National Air and Space Museum to Open Five New Galleries
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is preparing to unveil the next major phase of its extensive renovation project. On Monday, July 28, five newly reimagined galleries, the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater, and the museum’s redesigned entrance on Jefferson Drive will open to the public, marking another milestone in the museum’s comprehensive transformation.
Among the galleries opening this summer are “Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall,” “Futures in Space,” “Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight,” “World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation,” and the Allan and Shelley Holt Innovations Gallery. Each will showcase thousands of artifacts, including cherished icons such as the Spirit of St. Louis, John Glenn’s Mercury Friendship 7 capsule, the Apollo Lunar Module 2, and the touchable moon rock. New additions to the museum include a Sopwith F.1 Camel, Virgin Galactic’s RocketMotorTwo, a Blue Origin New Shepard crew capsule mockup, and a 1935 Goddard A series rocket.
Visitors require timed-entry passes, which will be available through the museum’s website beginning June 13. The museum remains free to the public and continues its daily operations from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding December 25.
The National Air and Space Museum began its extensive renovation in 2018, focusing on redesigning all 20 galleries, replacing outdated mechanical systems, and refacing the building’s exterior. The first phase opened in October 2022, debuting eight new galleries, the planetarium, the museum store, and the Mars Café. Since then, nearly 5 million visitors have explored the transformed spaces.
The project’s final phase is scheduled for completion on July 1, 2026, coinciding with the museum’s 50th anniversary in Washington and the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Future openings include galleries such as “Textron How Things Fly,” “At Home in Space,” “RTX Living in the Space Age Hall,” “Jay I. Kislak World War II in the Air,” “Modern Military Aviation,” “National Science Foundation Discovering Our Universe,” and the Flight and the Arts Center.
Visitors can explore the museum’s website at airandspace.si.edu for more information about the transformation and updates on timed-entry passes.
