Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center — Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Airplanes are large and not easy for a museum to display properly. This museum gets it very, very right. It displays them in their natural habitat -- three massive airplane hangars.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center — Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is a marvel whether you're a little or a lot into the history of flight. You've got the Concorde, stealth bombers, and even drone displays alongside virtually every other type of aircraft imaginable -- some real and others replicas (e.g. the WWI planes).

Each installation is beautifully done with good signage and wonderful arrangement -- i.e. it's a two-level view of the hangar with many of them suspended from the ceiling as if in flight. And there's a ton of natural light that makes viewing the spectacle much easier than purely installed lighting.

The crowning jewel is the Space Shuttle Discovery that is absolutely breathtaking to see and learn more about. Again, sitting in a large hangar like all the others and beautifully arranged in the center of the center hangar, it cannot be understated how worthwhile of a trip this was.

The signage for each exhibit is strong but the getting around part was a bit clunky -- e.g. restrooms. And if you follow closely, there is a control tower overlooking the nearby Dulles Airport you can go a dozen or so stories up and to have a spectacular vantage points to watch actual nearby takeoffs/landings

Note: The Washington, DC version of the Air and Space museum is good (because all the Smithsonian exhibits across the musuems in the nation's capital are exquisitely curated). But it has nothing on this one.

The parking does cost a fee (~$15 IIRC) but entry is free -- so stuff your car with some folks and make the trip out there. The facilities were both ample and clean. And then they even have a Shake Shack, which I suppose is the official provider of burgers to airplane enthusiasts.

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