Air & Space Museum

DCMacLean wrote:
I'm going to be in Washington for a few days next month. I have
limited time and would like some opinions re the two Air & Space Museum
sites -- at the Mall vs at Dulles. Since I won't have time to do both
sites, which would be the better. We will have a couple of kids with us
also.

Parking is difficult on the Mall. Try to use public transit.

Stubby wrote:
DCMacLean wrote:
I'm going to be in Washington for a few days next month. I have
limited time and would like some opinions re the two Air & Space
Museum sites -- at the Mall vs at Dulles. Since I won't have time to
do both sites, which would be the better. We will have a couple of
kids with us also.

Parking is difficult on the Mall. Try to use public transit.

Parking is easy at Hazy, but it is also being used to defray the
construction expense of the museum, so be prepared to pony up
$12 for the honor of parking at the free museum.

There are two good dodges for locals however. First off, if
you come in after 4PM (which gives you an hour and a half before
the voice of god announces that the Udvar-Hazy center is closed
and the security guards shoo you out) the parking is free because
the gate keepers go home then.

They also now have an annual pass for $65.

On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 09:09:24 -0500, Ron Natalie
wrote:

Parking is easy at Hazy, but it is also being used to defray the
construction expense of the museum, so be prepared to pony up
$12 for the honor of parking at the free museum.

Still a bargain, especially if you fill the mini-van with friends or
kids.

They also now have an annual pass for $65.

Wow. Talk about hard-core aviation nuts!



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

Stubby wrote:
DCMacLean wrote:
I'm going to be in Washington for a few days next month. I have
limited time and would like some opinions re the two Air & Space
Museum sites -- at the Mall vs at Dulles. Since I won't have time to
do both sites, which would be the better. We will have a couple of
kids with us also.

Parking is difficult on the Mall. Try to use public transit.

L'Enfant Plaza is a bit closer to the Mall musueum than the
Smithsonian Station (but they are both walkable).

I give up trying to park in DC during the daytime.

DCMacLean wrote:
I'm going to be in Washington for a few days next month. I have
limited time and would like some opinions re the two Air & Space Museum
sites -- at the Mall vs at Dulles. Since I won't have time to do both
sites, which would be the better. We will have a couple of kids with us
also.
Thanks for any input.
DCMacLean
If you want to see aircraft and spacecraft themselves, go to Dulles.
The Mall is space constrained and only has a few "name" artifiacts
like the Spirit of St. Louis, the dubious Wright Flyer, and Spaceship
One, for example. Lots of more "canned exhibits" like how things fly
and a pretty good remote sensing gallery.

DCMacLean wrote:
I'm going to be in Washington for a few days next month. I have
limited time and would like some opinions re the two Air & Space Museum
sites -- at the Mall vs at Dulles. Since I won't have time to do both
sites, which would be the better. We will have a couple of kids with us
also.
Thanks for any input.
DCMacLean

I was there in February. The NASM in the Mall is partially under
renovation- it may be done now, but one of the larger galleries was
closed. However, it is absolutely still worth the effort. The Dulles
facility is excellent as well. If you have the time, I would recommend both.

Also there is a shuttle bus that runs back and forth from NASM to the
Dulles facility. It is quite convenient.

Len

Never been to the one at Dulles but the Mall Museum is fantastic. I
like historic and warbirds so that place was a treat. Go early on a
week-day and not a holiday week to try avoiding the crowds.


On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 21:05:26 -0500, DCMacLean
wrote:

I'm going to be in Washington for a few days next month. I have
limited time and would like some opinions re the two Air & Space Museum
sites -- at the Mall vs at Dulles. Since I won't have time to do both
sites, which would be the better. We will have a couple of kids with us
also.
Thanks for any input.
DCMacLean

For some reason, I like the one in DC better. Maybe because there are
other museums to visit right afterwards. Although I've been to both
many times, I still look forward to the next visit. :O)

The Monk

I'm going to be in Washington for a few days next month. I have
limited time and would like some opinions re the two Air & Space Museum
sites -- at the Mall vs at Dulles. Since I won't have time to do both
sites, which would be the better. We will have a couple of kids with us
also.

As you can see, you have touched a nerve here. The two museums,
although affiliated, are quite different.

IMHO, if you only have time to see one museum, you must go downtown.
This is where all the "Firsts" are -- the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of
St Louis, the X-15, etc. You may never know if you'll have a chance
to get back to D.C., and your kids deserve to have seen "the real
deals" during their limited-time visit.

That said, I vastly prefer Udvar-Hazy. It is an airplane lovers
museum, as opposed to the Smithsonian downtown, which is more into
displays and exhibits. In time (as they get all of their aircraft on
display), I believe U-H will surpass the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH
in excellence and diversity.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On 30 Mar 2006 07:24:46 -0800, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

That said, I vastly prefer Udvar-Hazy. It is an airplane lovers
museum, as opposed to the Smithsonian downtown, which is more into
displays and exhibits

Just so! The Mall museum is pitched really to the general public,
Udvar-Hazy to the aviation / history nuts.

I will not soon forget the knot of Japanese businessmen staring
without expression at the (Japanese) flying suicide bomb. Or, for that
matter, the different Japanese tour group looking down on Enola Gay.



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com