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Udvar-Hazy Center
All visitors to Washington DC National Mall are hereby cleared for short final to the Udvar-Hazy Center - often called Dulles Air and Space Museum adjacent to Dulles International. The cylindrical building is 10 stories tall and with hundreds of thousands of square feet, is perhaps the most complete aeronautical museum in the USA. The museum is home to hundreds of famous and intriguing air craft, space craft and special presentations that span the entire history of aviation.
Besides the massive aviation hangars loaded with historic airplanes and space ships, there is an IMAX “flight simulator” theater, food court and museum store. The exhibit includes more than 100 aircraft and 122 space artifacts on display, including the Space Shuttle Enterprise and the SR-71 Black Bird spy plane that was capable of flying in access of 2,000 mph.
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.
The French Concorde is also based there, as well as many interesting if less famous winged wonders. 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 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 Enterprise. 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.
The Dulles Air and Space Museum is open every day except Christmas from 10am to 5:30pm and admission is free, however there is a $15 parking fee. The address is 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, Virginia 20150.
Creative Freelance - lclifton@etcmail.com
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