I love behind-the-scenes tours at museums and was lucky enough to visit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Silver Hill, Maryland many years ago.
Specialists were in the process of preparing the Enola Gay for exhibit and it was really fascinating to hear their take on the controversial exhibit and to observe them working.
Much of the museum’s restoration work has now moved to the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, near Dulles International Airport.
This Saturday, January 25, 2014, in honor of the tenth anniversary of the Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, there will be the first ever open house.
The highlight of the open house will be a tour of the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hanger, where the Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver, flown in World War II, is undergoing restoration.
Museum curators and other specialists will offer a behind-the scenes look at the Udvar-Hazy Center through presentations, hands-on activities, stories, and special tours about the collection and restoration projects.
The open house will showcase historic artifacts, documents, and works of art that are not on public display. You will have the chance to see what it takes to collect, preserve, and restore historic aircraft and spaceships.
Here are the details:
- Tour the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar and see the Museum’s current projects such as the Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver.
- Meet curators, conservators, archivists, and other specialists, and learn how they care for objects in the Museum’s collection.
- Learn how the aircraft are hung for display in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.
- Participate in hands-on activities designed for adults and children.
- See how the most fragile artifacts are stored and cared for.
- Discover the research that is needed before a restoration project can begin.
- Get some tips for photographing objects in the Museum from a staff photographer.
- See the technology behind giant-screen films in the Airbus IMAX Theater.
The open house is scheduled from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday January 25, 2014. Admission is free, but parking is $15.
Directions: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, Virginia 20151.