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National Air and Space Museum
Flight and spaceflight on the National Mall
The National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall holds the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in the world and is among the most-visited museums in the country, drawing roughly 3.1 million visitors in 2024 across its Mall building and the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Its icons include the Wright brothers' 1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, and the Apollo 11 command module Columbia.
Opened in 1976, the Smithsonian museum traces the history of human flight from gliders to the Space Age. Its Mall building has undergone a major multi-year renovation, while the companion Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport houses larger craft including a Space Shuttle and an SR-71 Blackbird.