Why you might roll your eyes:
Isn’t it just two hangars full of old aircraft?
Why you’ll love it:
Those old aircraft are historic—and very cool. As you enter this Air and Space facility near Dulles Airport, you first spy an imposing SR-71 Blackbird, the world’s fastest jet-powered airplane. Look past that for a glimpse of the space shuttle Discovery—which lived up to its name, logging nearly 150 million miles in space. From Enola Gay to an Air France Concorde to a Mercury capsule, the collection traces the history of aviation in a fascinating, you-are-there way.
Don’t miss a free tour with a docent—volunteers include NASA employees, historians, engineers, and even pilots who flew those planes.
14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy., Chantilly; 703-572-4118.
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