Description: The National Air Museum was created by a congressional act on August 12, 1946. Its name was changed to the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in 1966 as part of a congressional act authorizing a separate building to house its collections. The museum opened to the public on July 1, 1976. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located in Chantilly, Virginia, opened to the public on
Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="401" caption="National Air and Space Museum's Space Shuttle Enterprise flew into Washington Dulles International Airport on November 16 atop a modified Boeing 747 carrier Aircraft, Using cranes, the Enterprise was removed from the top of the 747 and lowered to the tarmac at Dulles on November 17, 1985, by Dale Hrabak, Black and white
Description: The National Air and Space Museum was established in 1946 to care for the Smithsonian’s growing aeronautical collections. On July 1, 1976, a new building opened on the National Mall to showcase the collection. In December of 2003, the Udvar-Hazy Center opened near Dulles Airport in Virginia to display additional collections. History of the National Air and Space