Innovations in Flight Family Day

Innovations in Flight Family Day

The Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly is already one of the best free museums in the area on a normal day. But on Innovations in Flight Family Day, they turn it up several notches with hands-on activities, demonstrations, and special programs all focused on aviation and space. Kids get to build and test paper airplanes with real aerodynamic principles, try flight simulators, meet pilots and engineers, and of course walk among some of the most incredible aircraft ever built, including the Space Shuttle Discovery.

What separates this from a regular museum visit is the interactive element. On a normal day, you are mostly looking at planes behind barriers. On Family Day, there are stations set up where kids can actually touch things, build things, and learn by doing. My son spent 45 minutes at a paper airplane station last year, tweaking his designs and testing them on a measured course. He was learning about lift and drag without even knowing it, which is basically the dream scenario for any parent trying to make education feel like play.

The Udvar-Hazy Center is a bit of a drive from DC proper, about 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic, but it is worth the trip. Unlike the downtown Air and Space Museum, this location has free parking, less crowding, and honestly better planes. The SR-71 Blackbird, the Enola Gay, the Concorde, and Discovery are all here. If your family has never been, Family Day is a great excuse to make the trip. The event is free to attend, and you can easily spend the whole day there. Bring comfortable shoes because the hangars are massive, and pack snacks or plan to eat at the cafeteria.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Parking is free: Unlike the Mall location, parking at Udvar-Hazy is free. One less thing to worry about.
• ✓The building is enormous: Wear comfortable shoes. You will do a lot of walking through the hangars.
• ✓Flight simulators: Some simulators have a small fee ($7-9), but many Family Day activities are free. Check the schedule for free demonstrations.
• ✓See the Space Shuttle: Discovery is the star of the show. Do not miss it. Kids who are even slightly interested in space will be awestruck.
• ✓Pack lunch: There is a cafeteria, but it gets busy on event days. Bringing your own food saves time and money.