National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC

We visited the National Air and Space Museum, the most popular of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D. C. We had to wait in line to get in (along with signing up for digital, timed tickets). The museum is a classic for a reason--a lot of amazing and dramatic stories are told here.

Not an amazing and dramatic exterior, though

The lobby is better

One famous item on display is the Spirit of St. Louis, the airplane that Charles Lindberg used for the first solo transatlantic flight in 1927 (almost a century ago).

Spirt of St. Louis

I was surprise to see, almost across the gallery from the Spirit of St. Louis, an x-wing fighter with an R2 unit on display. 

Drawing attention to the gift shop, no doubt

We visited a few of the permanent exhibits. First was Exploring the Planets, all about our solar system with some stuff about exoplanets (those that orbit other stars in our galaxy).

Exoplanet info

Wonder about planets has been a part of human culture even to prehistoric times. This dual display also shows an ancient gear that was discovered, so we have been fascinated by technology for millennia too!

Historical astronomy and technology

The kids loved the interactive exhibits that let you design solar systems or explore the make-up of various planets.

Building a better world

Rovers we sent to Mars are on display.

Well, mock-ups, not the actual rovers which have not come back

Destination Moon is an exhibit about lunar exploration, starting with a lot of the less-the-accurate speculations about the moon's makeup and inhabitants from over a hundred years ago. Most of the exhibit chronicles the Cold War race to the moon.

Explaining the phases of the moon

Lunar propaganda!

The Soviets were the first to launch an artificial satellite and to send a living creature (a dog) into orbit. The U. S. sent a chimp up in the capsule below. The compartment includes some levers and switches for the chimpanzee to manipulate while in space. The capsule recorded reactions and times to see what sort of effect zero-gravity and confined space would have.

Primate capsule

The Soviets also put the first man in orbit, Yuri Gagarin, though the U. S. Mercury program was not too far behind.

Mercury vs. Vostok space ships

Alan Shepherd rode the Freedom 7 as the first American astronaut in space.

Freedom 7

One corner showed a lot of information about the Space Race, a dramatic component of the conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Racing to explore

Another display shows various items made for the space program, mostly produced domestically.

Was the big knife to deal with aliens?

The Gemini program sent up multiple astronauts at a time, part of building up skills for an eventual moon landing.

Gemini VII, room for two

The high point was the Apollo program which intended to land men on the Moon.

Apollo lunar suit

Items from Apollo 13

The command module from the Apollo 11 trip is on display. Three astronauts lived and worked in there as they executed the mission that put people on the Moon's surface for the first time.

Command Module Columbia

The underside of the module

Random upside-down plane that we didn't read the display about--make up your own story!

The final gallery we went too was Pioneers of Flight, all about the Wright Brothers' lives and accomplishments.

Statues of Wilbur and Orville Wright

The brothers were in business building and selling bicycles but their hobby was working on powered flight. They spent their spare time working on a machine that would let men fly in a heavier-than-air craft. They did a lot of experimentation and working out of details, spending years before they achieved their success.

One of four extant Wright bicycles

The Wright Flyer from Kittyhawk, North Carolina

The museum has plenty of other galleries that we did not see and will be opening new galleries in 2026, so a large portion of the museum was under wraps for the future. I am sure we will go back.

Smithsonian Museum of American History

We made a Sunday trip into the District of Columbia (free parking!) and visited the National Museum of American History (again, see here). There are lots of exhibits, more than a half-day visit can take in. We viewed some new stuff.

Outside

We were naturally drawn to the Food exhibit, subtitled "Transforming the American Table."

Who can resist?

By the entrance is a recreation of Julia Child's kitchen. She was a celebrity chef in the mid-1900s, with many books and a TV show boosting her fame. She brought French cooking to America.

Julia Child's kitchen

She even won an Emmy award!

One display has a Krispy Kreme donut machine, which seems like a valuable item to put on display without maximum security.

Donut maker on right

Fast food is also represented, including this display of various to-go cup tops and a Jack-in-the-Box drive-thru display. The description said that the first drive-thrus had warnings that a "disembodied voice" would talk to them. I remember the two-sided burger containers that kept "the hot side hot and the cold side cold." 

Fast food history

The back of the exhibit has information on beer and wine, including little bits about Prohibition.

Beer as history...sign me up!

Home brew stuff

Wine industry

Tools of the vineyard

Post-Prohibition 

A sign explained that this Berkeley Food Pyramid was a joke made when food pyramids were very popular.  

Definitely a California thing

The display of Mexican food included the first frozen margarita machine!

I'd rather have Mexican than Berkeley

Another item that I wouldn't mind taking home

We found a more interactive exhibit in SparkLab. It's aimed at younger visitors and activities include making a pinball machine, choosing a uniform, and building a city block.

My first pinball

Picking out clothes

Making a city block

Unstable sky scraper

Across the way is the Gallery of Numismatics, an exhibit on money.

The sort of place they should keep the donut and margarita machines

Coins have a long history, going back to at least the seventh century BC. Some coins are more creative than others. Ancient Roman coins were made in a building next to the Temple of Juno Moneta (a combination of the more famous goddess Juno with a local goddess named Moneta). The temple probably stored coins and raw materials for making coins, and "moneta" became a root for "monetary" and "money" in English. 

Coins of various realms

Chinese coins included knives!

When American coins were redesigned in 1905, Augustus Saint-Gaudens was one of the artists who created images to be used.

Saint-Gaudens at work

Women in American money

Some coins are definitely not pocket change, like this piece of currency from the Island of Yap in the Pacific Ocean.

A coin from the island of Yap

We went for a snack in the museum's cafe (serving Starbucks) that has a fun Jazz theme.

Warm beverages

A lot of the poster were painted by LeRoy Neiman, an American artist. He painted a large compilation of Jazz artists at the entrance of the cafe.

Neiman's Big Band

The top floor has a pop culture area that had lots of things I was excited about.

The droids and me

Cap's shield

Indiana Jones gear

Sign from M*A*S*H

Julie Newmar's Catwoman ears, necklace, and gloves

Julie Newmar as Catwoman!

The museum has a lot of other displays, so I am sure we will go back some day.