Frequently Asked Questions

The Museum in Washington, DC, is open every day except December 25 from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. Free timed-entry passes are required to visit. Entry times are hourly from 10 am to 4 pm. 

Space around the exterior of the Museum is limited due to ongoing construction. To prevent excess time queuing in warm or inclement weather, do not arrive earlier than the time on your pass. Please print your pass before arrival or have your pass ready to show and scan on your mobile device. All visitors will need to go through a security check point in the Museum’s lobby. 

The Museum is accessible via the Independence Avenue SW public entrance only. A queue may form at the top of each hour, it will be accessible along the Independence façade of the Museum. 

Reserve free timed-entry passes online. All visitors, regardless of age, must have a pass to enter the Washington, DC Museum.  

Please note: If the Museum is at or near capacity, all visitors standing in line will be asked to wait until the Museum has room to accommodate them.  

Active National Air and Space Society members receive access to a separate, special members-only link to reserve passes for the National Mall Building. Not a member? Join today.

The Museum will release individual passes for six-week periods on the following dates: 

If you do not initially find passes for the day you would like to visit, check back on our website; additional passes may become available.  

If you are reserving for a group of 10 or more, please go to reserve group passes online.

New passes will become available at noon (12:00 pm) ET on the release dates shown above. Passes will be available online.

A limited number of same-day timed-entry passes will be released online each day, beginning at 8:30 am ET. 

When passes are unavailable, the date is highlighted in gray and the drop-down menu for a timed-entry slot will not appear.  

Visitors will not be able to advance beyond the months for which passes are currently available for reservation.  

An individual can reserve up to six free timed-entry passes for their visit. For groups of 10 or more, please reserve group passes online.

Yes. All visitors, regardless of age, must have a timed-entry pass to enter the Museum.  

Free timed-entry passes will be delivered via an Etix email. If an email doesn’t arrive after the transaction has been confirmed, check both the spam and junk folders.  If timed-entry passes are not received via email, please contact Etix customer service or email support@etix.com.

Please visit Etix customer service or email support@etix.com.

Timed-entry passes can be presented via a personal mobile device or on paper using the print at home option. Visitors will need to show passes twice after arriving on-site: once when queuing at 7th Street and Independence Avenue SW and again at the entrance to the Museum. 

The Museum scans passes and inspects visitors’ belongings before entering the building. Both processes progress quickly, but delays can occur. Plan for an average wait time of 30 minutes.  

Museum staff will be present onsite to assist visitors in gaining access to the Museum as quickly as possible.    

Please note: If the Museum is at or near capacity, all visitors standing in line will be asked to wait until the Museum has room to accommodate them.  

Visitors may enter the Museum for up to one hour after the time on their entry pass. Anyone arriving more than an hour after the time on their entry pass will only be granted entrance if same-day passes are available and can be secured.  

No, visit time is not limited, but after exiting, re-entry is not permitted the same day without securing a separate time-entry pass.

The Museum’s new Planetarium will be open for business. You can find showtimes online (Link coming soon) and purchase tickets at the Planetarium’s box office, located on the second floor, at the Museum.  

The Museum’s Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater is not currently open. 

The museum is committed to providing inclusive experiences for all audiences and is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Accommodations include accessible facilities and entrances. A limited number of standard and bariatric wheelchairs are available for loan while visiting the Museum. Please visit the Security Desk to inquire about availability. Wheelchairs are provided on a first come, first served basis. Visitors are welcome to bring their own mobility devices. 

Open captioning is included in all exhibition videos. American Sign Language interpretation and Access Services are available for scheduled programming by contacting us with two weeks advance notice. Listen Technologies ListenIR devices available at Welcome Desk.   

The entrance on Independence Avenue at 6th Street SW is accessible via a ramp to the west of the entrance stairs (toward 7th Street).  

The drop off is along Independence Avenue at 6th Street SW. 

A limited number of standard and bariatric wheelchairs are available for loan while visiting the Museum. Please visit the Security Desk to inquire about availability. Wheelchairs are provided on a first come, first served basis. Visitors are welcome to bring their own mobility devices. 

Food must be kept in sealed containers and may not be consumed in the museum (other than food purchased in the Mars Café). Personal water bottles may be brought in to the museum, bottle fillers are located alongside most water fountains.

The Mars Café on the museum’s lower level features a selection of seasonally inspired salads and sandwiches, warm paninis, and pastries. It also offers coffee and a full espresso bar, featuring locally roasted artisan coffees and teas. The Mars Café located is open daily from 11 am until 5 pm. 

The Museum Store main entrance is located on the main level.

Groups of 10 or more require group passes. Maximum group reservation per entry time is 55. Up to two reservations of 55 per group can be submitted for one day.

If you require more than 110 timed entry passes, we suggest that you have a different group point of contact (with a different email address) make any additional reservations.  

Reservations can be made two months in advance and must be made three weeks in advance of the desired visit date. Passes will be released at noon (12:00 pm) ET. If you do not initially find passes for the day your group would like to visit, check back on our website; additional passes may become available. However, reservations must be made three weeks in advance of the desired visit date.

Please visit Etix customer service or email support@etix.com.

If you arrive more than one hour past your entry time, entrance is not guaranteed and will be based on capacity.

The Museum is accessible via the Independence Avenue SW public entrance only. The Museum does not have a Group entrance. All groups will enter with the general public. A queue may form at the top of each hour, and it will be accessible along the Independence façade of the Museum.  

Space around the exterior of the Museum is limited due to ongoing construction. To prevent excess time queuing in warm or inclement weather, do not arrive earlier than the time on your pass.    

Pre-K through 3rd Grade: 1 adult for every 5 students 

4th through 6th Grade: 1 adult for every 10 students 

7th through 12th Grade: 1 adult for every 15 students 

Please note that chaperones are to be included in your group count. 

All visitors will access the Museum via the Independence Avenue entrance. Expect and plan for a queue for entry. Proceed to 7th Street and Independence Avenue SW to queue for entry. The Museum’s main entrance is at 6th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 

Please print your pass before arrival or have your pass ready to show and scan on your mobile device.  All visitors will need to go through a security check point in the Museum’s lobby.

The Museum does not partner with tour organizations or companies. 

Visit our Group Reservations and Plan a Field Trip page to find out more about visiting with your group.

The National Air and Space Museum’s Washington, DC, location is on the National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and the Smithsonian Castle. It is bordered by Independence Avenue, Jefferson Drive, and 4th and 7th Streets SW. The street address is 600 Independence Avenue. 

The Museum is near Metrorail (subway) stops on the blue, orange, silver and green lines. The closest Metrorail stop is at L'Enfant Plaza. Metrobus stops are located on Independence Avenue SW, and along 7th Street SW. Visit the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority website (www.WMATA.com) for more information including station and rail construction that could impact Metrorail travel. 

The Museum does not provide parking for cars or buses. Limited metered street parking is available nearby. Please read signs carefully for parking hours and permit restrictions. Parking is available in several commercial parking lots. 

You may use ParkWhiz to reserve a parking spot near the Museum in advance. 

Please check DC Traffic Advisory for the most up-to-date information regarding any street closures or changes to traffic patterns affecting the area around the museum.  

For more information about visiting the Museum, please email NASM-VisitorServices@si.edu