National Air and Space Museum reopens Oct. 14, 2022

https://www.washington​post.com …ce-museum-reopen-october/

Update :

"Getting in might be tougher than you think.

There’s a lot of interest in the renovated museum, and the Smithsonian has turned to free timed entry passes to handle the expected crowds. About 8,000 will be available per day at first, though that could change. This weekend, Friday through Sunday are already full, as is Oct. 22. A limited number of same-day passes will become available online each day at 8:30 a.m."

https://www.washington​post.com …/air-space-museum-reopen/

Only half the NASM is opening in October 2022–eight galleries. The rest will be opening in ‘23 and ‘24.

The content and the emphasis is changing significantly. For example, the Me 262, the first “successful” jet fighter, is no longer on display but a corvette and Richard Petty’s race car will be displayed. An X-wing fighter, of all things, will be displayed. Apparently, a lot of the huge collection of unique aviation art by world-class aviation artists that the museum has will be mothballed in favor of more abstract pieces. More emphasis will apparently be placed on the stories of people.

Hell, I can read stories in books that I can download from Amazon but I don’t know where else to go to see a real 262 and a real A-4C and a real Spad!

I’ll reserve final judgment until I see the “reimagined” museum, but, from what I have read, it sounds like the “new” NASM will be a significant downgrade!

Can someone who has seen it report their impressions?

Haven't been there since the remodel. Last time was 1984 and going back in Spring 2023. There was a story on the national news last week about the remodeled version. The museum's rep said the emphasis is now on "people" and "inclusiveness."

dangermoney wrote in post #19436596
Haven't been there since the remodel. Last time was 1984 and going back in Spring 2023. There was a story on the national news last week about the remodeled version. The museum's rep said the emphasis is now on "people" and "inclusiveness."

I look forward to reading your impressions after you have been there.

Up until 2020, I had been going every year and it never got old for me. I love airplanes and history and NASM was the place to see and be close to both — from the Spirit of St. Louis to the WW I gallery. I was always thrilled after a few hours of actually looking at history. The planes told the story. I didn’t go to read some lengthy explanation beside the picture of a person — like I said before, I can get that out of a book. What I can’t get from a book is being in the midst of the historical objects. I fear now that I and future generations will no longer be able to see how small and fragile a WW I Spad really was and that it was actually made out of wood covered with fabric.

Sometimes, change isn’t always for the better.

umgrizz wrote in post #19438949
I look forward to reading your impressions after you have been there.

Up until 2020, I had been going every year and it never got old for me. I love airplanes and history and NASM was the place to see and be close to both — from the Spirit of St. Louis to the WW I gallery. I was always thrilled after a few hours of actually looking at history. The planes told the story. I didn’t go to read some lengthy explanation beside the picture of a person — like I said before, I can get that out of a book. What I can’t get from a book is being in the midst of the historical objects. I fear now that I and future generations will no longer be able to see how small and fragile a WW I Spad really was and that it was actually made out of wood covered with fabric.

Sometimes, change isn’t always for the better.

We went to NSAM and there's good news and bad news.

The bad news: it was a big disappointment compared to what it used to be. Back then each gallery and the main entrance was packed with airplanes. Now the vast majority of the airplanes have been removed.

-There's a gallery called "Nation of Speed" (or something like that) that has a Richard Petty NASCAR, another NASCAR, Mario Andretti's Indy car and a BMW motorcycle that a woman rode to over 200 MPH.

-The X-wing space craft from Star Wars is on display. So is NCC-1701.

-On the plus-side there's a lot of space craft and space info. The real Apollo 11 capsule plus a Gemini and Mercury capsule are on display. The real Wright Flyer is there too.

The good news: Many of the aircraft from NASM are now on display the the Udvar-Hazy center including the SPAD.

Bottom Line: If you're looking for airplanes, go to Udvar-Hazy and skip NASM.

I've posted some pictures from U-H at

https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1529454