Dulles Airport : Udvar-Hazy Center

If you find yourself with some spare time waiting for your connection at Dulles Airport, you may want to consider spending a few hours at the Steven F. Udvar- Hazy Center.  The Smithsonian Institute opened the Center, a companion facility to the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall, near Washington Dulles International Airport in December 2003.  Between the two locations, the Smithsonian now displays the largest aviation and space collection in the world.

I had never heard of this Udvar-Hazy guy, and after my visit had to find out who he was.  Turns out he’s the president and CEO of International Lease Finance Corp. (a major player in the commercial aircraft business), and the major donor to the Center.

The Center is full of displays, large and small, famous and relatively unknown.  Among the famous are:  the Enola Gay, the SR-71 Blackbird (my favorite display), an Air France Concorde, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise.  Also on view are a variety of experimental flying machines, ultra-light flyers, and military aircraft.

“Space” is represented, in addition to the space shuttle, by a variety of other spacecraft, rockets, and satellites, including the Gemini VII space capsule, a Redstone rocket, and the quarantine unit used for the returning crew of Apollo 11.

There are a variety of methods to use in seeing the Center.  I wandered through the exhibits with a friend, moving at a leisurely space, talking about the exhibits, spending time when something piqued our interest, and moving quickly through those areas that did not.  We spent a couple of hours at the Center, an adequate time for viewing everything.  The Center also offers docent-led tours, as well as a visitor’s center “flight plan” which maps out important displays and artifacts. 

The Center also has an IMAX theater, a flight simulator, and a 164-foot tall observation tower.  The tower provides a nice view of the surrounding areas, as well as a great location for watching take-offs and landings at Dulles.  There is also the requisite food service and museum store.

The Center is open daily (except Christmas Day) from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  There is no admission charge, although daily parking is $12.  There is a shuttle between the two Air and Space Museums, and between the Center and Dulles Airport.  Check for an updated schedule and fees, and driving directions.

 Photos courtesy of National Air and Space Museum.