The National Air and Space Museum’s flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will temporarily close to the public March 28, 2022, to complete work on the first new galleries in the west wing of the building.
The closure, expected to last until fall 2022, is needed to ensure the continued safety of visitors, according to museum officials.
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the museum’s companion facility near Dulles International Airport, will remain open with regular visiting hours and events. The museum will also continue doing virtual events and has “robust online materials about the collection,” officials added.
The west-end exhibitions opening in fall 2022 include “America by Air,” “The Wright Brothers & the Invention of the Aerial Age,” “Nation of Speed,” “Thomas W. Haas We All Fly,” “One World Connected,” “Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets Gallery,” “Destination Moon” and “Early Flight.”
The second half of the renovation, which began in 2018, will commence at the end of March 2022 with the deinstallation of the east wing of the building. The renovation is expected to be complete by 2025.
While the museum on the National Mall is closed, some of its collection related to air and space content can be found in other Smithsonian museums, including several meteorites at the National Museum of Natural History, the Tomahawk cruise missile at the National Museum of the American Indian, the PT-13D Stearman Kaydet aircraft at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Huey helicopter at the National Museum of American History, and the Goddard 1935 Series-A Rocket in the new “FUTURES” exhibition at the Arts and Industries Building.
The museum has also greatly expanded its digital offerings in recent years, including online programs and activities, greater access to its collections, and stories of aviation and space pioneers, museum officials noted. Online content is available at AirAndSpace.SI.edu.