The National Air and Space Museum will mark the 50th anniversary of its building on the National Mall with the opening of five new galleries on July 1, 2026, as part of a yearlong observance. The museum first opened to the public on July 1, 1976, and coincided with the U.S. bicentennial.
According to the Smithsonian, the July openings are scheduled to align with the anniversary date, while two additional galleries are set to open later in the year, completing a multiyear renovation effort.
The galleries debuting July 1 include Flight and the Arts Center; Jay I. Kislak World War II in the Air; U.S. National Science Foundation Discovering Our Universe; RTX Living in the Space Age; and Textron How Things Fly.
The museum said the exhibitions will span subjects ranging from artistic interpretations of flight and the role of airpower in World War II to developments in astronomy, space-based technologies and the fundamentals of flight. Artifacts planned for display include aircraft, spacecraft and related objects drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, along with interactive elements intended to support educational programming.
Two additional exhibitions—At Home in Space, scheduled to open Oct. 30, and Modern Military Aviation, planned for Nov. 11—will conclude the renovation project.
Museum officials said the anniversary year will also include public programs such as film screenings, lectures, podcast content and digital initiatives. Admission to both the museum in Washington, D.C., and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, will remain free, though timed-entry passes are required for the Mall location.
