Smithsonian Air and Space Museum celebrates 50th with 5 new galleries, coinciding with 250 on Mall

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has opened five new galleries this week – in time for the museum’s 50th year and America’s 250th anniversary.

The museum’s new galleries opened to the public Wednesday morning to lines of visitors stretching around the 161,145-foot-square-foot building, despite temperatures on the National Mall and elsewhere in Washington, D.C., nearing 100 degrees. 

Inside, families, tourists, residents, summer campers, journalists, employees and everyone in between walked the halls of the galleries during the opening – with the new galleries part of a years-long, $1 billion renovation project.

“As we finish our renovation this year, visitors will now be able to enjoy the Smithsonian’s world-class aerospace collection in a modern facility, one that will last the next 50 years and beyond.” said Chris Browne, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the museum. 

The five new galleries:

• Flight and the Arts Center
• Jay I. Kislak WWII in the Air
• U.S. National Science Foundation Discovering Our Universe
• RTX Living in the Space Age
• Textron How Things Fly

Richard (Rich) Snell works in the preservation and restoration unit at the air and space museum. 

On opening day, he roamed the RTX Living the Space Age gallery, available to help guests and answer questions. He said he hopes visitors feel moved by the museum’s offerings.

“I just hope that people can come in and be inspired by all the great things we have to see,” he said. “More than 40% of the objects that we have now in these new galleries and in the museum here on the Mall are new to this space.”

Some famous objects include the P-51D Mustang, a renowned fighter plane from WWII, and the DTM Image Tube Spectrograph which helped Vera Rubin find the first evidence of dark matter in the universe. 

The ‘Textron How Things Fly’ exhibit includes hands-on features for visitors, such as a plane simulator, a moving hot air balloon and much more. Each gallery is enhanced by interactive, modern technology involving buttons, voices, games and restored historical objects.

Visitors Scott and Jasmine arrived with their young children. Jasmine grew up in the area but hadn't been to the museum in about 20 years, and she said the galleries were good for her kids. 

"We heard that they were opening five new galleries today, so we were excited to come," Jasmine said. "We really like the moon area. The kids like the moon landing and the space suits."

The renovation project began in October 2018. In 2022, eight re-imagined galleries (including the aforementioned "Destination Moon" gallery), a planetarium, the museum store and the café opened. In July 2025, five new galleries opened. There are currently 18 new galleries open, and there will be 20 by this fall.

The Air and Space Museum originally opened on July 1, 1976. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, there are film series, lectures, special merchandise and digital offerings, according to the Smithsonian’s website.

Admission is free, but entry passes are required to visit. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.