The Museum of Flight
About
What It Is
The Museum of Flight is a private, non-profit air and space museum situated at the southern end of King County International Airport (Boeing Field) in Tukwila, Washington, immediately south of Seattle [2]. Founded in 1965 and fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, it is recognized as the largest private air and space museum in the world [2]. The museum recorded more than 465,000 visitors in 2024 and maintains an endowment of approximately 72.9 million dollars [2].
The institution traces its origins to the Pacific Northwest Aviation Historical Foundation, which was formed to restore a 1929 Boeing 80A-1 aircraft [2]. A central landmark on the grounds is the William E. Boeing Red Barn, a 1909 wooden structure that served as Boeing's original home and was relocated to the site in 1975 [2].
Activities & Experiences
Visitors can explore a collection of more than 150 aircraft spanning aviation and space history, including a Boeing 747, the first jet-powered Air Force One (a Boeing VC-137B on loan from the Air Force Museum), and a Lockheed M-21 [2][3]. The T.A. Wilson Great Gallery displays over 20 hanging aircraft beneath a glass roof, while the J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing holds more than 25 World War I and World War II aircraft across two floors of 88,000 square feet [2].
The museum offers guided interior tours of the Full Fuselage Trainer, a Space Shuttle mockup used to train all Space Shuttle astronauts, for an additional charge [2]. An interactive Air Traffic Control tower exhibit overlooks the active Boeing Field runways, and a Challenger Learning Center allows students to simulate a Space Shuttle mission [2]. Recurring special events, including seasonal themed evenings and fashion showcases, are held throughout the year [1].
Practical Access
The museum is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM [1]. The address is 9404 East Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98108, and free parking is available on site [1][3]. The museum can be reached by phone at 206-764-5700 [1][3].
The Space Shuttle Trainer Crew Compartment guided tour is a one-hour ticketed experience offered separately from general admission; it accommodates groups of no more than six persons [2]. The museum gift shop is open daily and does not require an admission ticket to enter [1].
Restrictions
The Full Fuselage Trainer interior tour has a minimum participant age of 10 and a maximum height of 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) [2]. Groups for that tour are capped at six persons [2]. The Haunted Skies special event is restricted to visitors aged 21 and older [1].
What Makes It Distinctive
As the largest private air and space museum in the world, the Museum of Flight holds artifacts that are difficult to encounter elsewhere, including a walkthrough of the first jet-powered Air Force One and the only Space Shuttle Full Fuselage Trainer open to interior guided tours [2][3]. Its location on an active general aviation airport adds an operational dimension absent from most heritage aviation sites, with the Air Traffic Control tower exhibit overlooking live runway activity [2].
The museum also serves more than 140,000 students annually through onsite education programs, a Challenger Learning Center, an Aviation Learning Center, and outreach programs across Washington and Oregon, giving it a scope that extends well beyond a conventional display collection [2].
Sources
- Open year-round
- Typical duration: 4h
Access & fees
- admission required (general)
- adult ticket (18+): $29
- age 0–4: free
- benches throughout
- caregiver accompanying a visitor with a disability: free admision
- courtesy wheelchairs - free, first-come/first-served
- senior ticket (65+): $25
- youth ticket (5–17): $21
Things to do
- air force one walkthrough
- board the first jet air force one
- book the special space shuttle trainer crew compartment experience (additional ticket/requirements)
- challenger learning center simulation
- explore the enormous great gallery, filled with aircraft overhead and around you
- explore wwi and wwii fighter aircraft in the personal courage wing
- guided tours and experiences
- join one of the museum's free daily public tours, subject to the day's schedule.
- k–12 educational programs
- see early boeing jets, including the first 727, 747 and other major aircraft in the aviation pavilion
- see nasa's space shuttle full fuselage trainer
- shuttle interior guided tour
- summer ace camp
- try a flight simulator or vr experience (additional charge)
- visit the boeing red barn, birthplace of the boeing airplane company
- walk through a concorde
Amenities
- free on-site parking
- museum gift shop
- private event venues
- skyline banquet room
- wings cafe on-site
Events & seasons
- apollo 11 anniversary exhibit
- sensory days
Features
- 150+ aircraft collection
- 25+ wwi & wwii aircraft
- boeing red barn (1909)
- challenger learning center
- charles simonyi space gallery
- first jet air force one on display
- interactive atc tower exhibit
- largest private air/space museum
- offers tactile tours for blind/low-vision visitors, sensory resources and noise-reduction earmuffs.
- personal courage wing
- space shuttle full fuselage trainer
- t.a. wilson great gallery
Nearby
- king county international airport
Good to know
- located at boeing field
- non-profit, aam accredited
- open daily 10 am–5 pm
- parking is free.
- the museum is free from 5–9 pm on the first thursday of each month.
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