Because of its large size, the National Air and Space Museum can be overwhelming. If you’d like someone to show you around, sign up for a private or small-group guided tour. Some tours combine a trip to the National Air and Space Museum with a visit to the nearby Museum of American History. While the vast majority of the museum is given over to permanent exhibitions covering everything from World War II to the Space Race, temporary exhibits are also hosted here. Free docent-led, 90-minute tours focusing on the highlights of the collection are held twice daily and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The museum has a second exhibition facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport, which showcases more aircraft from the collection, including the Space ShuttleDiscovery.