Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Two immense hangars place the Space Shuttle Discovery, an SR-71, Concorde, Enola Gay, satellites, engines, and restoration work at full physical scale.
Artwork inspired by Edward Beyer
The Udvar-Hazy Center makes aerospace history physically comprehensible by displaying aircraft and spacecraft whole inside two immense hangars. Elevated walkways expose wings, landing gear, engines, and heat shielding from unusual angles, allowing visitors to compare how machines built for speed, range, lift, or survival embody sharply different engineering decisions.
Begin above the collection to understand the hangars’ scale, then descend by theme rather than moving only between famous names. Discovery’s worn thermal tiles reward close attention, while experimental aircraft and the restoration hangar show how aerospace knowledge develops through testing, maintenance, and repair. These working details keep the landmark machines from becoming mere backdrops.
- Admission
- Free
- Anchor
- Space Shuttle Discovery
- Allow
- 3–5 hours
Quick guide
- First view
- Upper aviation overlook
- Save time
- Restoration hangar windows
Make the visit count
- Compare profiles
- Look from nose-on and side views to see how mission changes shape.
- Read the wear
- Heat tiles, rivets, repairs, and discoloration preserve operational history.
- Use the tower
- The observation tower connects museum flight to active Dulles traffic when open.
- Budget parking
- Admission is free, but the large on-site lot charges per vehicle.
Good to know
Security screening and school groups can slow entry. The building is vast, food options are limited, and the Smithsonian’s downtown Air and Space Museum is a separate site many miles away.
Notice these
- Space Shuttle Discovery
- SR-71 Blackbird
- Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar