Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Air Traffic Control

Tour early and current methods of air-traffic control in all weather conditions.

July 4, 1976 – April 3, 1977

The Question Mark and the Growth of Aerial Refueling

See a model of the Question Mark, the Fokker C-2 aircraft that set an unofficial endurance record for refueled airplane flight in January 1929 (almost 151 hours).

October 16, 1978 – March 31, 1979

Air and Space Museum

10th Anniversary of Apollo 11

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first landing of astronauts on the moon with videotape, photographs, and items from the mission.

Late 1979 – March 31, 1980

Air and Space Museum

Flight Attendants

Enjoy an exhibit of 41 photographs (primarily black and white) and airline timetables showing commercial flight attendants at work, and changes in flight service over the years.

May 15, 1980 – September 1, 1980

Air and Space Museum

Jupiter and Its Moons

See 75 color and black-and-white photographs from transmissions sent back to Earth from the Voyager spacecraft, Including some of the most beautiful photographs taken from space.

November 1, 1980 – February 22, 1981

Air and Space Museum

Our Beautiful Earth: The View from Air & Space

View photographs taken from the vantage point of airplane, spacecraft, or satellite.

May 5, 1979 – April 15, 1981

Air and Space Museum

Space Shuttle Art

See 28 works of art documenting the development of the Space Shuttle project, commissioned by NASA to record key events in the U.S. space program.

November 1, 1981 – January 3, 1982

Air and Space Museum

Bonestell Space Art

Enjoy twenty "landscapes" by space artist Chesley Bonestell displayed with a photograph of the artist.

July 1, 1980 – January 14, 1982

Air and Space Museum

Student Artists and the Space Shuttle

See 50 paintings, drawings, and mixed-media works by 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students from Washington, D.C., public schools that depict or relate to the Space Shuttle.

March 1, 1982 – May 30, 1982

Air and Space Museum

The Solar Challenger

Visit the solar-powered Solar Challenger.

June 4, 1982 – September 22, 1982

Air and Space Museum

Assignment: Aviation

Visit an exhibition of photo-realistic art depicting modern aviation.

May 19, 1981 – October 31, 1982

Air and Space Museum

The Gossamer Condor

See the 1st successfully human-powered aircraft, the 70-pound Gossamer Condor.

February 28, 1978 – December 31, 1982

Air and Space Museum

U.S. World Helicopter Championships

View trophies and photographs of the United States Helicopter Team, which won the world championship competition in Poland in August 1981.

March 18, 1982 – February 28, 1983

Air and Space Museum

Twenty-Five Years of Space Exploration

Trace developments of the space age placed against the background of social, cultural, and other events of the time through film, artifacts, photographs, and samples of news accounts.

July 1, 1982 – April 3, 1983

Air and Space Museum

D.C. Day Art Contest

On view are works by student artists from D.C. city schools, including the winners of honorable mention recipients in this year's contest. The theme was aeronautics.

February 15, 1983 – May 31, 1983

Air and Space Museum

The Artist and the Space Shuttle

Witness the artist's take on the development of the Space Shuttle since early tests in 1977 to the first launch in 1981.

December 1, 1982 – September 5, 1983

Air and Space Museum

Colorful Kite Tales

See photographs and drawings that illustrate 15 kite stories.

June 21, 1983 – September 19, 1983

Air and Space Museum

The Flying Roosevelts

View 23 photographs revealing FDR's association, on a personal and official level, with aircraft between 1918 and 1945.

January 25, 1982 – October 31, 1983

Air and Space Museum

German-American Aerospace Heritage

View photographs and career highlights about German-Americans such as Werner von Braun, Eddie Rickenbacker, Edward Heinemann, Grover Loening, William Boeing, and Hans von Ohain.

October 6, 1983 – April 12, 1984

Air and Space Museum

At Home in the Sky: Aviation Art of Frank Wootton

See a retrospective including 57 paintings and sketches of civil and military aircraft, landscapes, and equestrian subjects by Frank Wootton, considered the foremost aviation artist today.

September 15, 1983 – August 26, 1984

Air and Space Museum

Golden Age of Flight: Art Exhibition

See thirty art works by young American artists, selected from contest entries.

April 5, 1984 – September 3, 1984

Air and Space Museum

Energy Awareness Week

See some 20 mini-exhibits from government agencies and private entities on various aspects of energy.

October 19, 1984 – October 28, 1984

Air and Space Museum

Aerial Aircraft Carriers

See photographs and a film telling the story of aircraft (mother-ships) that carry other aircraft (parasites)--for example, the Space Shuttle traveling cross-country perched atop a 747.

November 23, 1981 – November 18, 1984

Air and Space Museum

Early Flight: 1900-1911 (Wright's Photography Collection)

Take in 56 photographs from the Wright brothers' personal photograph collection of their flying machine, many of which were taken by the brothers themselves,

November 28, 1984 – December 30, 1984

Air and Space Museum

John Olson: Concepts for Space

View 21 watercolors by American artist/engineer John Olson, who works at Boeing to create concepts for future space stations, satellites, heavy launch vehicles, and other space craft.

September 27, 1984 – January 2, 1985

Air and Space Museum