Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is one of two museums that showcase the largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world.
When planning your DC vacation, don't forget to check out the area's diverse museum options, creating a custom trip with museums specializing in science, history and/or art.
Washington DC Museums
Marian Koshland Science Museum
Named after immunologist and molecular biologist Marian Koshland, this museum's interactive exhibits display the importance of science to national policy decision-making.
Exhibits
Infectious Disease: Evolving Challenges to Human Health
Global Warming Facts & Our Future
Wonders of Science
Putting DNA to Work
National Gallery of Art
Adjoined to the National Gallery Sculpture Garden, the National Gallery of Art boasts an extensive collection beginning with the 1937 donations from art collector Andrew W. Mellon. Mellon believed the U.S. should have a national museum and spent many years building his collection for that purpose. With a growing collection from various major donations, the Gallery also opened the Sculpture Garden to supplement the organization's research center, administration offices and library. The Gallery displays exhibits from assorted works of art and also has permanent installations. Examples of these include:
Past Exhibits
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
Homer, Eakins, and Bellows: American Paintings, 1870-1925
Strokes of Genius: Rembrandt's Prints and Drawings
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
This museum serves as a testament to the historical Holocaust along with stories of the victims and survivors, including one third of all European Jews, Gypsies, Slavic people, homosexuals and the handicapped. The main and permanent exhibit, The Holocaust, spans three floors and offers more than 900 artifacts and film footage taken at the time, organized into a narrative history beginning with the horror American soldiers found while liberating prisoners from concentration camps. Visitors will see a reconstruction of an Auschwitz barracks, prisoner uniforms, and experience the "Voices from Auschwitz" audio theater. The museum also displays special monthly exhibits and traveling exhibits.
Exhibits
Remember the Children: Daniel's Story
Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936
A Dangerous Lie: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum This museum is a center for the research, history, science, and technology of aviation and space flight. With a location at the
National Mall in DC and the Steven F.
Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, displays artifacts and plays movies in the Lockheed Martin and
Hazy Center IMAX theaters. The
Einstein Planetarium IMAX allows visitors to explore the stars and solar system.
Exhibits
America by Air
Milestones of Flight
Space Race
In Plane View
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Located on the
National Mall in DC, this museum is unparalleled in its research, collections, exhibits, and educational outreach programs. The museum has over 325,000 square feet of exhibition space, including dinosaur exhibits, displays of rare gemstones and educational facilities. The museum also houses the
Johnson IMAX Theater, where visitors can view 3D movies on various topics.
Exhibits
Butterflies & Plants: Partners in Evolution
The Lost Amazon
Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People
Sightseeing Tours That Stop By Washington DC Museums
Old Town Trolley Narrated Tour
The Old Town Trolley Narrated Tour offers hop-on / hop-off privileges, making it a great option for those that would like to visit the area museums at their own pace while still enjoying an encompassing tour of our nation's capital.
Museum Stops Along Tour
National Air & Space Museum, Museum of the American Indian, Museum of American History, Museum of Natural History, International Spy Museum
Open Top Double Decker Bus Sightseeing Tour
The Open Top Double Decker Bus Sightseeing Tour is another hop-on / hop-off tour option, this time experienced by Open Top Double Decker Bus.
Museum Stops Along Tour
National Museum of Natural History, National Air & Space Museum
All Day Washington, DC Interior Buildings Tour
This tour option is completely guided, offering an informative look inside some of Washington DC's museums, alongside an all-day look at the city itself.
Museums Visited Along Tour
American History Museum, National Air & Space Museum
Museums Seen Along Tour
Natural History Museum, Hirshhorn Museum
Two Day Grand Tour
If one day just isn't enough for you, the Two Day Grand Tour, as the name implies, offers two full days of exploring the city, and features a variety of popular museums along its itinerary.
Museums Visited Along Tour
American History Museum, National Air & Space Museum
Spy City Tour
The Spy City Tour offers an interesting and intriguing look into the espionage, double-crossings, and other "spy" related happenings in DC's history. And while the tour itself doesn't visit or pass by any museums, it does come with same-day VIP admission to the International Spy Museum!
Gettysburg Tour
The Gettysburg Tour presents an interesting look into the neighboring area of Gettysburg and the events that took place before, during and after the Battle of Gettysburg. And while visiting the area, you'll find a variety of museums that help to detail this unique time period in-depth.
Museums Featured at Gettysburg
American Civil War Museum, Lincoln Room Museum, Lincoln Train Museum, Orrtonna-Mr. Ed's Elephant Museum, Soldiers National Museum
