The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will reopen half of its building on the National Mall to the public on Oct. 14 after extensive renovations.
The museum announced this week it will unveil eight new and updated exhibits, the planetarium, the museum store and the café in the building’s west end. The Apollo 11 command module and Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit will return to public display.
The Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets Gallery and the Thomas W. Haas We All Fly exhibition are among the new features, the museum said in a press release.
The Haas exhibition includes the Lear Jet 23 and Sean D. Tucker’s Oracle Challenger III high-performance aircraft, a recent acquisition.
The reopening comes amid a seven-year renovation that started in 2018. All 23 of the building’s exhibitions and presentation spaces are scheduled to be redesigned by 2025.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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