virtual tour of the smithsonian air and space museum

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Washington, DC, United States

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum maintains the world's largest and most significant collection of aviation and space artifacts, encompassing all aspects of human flight, as well as related works of art and archival materials. It operates two landmark facilities that, together, welcome more than eight million visitors a year, making it the most visited museum in the country. It also is home to the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies.

105 stories

Immersive tour of space shuttle discovery, smithsonian's national air and space museum, discovery’s first mission: a resounding success, after a faltering start, speed of sound, remembering world war ii through art, behind the scenes: light fields of discovery, better propellers for “the few”: desmond cooke’s legacy in the battle of britain, human spaceflight (udvar-hazy center), conserving artifacts from command module columbia, how john glenn suited up for space, astronauts’ candy-coated space snacks, mitsubishi a6m zero fighter, bessie coleman, barnstorming through barriers, tuskegee airmen, the "rope mother" margaret hamilton, what we see when we study the sun, supermarine spitfire hf. mk. viic, world war ii in color, space shuttle discovery's commemorative pins, patches, banners, and flags, space shuttle discovery comes home, how do you put on an apollo spacesuit, in this collection, 2,370 items, 4 museum views.

AIR & SPACE MAGAZINE

Virtual museum visits.

The National Air and Space Museum online collection includes thousands of artifacts that aren’t on display.

J.R. Dailey

National Air and Space Museum can now tap our web address ( airandspace.si.edu ) into their smart phones to find out more about many of the air- and spacecraft they see on display. From these online records, people can learn about an artifact’s significance and find its location in the Museum. In some cases, the online image collections show views of an artifact that visitors cannot see in the gallery. The page for the Boeing B-29 Enola Gay , for example, features dozens of photographs of the aircraft interior.

Soon our visitors will find more stories and resources online. As part of a Smithsonian-wide policy to make more information about the institution’s artifacts available on the Internet, the curators and digital media team at the Museum are expanding its online offerings. We will provide images, short histories, and audio and video stories for more of the 6,000 items now on display at both of our locations.

The National Air and Space Museum collection, however, is much larger than the items we are able to exhibit. The Museum holds in trust more than 60,000 artifacts. To educate the public about the full collection, we have placed thousands of photographs on the Museum’s searchable website, many accompanied by short essays explaining the object’s historical context. In this issue, for instance, you’ll read about 19th century military rockets designed by William Congreve, which inspired the phrase “the rockets’ red glare,” during the bombardment of Fort McHenry (see In the Museum ). In 1976, we received as a gift from the Science Museum of London a model of one of the rockets that the British used during the War of 1812. On the website, you can see what that rocket looks like and find its weight and range.

Some of the Museum’s most historic items are also its most fragile. The $25,000 check presented in 1927 by Raymond Orteig to Charles Lindbergh for completing the New York-to-Paris flight is magnificently illuminated on delicate parchment. Be sure to view the color photograph of this item online; part of its decoration is a small drawing of the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis .

One of the benefits of our online collections is the ability to draw together objects all related to a single theme but physically located in different places in the Museum. In our Apollo 11 online collection , you will see 156 artifacts. Some are in storage; others are on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy center; and still others are located at the Museum on the National Mall. Taken together, these artifacts tell a comprehensive story about the greatest program of space exploration in history.

Many objects now in storage are headed for display in the future, but you can view and learn about them today by finding them online. All of us at the National Air and Space Museum hope that you will one day visit us in person, but until then, we encourage you to be virtual visitors and take advantage of the many online exhibitions now available and the many more that are to come.

Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Site Navigation

National air and space museum.

The National Air and Space Museum maintains the world’s largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft. It is also a vital center for historical research on aviation and spaceflight and related science and technology, and home to the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, which performs original research.

The flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., houses many of the icons of flight, including the original 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis , Chuck Yeager’s Bell X-1, John Glenn’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, and a lunar rock sample that visitors can touch.

The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia, houses many more artifacts in an open, hangar-like setting, including a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, and space shuttle  Discovery . 

Plan a Visit

• Air and Space Museum
• Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center

Chris Hassan

Social Media & Brand Manager

200 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 21 U.S. States Visited: 24

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

29 Published Articles 3048 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 45 U.S. States Visited: 28

Director of Operations & Compliance

1 Published Article 1165 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 10 U.S. States Visited: 20

Red Bull Hangar-7 (Salzburg, Austria)

Canada aviation and space museum (ottawa, canada), national air and space museum of france (le bourget, france), otto lilienthal museum (anklam, germany), polish aviation museum (krakow, poland), central air force museum (monino, russia), memorial museum of cosmonautics (moscow, russia), research & development production enterprise zvezda (tomilino, russia), museum of aeronautics and astronautics (madrid, spain), aerospace bristol (bristol, united kingdom), imperial war museum duxford (duxford, united kingdom), ukraine state aviation museum (kiev, ukraine), air zoo (portage, michigan), amelia earhart museum (atchison, kansas), delta flight museum (atlanta, georgia), eaa aviation museum (oshkosh, wisconsin), evergreen aviation museum (mcminnville, oregon), frontiers of flight museum (dallas, texas), intrepid sea, air & space museum (new york, new york), lone star flight museum (houston, texas), the museum of flight (seattle, washington), nasa visitors centers (14 locations), national museum of the united states air force (dayton, ohio), national naval aviation museum (pensacola, florida), pima air & space museum (tucson, arizona), smithsonian national air and space museum (washington, d.c. and chantilly, virginia), southern museum of flight (birmingham, alabama), wings over the rockies air & space museum  (denver, colorado), final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Virtual tours are increasing in popularity, thanks to the coronavirus (COVID-19) , unfortunately.

Since many museums are temporarily closed, and those that are reopening are doing so with limited capacity, many of us have used social distancing as an opportunity to do some internet tourism.

We’ve previously reviewed the best virtual tours of popular attractions , U.S. National Parks , field trips , museums , walking tours , and even Disney rides !

It should come as no surprise that we are big fans of air travel, so you know that we have been busy scouring the internet for the best aerospace museums with virtual tours for you.

Get comfortable, because we are going to show you collections from all around the world with some of the most incredible aircraft in history.

Fans of extreme sports and aviation will love Red Bull Hangar-7.

This unique museum/hangar/restaurant/bar/lounge is home to many historical planes, helicopters, cars, and more at the Salzburg Airport in Austria.

If you are interested in Red Bull Racing’s fun history, explore the Red Bull Hangar-7 exhibits .

The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is Canada’s national aviation history museum and is home to more than 130 aircraft and artifacts.

The collection, which highlights both military and civil service, is one of the most extensive in Canada and considered to be one of the finest in the world.

You can visit the Canada Aviation and Space Museum , courtesy of Google Arts & Culture.

The Musée de l’air et de l’espace (as it is known in France) is one of the oldest aviation museums in the world , dating back to 1919.

The 1,600,000 square foot (150,000 square meters) museum is located at the Le Bourget Airport, just 6 miles outside of Paris. The unique collection contains more than 19,000 items, including 150 aircraft, and exhibits from as far back as the 16th century .

Aviation Geeks will be excited to know that the prototype for the Concorde is located here. Head over to the virtual tour of the museum to see that and many more exhibits.

Located in Anklam, Germany, this small museum is dedicated to Otto Lilienthal, also known as the “Glider King.”

The museum highlights the life work of the flight pioneer with everything from his essays and documents to a large collection of his hang gliders.

Google Arts & Culture has put together a very well-done online exhibit of the Otto Lilienthal Museum .

The Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow is located at the old Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport. When the airfield shut down in 1963, the museum opened in 1964 and is now known as one of the best aviation museums in the world .

The collection holds over 200 aircraft and 100 engines, including 22 very rare planes that were evacuated from the German Aviation Museum during World War II and are now in dispute between the 2 countries.

You can step inside some of these unique planes thanks to these 360-degree virtual tours .

One of the largest aviation museums in the world, with the largest collection of Soviet aircraft, the Central Air Force Museum is a must-visit for aviation fans in the Moscow area .

Home to 173 aircraft, 127 engines, Cold War-era American espionage equipment, weapons, instruments, uniforms, and more, visitors can spend the day at the museum and still have more to see.

While the museum itself is stunning (and home to an Antonov An-22), the website leaves a lot to be desired .

If you want to explore the Central Air Force Museum virtually , be sure to enable Flash player and translate from Russian.

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a museum dedicated to space exploration in Moscow, Russia.

Located in the basement part of the Monument to the Conquerors of Space, this museum holds over 85,000 different space-related items from Soviet and Russian space programs.

With over 300,000 annual visitors, it is certainly a popular museum. You can explore this unique museum online thanks to a Google Arts & Culture exhibit.

Originally founded in 1952 as a developer of aviation pressure suits and other aviation-related products for the USSR’s space program, this organization quickly became the leader in spacesuit research and development.

In 1960, the company started the design for the spacesuit that would be worn by Yuri Gagarin, the first human to journey into outer space.

You can visit this interesting online exhibit courtesy of Google Arts & Culture.

The Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Museo del Aire in Spanish) in Madrid consists of multiple hangars on the Cuatro Vientos Air Base highlighting and preserving the historical heritage of the Spanish Air Force.

With over 200 aircraft spread across more than 720,510 square feet (66,938 square meters), there is enough aviation history on-site to keep most enthusiasts busy for the entire day.

Virtually visit the Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics to learn more.

United Kingdom

Aerospace Bristol is an aerospace museum project located in Filton, just north of Bristol, U.K.

Highlighting over 100 years of aviation history , including 2 world wars, visitors can explore the advancement of technology from the early days of flight to the modern-day space race.

A visit wouldn’t be complete without stepping on board the British Airways Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, the last of the iconic supersonic passenger jets to be built and the last one to fly.

Until you can visit in person, check out the rest of the exhibits at the Aerospace Bristol museum .

Imperial War Museums is a family of 5 museums in the United Kingdom showcasing the U.K.’s history in modern conflict.

The Duxford location is home to the large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft and other military vehicles.

To explore all of the museums in-depth from home, you can visit the Imperial War Museums , thanks to Google Arts & Culture.

Opened in 2003, Ukraine State Aviation Museum is one of the larger aviation museums displaying Soviet technology through aircraft display and interactive exhibits.

There is plenty of impressive hardware on-site and many aviation fans will recognize the Antonov name. Unfortunately, the An-225 is not on the property, but there are many other interesting aircraft to explore.

If you want to wander around the indoor and outdoor exhibit, explore the interactive 360-degree tour at the Ukraine State Aviation Museum.

United States

The Air Zoo is an aviation museum and indoor amusement park founded as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum.

The museum is packed with interactive experiences, flight simulators, and rare exhibits, including the world’s fastest air-breathing aircraft, the SR-71B Blackbird.

While you will likely want to visit the museum in person if you are in the area, you can browse through the many exhibits on the Air Zoo website .

Amelia Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She also set many other records, wrote books about her flying experience, and was instrumental in helping advance the opportunities for female pilots before she disappeared in 1937.

Currently, her birthplace of Atchison, Kansas serves as a museum to her and her accomplishments. Although the website could use some updates , it is a great place to learn more about her life and explore this little time capsule.

If you can’t make it to Atchison any time soon, be sure to visit the Amelia Earnhart museum virtually.

The Delta Flight Museum at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is a real treat for aviation lovers.

This non-profit museum is a designated Historic Aerospace Site and packed with history and aircraft which visitors can board and explore.

With everything from a Douglas DC-3 Ship 41 to a Boeing 747-400, the museum is a great resource for both Delta and aviation history.

If you are visiting from home, be sure to check out the 747 Experience .

The EAA Aviation Museum (formerly known as the EAA AirVenture Museum) is a museum located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that is dedicated to the preservation of historic and experiential airplanes.

Sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the museum is home to o ver 200 aircraft and hosts air shows each summer .

Thanks to the EAA Aviation Museum’s interactive website , you can sit in some very unique and antique planes without leaving home.

This museum and adjacent waterpark have quite a collection of aircraft with more than 50 military and civilian exhibits, drones, and spacecraft. Unchanged: This museum (and adjacent waterpark) have quite a collection of aircraft with more than 50 military and civilian exhibits, drones, and spacecraft.

This carefully-curated museum is under new management who has big expansion plans, including the addition of a hotel. You will be sure to add this to your to-do list if you find yourself in Oregon in the next few years.

While the website doesn’t offer any interactive virtual tours, there is plenty of educational information about the collection — including Howard Hughes’ H-4 Hercules flying boat known as the Spruce Goose. There’s also a collection of virtual tours of the Evergreen Aviation Museum thanks to K Space Academy!

This 100,000 square foot (9,290 square meters) Smithsonian-Affiliate museum is a state-of-the-art facility near the Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) in Dallas, Texas.

Home to over 30 aircraft, including the Apollo 7 Command module , this is a very special exhibit.

Fortunately, if you can’t visit in person, Google Arts & Culture has put together a very comprehensive online tour of the Frontiers of Flight Museum .

Perhaps the most striking and recognizable American aerospace museum, the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum is an actual aircraft carrier (the USS Intrepid) located in the Hudson River in New York City.

Besides the fact that the ship itself is worth a visit, it is loaded with some of the world’s more incredible aircraft including the Space Shuttle Enterprise, a Concorde SST, a Lockheed A-12 supersonic reconnaissance plane, and more!

Browse the video tour gallery to get a closer look at the exhibits until you can visit in person.

If you are looking for a more personalized virtual tour experience, Lone Star Flight Museum is offering a private “walk and talk” experience via GoToMeeting.

Explore the historic planes in the hangar and “go behind the chains” and see parts of the planes that aren’t accessible during in-person tours.

Virtual Hangar Tours , perfect for distance learning and online field trips, last 1 hour and cost $100.

The Museum of Flight, just outside of Seattle, is the largest private air and space museum in the world.

Home to more than 150 aircraft, including a Boeing 747 and 787, a Concorde, multiple Lockheed fighter jets, spacecraft, and more, this is as close to Aviation Geek heaven as you will get.

The website is just as complete as the museum itself, with countless pages of exhibits , galleries , and research to educate and inspire. Our favorite is just scrolling through the aircraft pages .

NASA has some world-class facilities spread across the U.S. celebrating America’s adventures in space.

The Kennedy Space Center in Florida offers some excellent VR apps so you can experience the International Space Station (ISS) just like an astronaut, 360-degree rides on the moon in a lunar rover, and more.

In Texas, Aviation Geeks will love seeing the space shuttle on the back of a Boeing 747 at Space Center Houston in the Independence Plaza exhibit, but you can explore most of the exhibit (like the Apollo 13 mission) online.

You can explore any of the 14 NASA Visitors Centers from home.

Located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world.

Home to over 360 aircraft with exhibits highlighting wars throughout history and space travel, there is plenty to see here.

Fortunately, if you can’t make it to the museum any time soon, there are plenty of options to visit virtually. The museum has an excellent website full of virtual tours and 360-degree cockpit photos of many of its exhibits, including Air Force One.

The National Naval Aviation Museum is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

This museum is devoted to the history of naval aviation, highlighting the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps.

The collection of aircraft on-site is nothing short of impressive with exhibits including former Blue Angels A-4 Skyhawks, the Curtiss NC-4 (the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic), and U. S. Coast Guard helicopters.

If you are a fan of military aviation, you will not want to miss the virtual tour of the National Naval Aviation Museum .

The Pima Air & Space Museum is one of the world’s largest non-government funded aerospace museums in the world. The 127-acre campus in Arizona is home to nearly 300 aircraft inside and outside the multiple hangars.

Some of the highlights from the museum’s collection include a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, the first prototype Boeing 777-200 (donated by Cathay Pacific), and the legendary Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

Be sure to browse through the aircraft directory , as there are plenty of rare and interesting pieces of history to check out.

Hot Tip: Indulge your inner Aviation Geek with our articles detailing everything you need to know about the Airbus 380 and the Boeing 777 , including the crew’s perspective!

The National Air and Space Museum is actually located in 2 separate locations. The main museum is in Washington, D.C., and the annex known as the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Virginia.

Both locations operate as centers for research into the history and science of aviation and spaceflight . Almost all of the aircraft on display are originals, including the Wright brothers ‘ Wright Flyer airplane, the Apollo 11 Command Module, and the Bell X-1 that broke the sound barrier.

The museum website is very extensive, as you can explore many of the exhibits online .

The Southern Museum of Flight is a civilian aviation museum home to nearly 100 aircraft, artifacts, models, and more.

Although not the biggest museum around, it has quite a unique collection including a Wright Flyer, an F-4 Phantom, Soviet-built MiGs, and the Lake Murray B-25.

Explore the exhibits from home and learn about pieces from the Korean War and more.

Located on the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum is home to a very special collection of aircraft.

Although there is plenty of unique military and civilian aircraft on display, including the U.S. Air Force B-1A Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, many come to visit the Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter, which is an autographed 3/4-scale replica of the aircraft flown by Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.”

Be sure to check out all of the fun exhibits .

Despite not being able to visit many of these museums in person due to COVID-19, we can still experience the magnitude of these impressive machines from the comfort of our own homes.

Aerospace technology has shaped our world, from the battlefields of wars to the luxury of travel and everywhere in between. Fortunately, many of the important milestones in the age of air travel have been preserved in these collections around the globe.

Grab a seat, warm up your mouse or VR goggles, and start exploring some of the most impressive aerospace museums on the internet!

Frequently Asked Questions

What aerospace museums have virtual tours.

There are aerospace museums located all around the world. From Austria to the U.S., aviation enthusiasts have collected some of history’s most famous aircraft and put them on display. Some of them even put their collections online, so you can peruse them from home! We’ve gathered the best ones here.

What does a virtual tour mean?

A virtual tour of an aerospace museum means that the existing (physical) museum has put their collection online for the world to see. Some museums use only single photos, while others use videos and 360-degree images to really allow guests to experience the space.

Which aircraft are available for a virtual tour?

We have found hundreds of aircraft across dozens of museums that can be toured virtually. Everything from a Wright Flyer to a Lockheed A-12 Blackbird can be explored with the click of a button. Whether you are interested in military, civilian, or space aircraft, we have a virtual tour for you.

Was this page helpful?

About Chris Hassan

Chris holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and managed social media for all Marriott properties in South America, making him a perfect fit for UP and its social media channels. He has a passion for making content catered toward family travelers.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE ™

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy and terms of service apply.

Related Posts

UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours

Access the tours.

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History virtual tours allow visitors to take self-guided, room-by-room tours of select exhibits and areas within the museum from their desktop or mobile device. Visitors can also access select collections and research areas at our satellite support and research stations as well as past exhibits no longer on display.

Virtual Tour Tips

• To navigate between adjoining rooms in the tours, click on the blue arrow links on the floor or use the navigation map in the upper right of the presentation screen.
• Look for the camera icon which gives you a close-up view of a particular object or exhibit panel.
• Try zooming in as some of the images are stitched together from individual pictures in order to create very high resolution gigapixel images.

Please note: This tour and these presentations have been tested and should work on all common devices, browsers, and operating systems (using a desktop computer with Windows, Mac, Linux or a mobile device such as an iPhone, iPad, or Android). Functionality and appearance may vary as it will adjust automatically to accommodate the most visitors. While the virtual tour has no advertising, ad blocking software or browser settings that block JavaScript and/or XML may interfere with the functionality of the virtual tour. Please let us know what you think of the tour and how the experience can be improved. Send your feedback to the NMNH Web Team .

Site Credit: Imagery and coding by Loren Ybarrondo

Equipment Used: Professional Nikon digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera bodies and lenses. The photography is typically done using rectilinear lenses with minimized distortion and shooting equirectangular panoramas at 22K pixels on the long side.

Software Used: No authoring software is used. The tours are hand-coded in HTML5 and JavaScript using the krpano graphics library.

• Smithsonian Institution
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Host an Event

Spring 2024 Web Tools

Home » Uncategorized » My Virtual Tour through the Smithsonian

• About this course

My Virtual Tour through the Smithsonian

Using a computer or mobile device, visitors may use virtual tours to explore the museum’s exhibits and locations on their own at their own pace, room by room. Along with historical exhibits that are no longer on display, visitors can also access specific collections and study areas at our satellite support and research stations.

How to Navigate the Site

Getting to the Virtual Tour is simple, click the VISIT tab up on the top. Scroll down the the VISIT AT HOME click on the READ MORE and it will bring you the Virtual Tour page. There you can find the ACCESS THE TOURS and pick which tour you would like to go on from your computer or smart device.

Current Exhibits

The tour I went on was the Current Exhibits. Once clicked on the Current Exhibit box it sent me to a long list of all of the exhibits, the list starts from the entrance where the Big Elephant is all the way to the Museum Grounds.

You can start your tour at any part of the Museum! I started in the Hall of Mammals, there are a list of links that can take you to any part of the exhibits.

Seeing the Exhibit

It was amazing with all of the angle you could do while in the Virtual Tour. The control panel let you move 360 degrees so you can see all of the exhibits angles. The arrows allowed me to move left, right, up, and down. You can even enhance the screen with the + or get closer to the exhibits with the – .

My Experience

The Virtual Tour was a great way to see all of the fun and educational exhibits at the Smithsonian. It was easy to use and best of all it was FREE! This would be a great activity to do in a classroom! It can be a fun scavenger hunt to do with the whole class. Over all I rate the Virtual Tour experience a 8 out of 10, I rather be in person and it took me a minute to get the hang of using the control bar but it was fun to explore the Museum being at home.

Tags: education , Technology , Virtual tour

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Powered by WordPress / Academica WordPress Theme by WPZOOM

• Articles   >

The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

The National Air and Space Museum has two locations: one in Washington, DC and one in Virginia. Both locations are open every day except Christmas, and admission is free for all. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in Washington, DC.

One of the most popular museums in the world. Visit the museum on the National Mall, featuring eight new galleries.

Plan a Visit

Free timed-entry passes required

10:00 am to 5:30 pm Open every day except December 25

Free admission Free timed-entry passes required

6th Street and Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20560 202-633-2214

View thousands of aviation and space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery and a Concorde, in two large hangars.

Free admission Parking $15

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway Chantilly, VA 20151 703-572-4118

Learn in new ways while making memories on a unique field trip to one of our two locations. 

Learners of all ages can explore air and space history on one of our memorable group tours. 

We rely on the generous support of donors like you to share the history and impact of aviation and spaceflight, educate the public, and inspire future generations.  With your help, we can continue to share the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts representing the great achievements of flight and space exploration.

• Get Involved
• Host an Event

Thank you. You have successfully signed up for our newsletter.

Error message, sorry, there was a problem. please ensure your details are valid and try again..

• Free Timed-Entry Passes Required
• Terms of Use

Air Show Report : MAKS 2005 Moscow International Aviation & Space Salon

Report and photos by Andrew Philpott ( view portfolio )

Home | Aircraft | Air Forces | Air Shows | Specials | Wallpapers | News | Quiz | Forum

Contact | About | FAQ | Updates | RSS Feeds | Links | Search

Copyright © 2002-2024 Niels Hillebrand . All Rights Reserved | Privacy & Cookie Policy | Terms of Service

Electrostal History and Art Museum

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travelers

Electrostal History and Art Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• (0.19 mi) Elektrostal Hotel
• (1.21 mi) Yakor Hotel
• (1.27 mi) Mini Hotel Banifatsiy
• (1.18 mi) Elemash
• (1.36 mi) Hotel Djaz
• (0.07 mi) Prima Bolshogo
• (0.13 mi) Makecoffee
• (0.25 mi) Amsterdam Moments
• (0.25 mi) Pechka
• (0.26 mi) Mazhor