WASHINGTON — The Air and Space Museum in D.C. is reopening this fall with eight new exhibits and they are expected to be out of this world.
The Smithsonian museum will open its doors for visitors on Oct. 14 and officials say that timed entry passes will now be required and that only half of the building will be open to the public. Reservations for the passes will open on Sep. 14 and more information on how to retrieve them will be accessible to the public in the next few weeks, according to officials.
WUSA9 reported in March that the Air and Space Museum would close for six months for renovations. The renovations being made are the largest to come since the museum’s 1976 opening.
The museum’s renovation started in 2018 and includes redesigning 23 exhibits and presentation spaces. The renovations are a seven-year project, according to a press release.
“This is one of the most exciting times in the National Air and Space Museum’s history,” said Chris Browne, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the museum. “When we open the first reimagined galleries, we hope all visitors are inspired by artifacts on display for the first time, favorite icons of aerospace presented in new ways and diverse storytelling.”
The eight new exhibits that will be featured are America by Air, Destination Moon, Early Flight, Kenneth Griffin Exploring the Planets Gallery, Nation of Speed, One World Connected, Thomas W. Haas We All Fly and Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age.
The American by Air exhibit will feature how the federal government contributed to the formation of the airline industry and the role technology plays in the innovation of air travel, according to the museum's website. The exhibit will also feature the Huff-Daland Duster and the Lincoln-Standard H.S.
The Destination Moon exhibit will feature the many resources that contributed to the ability to walk on the Moon. The Early Flight exhibit will explore the evolution of aircraft during the early years of its creation. Visit the Air and Space museum’s website for more information on what the exhibits plan to feature.