USA - Seattle To Do
USA - Seattle To Eat
Seattle - To Do
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The museum of Flight
Opens daily from 10am-stated time
Entry/AdultUSD26 After Discount
Opens daily from 10am-stated time
Entry/AdultUSD26 After Discount
The Museum of Flight in Seattle is the world’s largest non-profit air and space museum, featuring over 175 aircraft and spacecraft that span the history of aviation and space exploration.
ABBAtip:
- DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE! You don't even need to bring your staff pass. Just a photo of it or you in uniform and you get 10% Off! They're pretty cool and flexi on this. Ask staff what other discount they may offer.
ABBAtip:
- DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE! You don't even need to bring your staff pass. Just a photo of it or you in uniform and you get 10% Off! They're pretty cool and flexi on this. Ask staff what other discount they may offer.
- Recommended minimum half day to spend here!
The museum grounds are large but can be pretty much split into a couple of main areas. The outdoor static displays with adjourning Space exploration (we glazed past this). The tower view and runway. The main atrium with flight simulators and gift shop. The Red Barn where it all stared and lastly, World War 1 and 2 planes display.
The Outdoor Static Displays
(Iconic display pieces! The must for me at least.)
Iconic exhibits include the first Boeing 747, a British Airways Concorde, Boeing 787, early years of Airforce One and more! You can get up close and get a sense and feel for American History!
Concorde
*Below the amazing and beautiful Concorde.*
The Concorde was a supersonic jet that flew at Mach 2 cruising at 60,000 feet and cutting transatlantic flight time to under 3.5 hours. It operated from 1976 to 2003, carried up to 128 passengers. Only 20 were built, and it was flown commercially by British Airways and Air France. Singapore Airlines operated the Concorde for a very brief period in 1977, in partnership with British Airways.
The First Jet-powered Airforce One
Boeing VC-137B, also known as SAM 970, the first jet-powered aircraft to serve as Air Force One. This specially modified Boeing 707-120 was delivered in 1959 and served Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.
*Airforce 1 back in the day! Full oven and all!*
*Some of the famous flights Airforce one took.*
The first 747, Queen of the Skies.
*During test flights to collect data and shift water weights to test the aircraft.*
*Through the 744 door with a view of the new 787 tail*
*Blue Angels standing proud.*
*Harrier. Cleared for vertical take-off!*
The Main Atrium
*Don't forget about Katherine Wright. She brought the sales and attention for her more famous, through more introverted, Wright Brothers to bring aviation to the world. Bob giving a really great overview of the museum and sharing his stories.*
Just look at the iconic The SR-71. The SR-71 Blackbird is famous for being the fastest and highest-flying manned jet ever built, capable of speeds over Mach 3.3 and altitudes above 85,000 feet. Designed during the Cold War for reconnaissance, it could outrun missiles and gather intelligence without being intercepted. Its sleek black design helped reduce radar detection and dissipate heat. The slightly tiled engines were purposely designed to achieve the correct airflow into its engines. The Blackbird remains a symbol of innovation and remains unmatched in speed to this day.
Boeing Red Barn
*Rumpler Taube, a German Aircraft used in the early days of Aviation
and during World War 1 for reconnaissance and training. The Red Barn seen in the background*
*Don't forget about Katherine Wright. She brought the sales and attention for her more famous, through more introverted, Wright Brothers to bring aviation to the world. Bob giving a really great overview of the museum and sharing his stories.*
*Have a sit-in feel of the cockpit of the SR-71*
Tower with live atc and active Runway
Having an active runway by the museum just gives the vibes to the whole place! Live ATC and watching approaches with overflying aircraft onward to Seattle International its just fantastic!
*Pretty much runway side for some of the great views of Arrivals and Departures.*For a similar experience, one can check out these two great locations for a similar experience.
LAX - Proud Bird along the flight path of LAX RWY35L. Great food, amazing views.
*Pretty much runway side for some of the great views of Arrivals and Departures.*
LAX - Proud Bird along the flight path of LAX RWY35L. Great food, amazing views.
*Rumpler Taube, a German Aircraft used in the early days of Aviation
and during World War 1 for reconnaissance and training. The Red Barn seen in the background*
*P-40N achieving legendary status in the hands of the "Flying Tigers" The Flying Tigers were a group of American volunteer pilots who flew for China during World War II, famously defending against Japanese forces before the U.S. officially entered the war.*
All time favorites like the spitfire, Mustangs. The P-51 Mustang was a fast, long-range fighter that gave the Allies air superiority in WWII by escorting bombers deep into enemy territory, excelling in performance with its Merlin engine, and becoming one of the most effective and beloved aircraft of the war.
A must and really a whole day affair. We were there for almost 4hours and just managed to breeze past all the key points. A full day would have been fantastic! Food, water top up are available on-site.
*Obligatory Gift Shop visit. Loads of things to look at and purchase.*
You might be interested to check out these other note worthy, amazing aviation museums, some of which are free entry, pending military or otherwise.
NYC - To Do 23Feb23, USS Intrepid is located a fairly manageable walk from Time's Square and you'd be surprised how much this floating city can accommodate.
London 12Mar2017 - RAF museum located about 50mins out from Gloucester Station. Another amazing collection and pieces of aviation history!
London 12Mar2017 - RAF museum located about 50mins out from Gloucester Station. Another amazing collection and pieces of aviation history!
Boeing Everett Factory Tour
(1hr ride away from the City)
Where the Wide Bodies are made.
*Free to access viewing area from the carpark.*
(1hr ride away from the City)
Where the Wide Bodies are made.
If it isn't clear on their website, there are no cameras, handphones for the tour. The entire tour lasts for just about 2hours and ends strategically at the gift shop.
*Picture from internet. Winglet is 3.5m tall!*
- No cameras and mobile phones allowed. Free lockers are available on-site
- Use the wash room before the tour as there are no bathrooms on the factory floor.
- The left side of the bus may give you a slightly better view.
- Discount are available for military.
- Pre-booking is advisable but depending on season may not be needed to pre-purchase in advance.
*The windows are for sale at about USD800 and the prop blades going for about USD1200.*
The factory is divided into three parts. The tour, the viewing gallery up top and lastly the free to view area.
My personal suggestion is to visit that first as the Red Barn and First 747 adds a little more significance to the whole tour experience. It maybe a little less bang for your buck in terms of airplanes to view, but the experience is very different.
Click here for ABBA location of Boeing Everett Factory Tour
*Picture from internet. Winglet is 3.5m tall!*
*We can confirm that it brought much delight and pride to see the SIA livery painted on the wingtips and a little of the back of a brand new 777-X. The 777-9 is about 9.5 feet (2.9 meters) longer than the 777-300ER, making it the longest commercial aircraft Boeing has ever built.*
ABBATips:- No cameras and mobile phones allowed. Free lockers are available on-site
- Use the wash room before the tour as there are no bathrooms on the factory floor.
- The left side of the bus may give you a slightly better view.
- Discount are available for military.
- Pre-booking is advisable but depending on season may not be needed to pre-purchase in advance.
*The windows are for sale at about USD800 and the prop blades going for about USD1200.*
*Viewing Gallery*
*Free to access area. The 747-8 has the tallest tail of any airliner, standing 63.5 feet (19.4 meters) high—about as tall as a 6-story building—and even taller than the Airbus A380’s tail.*
A real eye opener an awesome experience. The price of admission is about the same as that of The Museum of Flight and if you had to choose one, really depends on your fandom and preferences.My personal suggestion is to visit that first as the Red Barn and First 747 adds a little more significance to the whole tour experience. It maybe a little less bang for your buck in terms of airplanes to view, but the experience is very different.
Click here for ABBA location of Boeing Everett Factory Tour
Boeing Renton Factory
(Free to view from outside the Boeing Renton Factory)
(Free to view from outside the Boeing Renton Factory)
Bonus for Aviation enthusiast Boeing's Renton Municipal Airport factory primarily builds 737 MAX aircraft and the P-8 Poseidon military jet.
Free parking is available at the park nearby and great to view Lake Washington from there.
