When you travel to Seattle, the first thing I would recommend to visit as a visitor is to visit the Museum of Flight. Why? Did you know that in the world history of travel, powered airplanes were invented by Bright brothers who are Americans? It all started from 1903. From the museum, you will learn everything related to the origin of aircrafts, spacecrafts and many more!
There are two places where you can visit the Museum of Flight in Seattle. One is in Everett and another one is Tukwila. During the time I visited the one in Everett was closed for renovation. However, the one at Tukwila is famous among visitors and is actually an original Boeing Aircraft Factory. The museum was established in 1965, built on 15-acre campus with 175 aircrafts and spacecrafts, together with tens of thousands of artifacts and rare photographs.
The museum exhibits many things which takes generally 2-4hours visit:the history of plane making [first in history], the Vietnam war, the Spaceship and the real planes there were built by Boeing. There are just too many things to see and learn.
At Vietnam war sections, you will see all kinds of aircrafts used during that time. There are information boards that tell you everything you want to know. There are veterans who volunteer to give all information you need. For example, you get a chance to talk to different captains during the Vietnam War. They are very happy to answer you any question you might have. My parents were happy to see the planes they saw during the Vietnam War. They could relate those planes to their childhood. This section alone, there are so many aircrafts to see. You can try Flight Simulators too!
Then, in the next building, there is Apollo and NASA and then open field - the Aviation Pavilion for big aircrafts like Boeing 747, 777, 787, Concord or US air force. You get a chance to see the inside and detailed of the aircrafts. I think that’s amazing.
What I love about this museum is that it gives you all and very detailed information about how aircrafts being first made, then upgraded and came to the latest versions of aircrafts being used today. You would see models of aircrafts made from wood in the entrance [first made being on front row of the exhibit], then the mail aircraft where pilot sit in the middle of the airplane [not front cockpit for pilots like today]. Until the end of the museum, you would also see the latest models being made today.
The place is worth a visit with families and children. The place is with wheelchair parking and accessible. At the end of the trip, there is a big gift shop where you find many things to bring home.
Time and prices
Time: Mon-Sun, from 10am-5pm - you can enjoy coffee in the house too! Photos and video are allowed!
Entrance ticket price: 25$/person, Senior is cheaper rate. On side note: every first Thursday of each month, the Museum stays open late (5:00 to 9:00 PM) and admission is FREE
If you want to see the real plane field, travel around the city to Renton (smaller factory) or travel around Boeing - you will see hundreds of planes being made and shown.
I love museums, and Infact I have some posts on various museums. I have never thought of museums for flight !
That’s a new one for me to lookout for when am visiting a place now. Nevertheless my own part of the world doesn’t seem so developed to have such a thing. This must have been a very interesting visit for you. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Well @SholaIB I think USA is privilege and very proud to have this museum at home because it is the first country that created airplanes and had airplanes plant. In 1903 and in world’s travel history - the Wright brothers started the first world’s powered airplanes. The museum portraited their story and has the workshop.
I cam imagine ! It’s going to require lots of technology and finance to set it up and even to keep it going. I don’t think countries here in Africa can afford that.
Well maybe someday I’ll get a chance to see. Connect makes us aware and even helps us travel to places virtually. I like that.
You are right @SholaIB that’s what I love about Connect too. You get a chance to see things and share them and let others enjoy them virtually. If other countries have this kind of museum too, it is not authentic - they are not the one who invented the planes. That’s why USA is powerful. Countries from Europe and Asia all purchased airplanes from US. US created airplanes we use today - all in the world. They have advanced in technology. Some countries that bought the airline control system to use at their airport, for instance they got the version was developed since 1982 but is still accurate with only 2mm error I heard. Some countries in Europe could only produce spare parts.
Some notes: that’s why people love to move to Seattle because they have Boeing Plane Factory that hire thousand people. From my cousin, an airplane needs at least 4 months to complete, 1.5month on the runway to test. In the high season, they only need 4 days to install one airplane.
Very beautiful and detailed post @Sophia_Cambodia thanks for sharing it with us , I love to see different themed museum and it’s one of my favourite topic on connect , well done
Another great post of a nice place. I had visited Seattle about 6 years ago. But never got a chance to visit this museum. I always love to see air, space and aviation museums. I liked the way you mentioned the FREE day for admission, even though $25 is not too much for such a museum. Now I know where to go next time I visit Seattle. Thank you for sharing the details, @Sophia_Cambodia
I see @SoniaK previously I thought it would be easier to travel between states but when I went there myself - I knew how big it is. It is just like you go to another country (even in the same country) and looking for air tickets and its cost is so high to be able to travel between states. I understood now why.
Yeah, This museum is a great place to be, and I highly recommended anyone who travels to this city to take the chance because you won’t see it anywhere else. I have learnt a lot, about aviation industry, how it is made through this museum. I can’t believe I was there in the place where the world of travel by air took place.
Tell me about it @Sophia_Cambodia . USA is huge. You are right, travelling from one state to another feels like traveling to a different country, except for, if you are not traveling in East Coast. East Coast traveling is fun. I remember in my recent trip to east coast I touched 5 states (if we consider Washing DC a state) on a single day. I woke up in Virginia, had breakfast there and took the train to DC. After exploring the city for a couple of hours I took the train from DC to Philadelphia, PA. My nephew picked me up from Phil to go to see my cousin and had late lunch at their place in New Jersey. In the evening I took the bus from New Jersey to New York and had dinner at my aunt’s there, before I went to bed.
On the other hand, last year my husband and I decided to take a road trip to New Mexico. We left home (Dallas, TX) at 6 in the morning, drove the whole day. Took breaks only for refueling and bathroom/ lunch breaks. We drove for about 9 hours, including those breaks, at 80 MPH on an average and we were still in Texas. You can imagine how huge the state is. (Just so you know, Texas is the second biggest state of USA, whereas Alaska is the biggest)
I already have this museum in my bucket list. Next time I go to Seattle I will definitely pay a visit there. If you go to New York, you can also visit Intrepid Sea, Air & Space museum. It will blow your mind. This museum is actually an aircraft carrier ship that displays a lot of fighter planes and also the space shuttle Enterprise, that was named after the famous sci-fi TV show Star Trek.
@SoniaK right - I saw that states in eastern side are rather small so no wonder you can cross 5 states in one day train
At the western side, states are rather big and yes I heard about Texas being the bigger state. It took about 5 hours on direct flights from Houston to Seattle and more than 7hours on connecting flight. So, yes my aunties who lives in Texas never visited my uncle in Seattle for the past 30 years they are in the States!
Hahaha… I totally understand that @Sophia_Cambodia . Same with my family in New York and California. They don’t get to see each other in 5-10 years.
