Just Outside DC    The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center



Udvar-Hazy Overhead exhibit
Air France Concorde Space Shuttle Enterprise

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
is located in Fairfax County in Chantilly, Virginia.


Want to do something neat tomorrow ... head out to Dulles Airport and stand a few arm's lengths from a Space Shuttle ... an Air France Concorde ... a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird ... all housed within two huge aviation hangars. 		Space Shuttle Enterprise

Walk among the floor displays.

Use open-sided stairs, glass walled elevators, skywalks, and overhangs to get eye-level with the suspended aircraft.
View of plane landing at Dulles from Udvar-Hazy parking lot

The Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (red balloon Map location of Udvar-Hazy on the map) is near Route 28.
Click Hybrid to see road names overlaid on a satellite photo. Zoom in to find the Air and Space Museum Parkway leading into the Museum's parking lot. On this Parkway you will find yourself right under a flight path into Dulles Airport.

Parking fee: $12.00 per vehicle.

We have been told by the Museum's staff that the parking lots can become full, and when that occurs oversize vehicles are asked to park out on the back edge of the parking lot in the bus area.
Observation tower view of Udvar-Hazy parking lot and Dulles landing area
Photo is from Observation Tower looking at the Museum's parking lot (towards the Air and Space Museum Parkway). Field on left side of the Air and Space Museum Parkway contains a Dulles airport runway.
Plane passing above art piece Ascent       Museum is housed in the long silver aviation hangar behind the Observation Tower
The outdoor art piece "Ascent" — beautifully shining in the winter's bright morning sunlight.
In the right photo: the main Museum (long, huge aviation hanger) is behind the Donald D. Egen Observation Tower (tall structure with the dark glass observation area) and the IMAX Theater (round structure on right).

Below photos: Gradual steps and ramp style walkways lead up to the entry level into the museum. To drop off passenger(s) on same level as the museum doorway, there is a driveway up by the doors.
Immediately upon entering the building pocketbooks and packages will be searched by the guards.
ramp and stairs from parking lot to the museum       entrance into the museum
The information desk, IMAX theater, elevator to the Observation Tower, stairs and bathrooms are to the right of the guard area.
IMAX theater has features running throughout the day. A current released feature film is presented in the late afternoon.
ticket purchase area for IMAX theater       IMAX theater displays

Overhang view of museum exhibit Lockheed Blackbird The gift shop, eatery, stairs, and bathroom are to the left of the guard area. Food and drinks are not allowed in the exhibit areas.
Straight past the guards, there is an overhang viewing area.

This offers you a great place to get your bearings, see where the elevators and skywalks are and take in how enormous this collection is.

Look down to see the Lockeed SR-71 Blackbird and behind that is the 10-story high James S. McDonnel Space Hangar with the Space Shuttle Enterprise among space artifacts on display.
View of museum
No wheel chairs on ramps       View of steep ramps
This is a museum of walking as the exhibits are throughout the huge aviation hangars that are many football lengths in size and width. Hard seatings is available on the floor level. Wheel chairs are available, I would suggest to call and reserve one beforehand. Note wheel chairs are required to use elevators and are not allowed on the steep walkways provided between viewing levels.
Be sure to look up and above as you walk about (TDRSS satellite below). McDonnell Space Hangar overhead exhibit of TDRSS satellite

Click to view other photos taken at the Udvar-Hazy Center.
On previous visits to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, we had found the Observation Tower crowded with people. This day we arrived just as the Museum opened and went right up to the Observation Tower. What a treat, we had it all to ourselves. The views on this frosty crystal clear day were breathtaking.

To the west: the mountains of Bull Run and Catoctin (12 miles away), and the Blue Ridge (about 23 miles away).
North: Dulles Airport and Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland.
East and south: the nearby cities and towns of Fairfax County Virginia.

Near the elevator the Observation Tower offers an informative display explaining the airport, such as the markings on the runways and taxiways.
Observation Tower       View from Observation Tower
Arriving back down at earth level, exhausted from my height phobia, needing a break, we headed to the cafe. With a soda in hand from the fast food counter I looked about and found my husband at the other end of the cafe area browsing the display of desserts.
Eateries 		Eateries
With oversized cookies in hand we headed to beckoning leather lounge chairs. Seated in the comfortable chairs, looking through a wide expansion of tall windows, we munched away as plane after plane descended before us as they landed at Dulles. A nice relaxing break, so relaxing we chilled out and forgot to take a photo of this nice seating area.
Outside the museum: We did not see any picnic areas; it is mostly a concrete/asphalt world. Knowing this from previous visits we had already discussed three closeby places to visit.
Head southward on Route 28 to the inviting pathways and wooded pinic areas of the Sully Plantation.
Northwards on Route 28 to the 54-mile long Washington and Old Dominion Trail (doesn't offer a picnic area, but lots of leg room).

Click here to view a detailed map showing fast food eateries, pharmacy, grocery stores, and most importantly these three mentioned attractions to visit.


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