We found another Air and Space Museum to tour as we were passing through Virginia. The Virginia Air and Space Science Center in Hampton!
Coming from the Seattle side of Washington State, we’ve had plenty of trips to The Museum of Flight. As such, we can’t help but use that as a yardstick to judge all others. In that measure, we kind of found the Virginia Air and Space Museum … wanting.
Regrettably, the museum felt, for lack of a better term, neglected. A lot of the static aircraft hung in the main gallery were coated with dust. The children’s STEM playspace was deserted and poorly organized.
About the only good thing they had was a newly renovated space center. The space center had lots of simulators and hands-on learning tools.
What To Expect
For what it was, it wasn’t horrible, if you can get in free with reciprocal memberships or after letting your kids take a (free) Young Eagles Flight. They had interesting exhibits on supersonic research, and a couple of historical, if not well-known aircraft from research bases and Langley. I personally liked the models they had of WW2 and Modern aircraft carriers, even if they weren’t on the same scale.
The Virginia Air and Space Museum has potential. If the curators put as much effort into the air side as they have in the space side, this one could have been one of the better ones. As it is, if you’re just starting out on your journey, check this one out first, but if you’ve got a lot of Air and Space Museums on your tally sheet already, you can skip this one.
