THE NATIONAL MALL BUILDING

The orientation videos below will give you a glimpse of some of the fascinating artifacts you can expect to find at the National Mall Building. We also provide some helpful tips for planning your visit.

For Students:

For Teachers:

QUICK GUIDE:
The National Air and Space Museum's National Mall Building is located at Independence Avenue and 6th St., SW in Washington, D.C. Check out our directions for more details.

Buses and Parking.  
We do not offer parking for buses at the National Mall Building. Buses should drop off and pick up at the Jefferson Drive entrance to the Museum. The D.C. Department of Transportation (202-727-1000) may have bus parking suggestions.

Resources

• We offer several different guided school tours, lasting from 30 to 90 minutes. Reservations are required.
• 45-minute story times are available for groups of up to 25 students. Reservations are required.
• Gallery guides allow visitors to quickly find objects related to specific topics of interest.
• Student self-guides can be downloaded from our site, or picked up at our Welcome Center upon arrival. To reserve more than 10 copies, you must call 202-633-2540 in advance.
• Plan ahead by familiarizing yourself with the Museum's floor plan. 
• Discount rates for groups or 10 or more are available for our IMAX theatre and Planetarium. Advance reservations are required.
  

Entering the Museum:
All bags are thoroughly searched upon entry to the Museum. In order to expedite this process, please encourage students to leave their backpacks in the bus and carry as little as possible. For more information, please see our list of permissible items.

Chaperones
Students must be supervised at all times. It is imperative that chaperones and teachers accompany students while in the building, both to monitor behavior and ensure student safety.

Failure to maintain order makes other visitors uncomfortable and can endanger your students. The required student-chaperone ratios are:

• 1 adult for every  5 students, grades  pre-K through 3
• 1 adult for every 10 students, grades 4 through 6
• 1 adult for every 15 students, grades 7 through  12

Food 
McDonald’s, Boston Market, and Donatos Pizzeria are open everyday during these hours. An average lunch costs around $10. Group meals offered at a discount may be purchased before your visit. For more information, contact the concessionaire toll-free at 866-868-7774 or email groupsales@si.edu.

School groups may not bring their own food into the Museum restaurant. Exceptions are allowed for individuals within the group who have restricted diets. For more information contact Visitors Services (202-633-2214). Those who bring their own lunches are encouraged to picnic on the National Mall.

Some Simple Rules
To ensure the enjoyment and safety of all Museum visitors, please share these rules with your students and chaperones:

• Be considerate of all visitors.
• Walking and talking are appropriate, while running and shouting are not.
• Smoking is not permitted.
• Chewing gum is not permitted.
• Food and Drinks are only allowed in the food court. You may not eat or drink in the Museum (bottled water is the only exception). This includes the IMAX theatre.
• Our exhibits fragile: Please do not touch them, sit on exhibit rails, or lean on exhibit cases.
• If students or chaperones use MP3 players, cell phones, or other electronics, please be sure that their use does not disturb other visitors.

To avoid crowds…
The best time to plan a school visit is during the fall and winter months (October-February). If you plan a visit for the spring months (March through May), which are very crowded, please keep in mind that your group may require extra supervision and you might require additional time for your visit. If you are planning to participate in a reserved program, please make your reservations three weeks in advance.