Dave and I finally made a trip to Chantilly to visit the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles International Airport. The center is an extension of the original National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall, which we really need to re-visit. Together, the two sites showcase the world’s largest collection of aviation and space artifacts.
The design showcases the museum’s artifacts. It is configured like an airport terminal housing: the main hangar, the space hangar, the restoration hangar and artifact storage. The exhibition space is 10 stories high and is as long as three football fields. An active runway allows planes to fly in and taxi directly to the museum.