Author
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Topic: Visiting Air and Space Museum's two locations
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MrSpace86 Member Posts: 1618 From: Gardner, KS, USA Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 05-21-2009 09:09 PM
When visiting the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) and to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: - How much time should one allocate for each building?
- Is there transportation from NASM to Udvar-Hazy? If so, how long does it take to get there?
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dtemple Member Posts: 729 From: Longview, Texas, USA Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 05-21-2009 09:21 PM
I suggest you allow about 4 to 4.5 hours for the NASM in DC. There is just so much to see there. You can probably expect to spend about as much time at Udvar-Hazy Center, though I have not been through it yet. |
mikej Member Posts: 481 From: Germantown, WI USA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 05-21-2009 10:17 PM
NASM originally ran a shuttle between the two museums (quoting a drive time of 45 minutes to an hour), but discontinued this service due to "scant ridership and mounting expenses."There are public transportation options, but NASM notes that "there is no direct MetroRail or MetroBus service to the Udvar-Hazy Center." |
ilbasso Member Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 05-21-2009 10:35 PM
You can take the Metro to National Airport, take a shuttle from there to Dulles Airport, and then take a shuttle or cab from Dulles to Udvar-Hazy. I'd allow a couple of hours in transit if you take that combination of transport.Even though Udvar-Hazy is physically large, the actual number of items on exhibit is relatively small (because almost all the items are full-sized aircraft and spacecraft!). You can see everything in 2 hours or less. |
Rizz Member Posts: 1208 From: Upcountry, Maui, Hawaii Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 05-22-2009 02:32 PM
If we had an opportunity to visit the NASM or the Udvar-Hazy, which would appeal more to kids? We may only have enough time to visit one, and not both. Any thoughts? |
mikej Member Posts: 481 From: Germantown, WI USA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 05-22-2009 05:55 PM
If you have time for only one, I'd go for NASM: It's on the Mall, which is near numerous other D.C. sights (as well as other Smithsonian museums). It also has a lot more "big ticket" items: Wright Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, X-15, manned Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, LM-2, etc. |
ilbasso Member Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 05-22-2009 07:46 PM
Agree. There are also far more interactive exhibits in the NASM on the Mall that would appeal to kids. However, it is hard to beat the impressive size of the space shuttle when you see it up close and personal! |
mdmyer Member Posts: 900 From: Humboldt KS USA Registered: Dec 2003
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posted 06-11-2011 12:50 PM
So is it better to drive to the Udvar-Hazy Center? We will be visiting D.C. in a couple of weeks and we want to go to the Udvar-Hazy Center. We will have our own car so driving should not be a problem. We will be staying in downtown D.C. |
ilbasso Member Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 06-11-2011 04:54 PM
Driving is definitely the way to go. |
mdmyer Member Posts: 900 From: Humboldt KS USA Registered: Dec 2003
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posted 06-11-2011 07:48 PM
Thanks, I may just try to plan on arriving in D.C. that morning and touring the Udvar-Hazy Center then go to the hotel. I am looking forward to seeing the National Air and Space Museum again and the Udvar-Hazy Center for the first time. |
Fezman92 Member Posts: 1031 From: New Jersey, USA Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 07-12-2011 11:20 AM
I am going down to the National Air and Space Museum. I've never driven in DC before and have concerns about parking. Are there any free parking areas in the National Mall area? Thanks! |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-12-2011 11:24 AM
I would suggest, if possible, choosing a Metro station in Maryland or Virginia (as convenient), parking there and riding in (take the Metro to the L'Enfant Plaza station, which is just a block away from the National Air and Space Museum). You'll still need to pay for parking at the station, but it will be less expensive than the parking garages in DC. Your other option is to find a spot on the street and feed the meter, but those can be hard to come by. |
thump Member Posts: 575 From: washington dc usa Registered: May 2004
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posted 07-12-2011 01:14 PM
If you do go the route of parking at a Metro station, keep in mind that you will need to pay (for the most part) using a Smartrip card, only limited stations have metered parking, or will accept credit cards...
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MarylandSpace Member Posts: 1337 From: Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 07-12-2011 01:23 PM
For a day at the National Air and Space Museum, I currently ride the Metro to the L'Enfant Station (I think).I used to park at one of the parking garages about one block west of the museum for about $10 to $15 but the stress of DC and I-395 driving, especially in the 4-7 p.m. time period, convinced me to take the Metro and relax both ways. You now need to purchase a plastic debit card (SMARTCARD) at the Metro Station for both riding and parking. For evening lectures at the museum, I park outside of the museum for free after 6:30 p.m. |
MarylandSpace Member Posts: 1337 From: Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 03-04-2012 01:58 PM
There is an underground parking garage across from the Holiday Inn about one block west of the west entrance of NASM.It may cost about $15 for all day. |
ilbasso Member Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 03-04-2012 02:01 PM
If you arrive right at 10:00 or a few minutes before, you can park for free along Jefferson Drive right in front of the museum, or at Madison Drive next to the National Gallery of Art. That street parking fills up quickly, though. The Park Police also patrol it to keep people from loitering around until 10 a.m. Once, I arrived at 9:55 and was sitting in my car in the spot I intended to occupy when the museum opened at 10. A Park Policeman shrieked his siren at me and made me circle the block. Luckily, there was still a spot on the street when I returned.There is on-street parking along 3rd Street and Independence Avenue between 10:00 and 4:00; meters cost $2 per hour and you're limited to 1 or 2 hours depending on location. There are several garages to the south of the NASM, which may be your best bet if you'll be there all day. Cost ranges to $20 for a full day, but can be less if you arrive before 9 and don't mind killing time for an hour before the museums open. |
vamanboatin Member Posts: 214 From: Vienna, VA Registered: Mar 2004
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posted 03-04-2012 02:20 PM
Don't forget to visit the Udvr Hazy Center in Virginia. It is only 25 minutes from DC. It is located on the grounds of Dulles International Airport. There is always plenty of parking. A $15 parking fee covers admission for all in the vehicle. With Enterprise, Jim Irwin's Lunar EVA suit a SR-71 and lots more it is a must do activity. |
micropooz Member Posts: 1512 From: Washington, DC, USA Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 03-04-2012 02:21 PM
If you go on a Sunday, street parking in DC is free! |
FFrench Member Posts: 3161 From: San Diego Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-04-2012 02:55 PM
Much like London, if you can leave your vehicle and take the subway, you might find it a better experience. The middle of the city is designed very nicely for subway stops and walking, not so much for parking.Having said that, I've had great luck on Sundays, parking right next to the White House and other central locations. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-23-2014 10:24 PM
National Air and Space Museum release Metro Silver Line and Fairfax Connector Service will link National Air and Space Museum's two locationsFirst time public transportation will connect Smithsonian museums The establishment of Metrorail's Silver Line, coupled with the new Fairfax Connector bus service, will provide public transportation between the National Air and Space Museum's two locations on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and in Chantilly, Va. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the museum's Virginia location, will now be served by regular, frequent bus transportation that will also include Washington Dulles International Airport and other Virginia locations. Fairfax Connector Route 983, supported by Fairfax County, will start in conjunction with the Silver Line launch, Saturday, July 26. Buses will run every 20 minutes, seven days a week, from Metro's Wiehle-Reston East Station to the front door of the Udvar-Hazy Center. View full route here. The Metro Silver Line stop closest to the museum's Washington location is L'Enfant Plaza, two blocks from its Independence Avenue entrance. "Bridging the 28-mile distance between our two buildings will help us serve more people," said Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey, director of the museum. "Those who depend on public transportation, including many tourists, will now be able to experience the full breadth and scope of our collection, spanning more than a century of flight. We are grateful to Fairfax County for helping to make this service possible." The museum's unparalleled collection of aviation and space artifacts is divided between its two buildings, with notable icons at each one. Orville and Wilbur Wright's history-making 1903 Flyer is housed in the museum's Washington building, along with Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis; Friendship 7, the Mercury capsule in which astronaut John Glenn orbited the Earth in 1962; and the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia used to transport humans to the Moon in 1969. The space shuttle Discovery is on view at the Udvar-Hazy Center, as is a Concorde, a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay. Hundreds of other artifacts are also on display at both locations, in 23 thematic exhibition galleries in Washington, and in sprawling hangars in Virginia, where artifacts are exhibited in open-storage groupings. The museum's preservation operations are on view at the Udvar-Hazy Center in a glass-enclosed restoration hangar. Both buildings contain IMAX theaters. A planetarium and an observatory are located in the Washington building; there is an observation tower at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Admission to both National Air and Space Museum buildings is free. The National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Va., near Washington Dulles International Airport. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Ample parking is available at the Udvar-Hazy Center, for $15 per car. |
Richard Easton Member Posts: 175 From: Winnetka, IL USA Registered: Jun 2006
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posted 07-01-2014 04:01 PM
That's good news about public transportation being available to Udvar-Hazy. Thanks Robert for letting us know about this. |
dogcrew5369 Member Posts: 750 From: Statesville, NC Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 07-11-2014 09:32 PM
Yes, thanks Robert. Gee, wish that had been available back in March. Running the gauntlet in my car from Pentagon City to Udvar-Hazy and back was a nightmare. This connection is a must! Glad it is in place.
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