Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

World War II Aviation

The story of World War II is too big for a single gallery, so this one focuses on land-based fighter aviation.

July 1, 1976 – January 2, 2019

World War I Aviation

Explore the technological advances of WWI aviation set against a background of a front-line, allied airstrip somewhere in France in 1918.

July 1, 1976 – 1987

Air and Space Museum

World Aerobatic Championship Trophies

See 3 trophies won by U.S. Aerobatic Team in the 1988 world competition.

December 1, 1989 – May 31, 1990

Air and Space Museum

Women and Flight

Take in 75 black-and-white photographs of 37 women currently involved in aviation and space exploration by staff photographer Carolyn J. Russo.

June 14, 1997 – September 12, 1997

Air and Space Museum

Where Next, Columbus?

Examine the motives and methods of past and present space exploration, as well as the options and possibilities for the future.

December 12, 1992 – March 4, 2002

Air and Space Museum

View photographs, models, and awards received by von Braun, a replica of the tape recorder that returned to earth from Explorer III, and animation art from a 1950 Disney film in an exhibit marking the 20th anniversary of the launch of Explorer I.

January 1978 – Closed

Air and Space Museum

Voyager: Around the World without a Pit Stop

On December 23, 1986, Voyager completed the first nonstop, non-refueled flight around the world.

November 1, 1987 – October 15, 2019

Air and Space Museum

Voyager Encounters Uranus

Monitor live-TV images of the black-ringed planet Uranus and its 5 moons as seen by the robot spacecraft Voyager 2 on its fly-by during January and February.

January 17, 1986 – January 1, 1987

Air and Space Museum

Views of Africa

Explore diverse perspectives of the Earth, focusing on the dynamic landscapes of Africa.

August 15, 2013 – February 16, 2014

Air and Space Museum

Vertical Flight

Visit helicopters, autogiros, and special vehicles in this gallery.

July 1, 1976 – 1994

Air and Space Museum

Universal Dimensions: The Space Art of Wang Ming

See 35 works by Chinese painter and former air traffic controller Wang Ming.

April 9, 2009 – October 9, 2009

Air and Space Museum

Ultra-Light Aircraft

Visit eight of these lightweight craft, owned by members of the Experimental Aircraft Association.

July 5, 1986 – July 6, 1986

Air and Space Museum

U.S.S. Starship Enterprise Model

This model of the starship Enterprise was used in the filming of the Star Trek TV show, which ran from 1966 to 1969.

1976 – September 10, 2014

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

U.S. Customs Service: The War Against Drugs

Through photographs, films, and aircraft models, the exhibition illustrates the complex technology used in tracking smugglers of illegal drugs.

December 18, 1987 – September 15, 1989

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

Trust But Verify/Do Veri, No Pro Veri

See the Trust But Verify/Do Veri, No Pro Veri explains the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

June 20, 1990 – May 15, 1997

Air and Space Museum

Treasures of American History

While the American History Museum is closed for renovation (Sept. 5, 2006-fall 2008), see more than 150 highlights from the museum here.

November 17, 2006 – April 12, 2008

Air and Space Museum

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)

See a full-scale model of this state-of-the-art tracking satellite, which has provided support to the space shuttle, Spacelab, and Landsat.

November 1, 1986 – May 15, 1997

Air and Space Museum

Time and Navigation: The Untold Story of Getting from Here to There

This exhibition reveals why a good clock is crucial to navigation and how increasingly accurate timekeeping has influenced how we find our way.

April 12, 2013 – March 27, 2022

Air and Space Museum

The de Havilland DH-4 (from "Flaming Coffin" to Living Legend)

This aircraft, the most used U.S. combat aircraft in World War I, was on view in the Arts and Industries Building for many years.

November 16, 1984 – June 30, 1985

Air and Space Museum

The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age

This exhibition presents the Wrights' technical achievements and examines the cultural impact of early powered flight.

October 11, 2003 – March 27, 2022

Air and Space Museum

The Violent Universe

Marvel at the work of NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, an orbiting telescope studying gamma rays emitted by supernovae, pulsars, black holes, and quasars.

February 29, 1996 – October 30, 1996

Air and Space Museum

The Space Shuttle: 10th Anniversary

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the space shuttle with a display of various shuttle models sporting creative paint schemes.

April 4, 1991 – May 31, 1991

Air and Space Museum

The Soviet Challenge in Space: Illustrating the Threat

View 12 illustrations of space craft and missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency's Military Art Collection.

June 23, 1999 – December 31, 1999

Air and Space Museum