National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport is the companion facility to the Museum on the National Mall. The building opened in December, 2003, and provides enough space for the Smithsonian to display the thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited on the National Mall. The two sites together showcase the largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world.

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 10-story-high trusses.
Credit: Photo by Carolyn Russo

The Center was named in honor of its major donor, and features the large Boeing Aviation Hangar in which aircraft are displayed on three levels. Visitors can walk among aircraft and small artifacts in display cases located on the floor, and view aircraft hanging from the arched ceiling on elevated skywalks. Many engines, helicopters, ultra-lights, and experimental flying machines are on display in a museum setting for the first time. Among the aviation artifacts on display are the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world; the Boeing Dash 80, the prototype of the 707; the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay; and the deHavilland Chipmunk aerobatic airplane.

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 in Chantilly, Va.
Credit: Photo by Mark Avino/National Air and Space Museum

The James S. McDonnell Space Hangar opened in November 2004 and displays hundreds of famous spacecraft, rockets, satellites and space-related small artifacts. The centerpiece of the space hangar is the Space Shuttle Discovery. Other space artifacts include the Gemini VII space capsule; the Mobile Quarantine Unit used upon the return of the Apollo 11 crew; and a Redstone rocket.

In addition, the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower provides an excellent location from which visitors can watch air traffic at Dulles Airport.

The Center also offers the Airbus IMAX Theater; flight simulators; food service; a museum store; free docent tours; daily educational programs; and school group tours and activities are available.

Evening view of the National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of Honor outside the entrance to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
Credit: Photo by Eric Long,
National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

A special feature of the Center is the National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of Honor. Situated along the entryway to the Center, the Wall of Honor is a permanent memorial to the thousands of people who have contributed to our aviation and space exploration heritage. Names of honorees are inscribed on the air-foil-shaped wall, which will continue to grow in the years to come. One name could be yours!

See the Timeline for a chronology and photos of all major events in the Center's history. For more facts and figures about the Udvar-Hazy Center, please see the Museum's press kit.

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