New Air and Space Museum galleries open in D.C.
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Photo: Courtesy of Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
New galleries will open at the Air and Space Museum on Monday.
Why it matters: It marks another completed phase of the Smithsonian museum's almost $1 billion renovation, which began in 2018 and will see all 20 galleries refreshed and 1,400 new artifacts by next year. (Just in time for its 50th anniversary, and the celebration of America's 250th birthday.)
State of play: The openings include three existing galleries that got glow-ups, plus two brand-new ones:
👽 Futures in Space: Ponder where space exploration could take us in the future at this new gallery, with cool pieces like an R2-D2 replica and a mock-up of the Blue Origin capsule that took Jeff Bezos to space in 2021.
🌎 Allan and Shelley Holt Innovations Gallery: This new installation will feature a rotating lineup of exhibits focused on innovation in the aerospace world.
- On display now: A look at how air and space advancements are helping to tackle climate change.
🚀 Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall: The newly refreshed entrance is reopened with museum must-sees like the Mercury Friendship 7 capsule and the Bell X-1, plus new displays.
🛩️ Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight: Learn about the trailblazers leading the way in aviation during the 1920s and '30s at this revamped gallery, complete with Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis plane and Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B.
🪖 World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation: This refreshed gallery is all about the first World War's aviation history, with displays like a Sopwith F. 1 Camel and a U.S. balloon basket used for spying.
Plus: The museum's renovated Imax theater is now open.
What we're watching: Construction is expected to begin next year on the museum's forthcoming Bezos Learning Center, with an anticipated 2028 opening date, per an Air and Space Museum spokesperson.
If you go: All visitors must now enter the museum via its north entrance on Jefferson Drive along the National Mall.