National Air and Space Museum

A Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C., dedicated to human flight and space exploration. Its main building on the National Mall opened in 1976.

The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., dedicated to human flight and space exploration. It was established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, and its main building opened on the National Mall in 1976.

Almost all of the aircraft and spacecraft on display are originals rather than copies. The collection includes the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis and the Wright brothers’ Wright Flyer. In 2023 the museum welcomed 3.1 million visitors.