Aviation has come a long way since Orville Wright’s flight in 1903, making air and space collections a must-see on many bucket lists. With so many incredible museums spread across the United States, this list focuses on those on the East Coast—we promise to cover the others in subsequent issues.
Visitors enjoying a close-up look at World War I Sopwith Camel aircraft. (Alena Veasey/Shutterstock)
Smithsonian Greats
The best place to start is the Big Daddy of them all, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, located in Washington, with a second facility in nearby Chantilly, Virginia. This collection stands out by providing its guests the opportunity to get a rare, up-close look at a World War I Sopwith F.1 Camel—yes, just like the one Snoopy flies—the space shuttle Discovery, and a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane that flew faster than the speed of sound. Other notable aircraft include the Enola Gay, the bomber that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and hastened the end of World War II….