Museum of Flight

The Museum of Flight in Seattle is the largest independent air and space museum in the world, housing over 175 aircraft and spacecraft across indoor galleries and an outdoor covered pavilion. Located on Boeing Field (King County International Airport), it sits at the heart of the region's aviation heritage. For families, the sheer scale and the hands-on exhibits make it one of the best museums in the Pacific Northwest.

The Great Gallery is the museum's centerpiece -- a soaring six-story glass-and-steel hall with aircraft suspended from the ceiling at various heights. Standing beneath a real SR-71 Blackbird, a World War I biplane, and a DC-3 simultaneously gives visitors a visceral sense of aviation's evolution. The gallery is designed so visitors look up and around, creating a cathedral-like sense of wonder.

The Aviation Pavilion (outdoor, covered) houses the museum's largest aircraft. The star is the first Air Force One (SAM 970), the Boeing 707 that served Presidents Eisenhower through Nixon. Visitors walk through the actual aircraft cabin, seeing the president's quarters, communications center, and galley.

A British Airways Concorde supersonic jet, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and multiple military aircraft complete the collection. Kids can climb into cockpits of several aircraft.

The Charles Simonyi Space Gallery explores human spaceflight with artifacts including a full-scale ISS module mockup (walk through it), actual spacecraft, spacesuits, and -- remarkably -- a piece of the Moon and a piece of Mars brought back by missions. The space shuttle trainer, used to train every Space Shuttle crew, is displayed with its cargo bay doors open.

The Kids' Flight Zone on the second floor is designed for ages 3-10 with age-appropriate flight activities, building stations, and simplified exhibits. Young children who cannot engage with the detailed adult galleries find this space engaging and educational. Flight simulators (additional fee, $10-20) range from basic cockpit screens to full-motion platforms.

The museum's location on Boeing Field adds a live element. Windows throughout the museum overlook an active runway where Boeing test flights, private aircraft, and military planes take off and land. Watching a real plane accelerate down the runway while surrounded by historic aircraft creates a connection between aviation's past and present.