National Air and Space Museum

About

The National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall holds the Smithsonian's collection of aircraft and spacecraft. Its newly transformed galleries fill much of the building, though part of the museum is still closed for renovation.

Planes hang from the ceilings of the big halls, and the galleries let you do more than look. You can walk on other planets in the space exhibits and climb inside real objects such as a Boeing 747 cockpit. Staff and volunteers run hands-on activity carts around the building. The Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater on the first floor and the Northrop Grumman Planetarium on the second floor sell tickets for shows at the box office, and the IMAX theater shows Hollywood films after hours.

Admission is free, but you need a free timed-entry pass, and groups of 10 or more reserve group passes. You can enter any time after the time on your pass, and arriving a little after the hour helps you skip the line. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and closed December 25. Everyone goes through security screening, so pack light, and lines can form outside on busy days.

The museum does not have parking and recommends public transit. The Mars Cafe on the lower level serves food, and outside food is not allowed, though bottled water is fine. The Welcome Center, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, is the place for maps and recommendations from staff and volunteers, and it also lends sensory bags. The museum's companion site, the Udvar-Hazy Center, is in Virginia.

Accessibility

The National Air and Space Museum is wheelchair accessible, and it offers a good range of services for visitors with sensory, vision and hearing needs.

The museum has no parking. A small number of accessible spaces are on Jefferson Drive across from the museum, and vehicles with disability tags or plates can park free at metered spaces along Independence Avenue SW; watch for time-of-day restrictions. The Jefferson Drive entrance, facing the Mall, has ramps on both the east and west sides of the entry vestibule.

Inside, multiple elevators serve all floors. All restrooms, stores, dining areas and water fountains are accessible. A limited number of standard and bariatric wheelchairs are loaned at the Security Desk, first come, first served. You can bring your own manual or power chair or scooter, but gasoline-powered devices are not allowed.

All multimedia in the museum has captions, and some audio pieces have induction loops, marked with a blue and white sign. For blind and low vision visitors, the free Aira app connects you to sighted agents for descriptions over the museum Wi-Fi, and with two weeks' notice you can book a sighted guide tour or a tactile Discovery Station. ASL is already provided at some programs, and interpretation for others can be requested.

For neurodivergent visitors, sensory bags with noise-reduction headphones and fidget toys are loaned at the Welcome Center, a social narrative is online, and Mornings at the Museum sensory-friendly programs run before opening on some weekends. Service animals are welcome. Call Visitor Services at (202) 633-2211 with questions.

Checked by Accessible America, September 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Washington, DC

• Smithsonian's National Zoo (Washington)
• National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington)
• National Museum of Natural History (Washington)
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (Washington)
• Washington Monument (Washington)
• Lincoln Memorial (Washington)

Photo credits

• Historic airliners and small planes hang beneath the glass roof of a museum hall.: DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• Visitors, including a wheelchair user, gather on the wide plaza outside the museum entrance.: DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• A full-size Wright brothers' flyer on display in a dimly lit gallery.: DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)