Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to Undergo $650M Renovation

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., will begin a seven-year, $650 million renovation by the end of 2018. The project includes exterior revitalization, structural repairs, replacement of mechanical systems, and transformation of all 23 galleries. The museum, which houses the world's largest collection of aviation and space artifacts and attracts over 8 million visitors annually, will remain open during construction. However, the Apollo to the Moon and Looking at Earth galleries will close on December 3, 2018, with other galleries closing in January 2019. Popular artifacts like the Spirit of St. Louis, the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Apollo Lunar Module, and Skylab will remain on display during early phases. The first galleries are set to reopen in 2022. To protect collections during renovation, most artifacts will be moved to a new storage facility at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The museum is also home to the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies.