I was recently in DC for a mixture of business and pleasure. Washington DC is home to the Smithsonian, which is more than just a “museum”. It’s multiple large museums, each with an impressive collection.
I had visited the museums in DC proper on previous visits and loved them, but I’d never had the chance to make it to the Udvar-Hazy location, which is out near Washington Dulles airport. On previous trips to DC I always had luggage with me, which would have made it impossible to visit the museum, as they don’t have any storage facilities.
This time round I was with friends who had a car, so I was not only able to get out there, but I was also able to leave my luggage safely in the car while visiting.
It’s a really impressive museum, but one of the highlights for many people, including me, is the SR-71 Blackbird.
The SR-71 is an amazing piece of engineering and an important part of aviation history.
Of course history is what a museum is all about, so they also have the Enola Gay on display:
The Enola Gay is the B-29 Superfortress which dropped the first atomic bomb, so it’s not only important historically, but it’s also surrounded by a certain degree of controversy.
The museum’s also got a space shuttle – the Discovery:
As well as a Concorde and a lot of other fascinating examples of both military and civil aviation. You can also get a peek behind the scenes of the museum’s restoration projects from a gantry above the main floor.
It’s definitely one of the best museum visits I’ve had so far and I’d recommend it to anyone who is the DC area and has a chance. Also, apart from parking, the entry is free!
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