(just outside) Seattle: The Museum of Flight

Let me clarify a little on the location.

We had been thinking we would take the train to Tacoma, then ride to the museum. In fact, it is closer to Seattle, and closer still to Tukwila. 

Another thing I saw placed the museum in Allentown-Duwamish, Washington, but the web site says Seattle.

I wish I could tell you that the important thing is that everyone is really familiar with the Museum of Flight so it doesn't matter where you start out, but our driver was a bit confused. 

It's huge, which should make it hard to miss.

Started on the site of the birthplace of Boeing, the Red Barn represents that history.

There is also the Personal Courage Wing, focusing on aviation during WWI and WWII.

I have always been fond of classic plane art.

 Goose?

I was surprised to find that the Quonset Hut Theater showed not movies but live speakers.

The Great Gallery focuses on aviation history. 

That is all on the East Campus, which also has children's activities, theaters, and an amazing control tower.

You can then cross the sky bridge to the West Campus.

There you will find the Space Gallery and Aviation Pavillion, as well as the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Park. 

To some extent all aviation museums have to be pretty large because of the size of the artifacts, but you notice it here and there is a lot.

For atmosphere, there are nearby courier and freight services, so you should be able to see many takeoffs and landings nearby.

My favorite part was one of the temporary exhibits, Runway to Runway, focusing on flight attendant fashion over the years. 

There was a wide variety of items, giving a sense of the history with style.

Runway to Runway will be there through January 18th, 2027. While the museum is worth seeing anyway, if you can go within that time it would be well worth it.

Something that was not so much favorite but interesting was an old plane interior in the Great Gallery where you could sit and watch the OK Go video "Upside Down & Inside Out": 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWGJA9i18Co&list=RDLWGJA9i18Co&start_radio=1

There is a level at which sitting and watching a video you could pull up whenever on Youtube while in a museum does not feel right, so the primary impression is noticing how much roomier and more comfortable plane seating used to be.

Home to the Boeing Academy for STEM Learning, the museum was being visited by many summer camps and groups.

While I am sure there are many different levels of experiences, most floors had some activities to try along with all the things to see.

 There is plenty to see and do, for all levels of interest.

COVID: There were a lot of people. Even though it's a large space, it can get dense. I stayed masked, though there may have been examples of more extreme levels of protection.

Accessibility: This was generally good, with ramps and elevators available as well as noise reduction options, sensory days, and tactile tours. There is good information on the site: https://www.museumofflight.org/visit/accessibility 

It looked like there were some areas where stairs were necessary, but they say fully accessible and encourage asking questions.

One thing that impressed me was the combination Nursing & Prayer room. Two different purposes, but a shared solution. 

I recommend visiting the Museum of Flight. 

https://www.museumofflight.org