-Hazy Center, visitors enjoy the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower which overlooks Washington Dulles International Airport. See the following photos and learn more about the artifacts on display at the museum.

For visiting information, see Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport.

The Concorde and the Boeing Dash 80 are surrounded by smaller aircraft on the south end of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in the Boeing Aviation Hangar near Chantilly, VA. Since it opened in conjunction with the nation’s Centennial of Flight in 2003, the center has expanded in all areas. The number of major artifacts on display, arranged in thematic sections has risen from 348 in 2003 to 3,250 today.

Visitors to the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center admire the Monocoupe 110 Special Little Butch and other aircraft hanging from the aviation hangar's 10-story-high trusses.

View inside the World War II section of the aviation hangar at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. This exhibit follows the evolution of aircraft used in World War II as demands on technology and efficiency increased. Featured aircraft include the Boeing B-29 Enola Gay, the aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and the Lockheed P-38J-10-LO Lightning.

The Space Shuttle Discovery is the centerpiece of the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The longest-serving orbiter, Discovery flew 39 times from 1984 through 2011. The shuttle also flew every type of mission and has a record of distinctions. 

A view of the cockpit of the sole surviving Boeing S-307 Stratoliner after the airplane arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on its last flight, Aug. 6, 2003. The plane was the first commercial transport aircraft to enter service with a pressurized cabin and to include a flight engineer as a crew member.

The Bell Model 47B is among others on display in the Vertical Flight exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The Bell H-13J was the first helicopter to carry a United States president.

Throughout the year, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center offers events and educational opportunities for all ages. Summer events can even bring the exhibits outdoors.