Since its inception in 1965, the Museum of Flight in Seattle has been preserving aircraft and educating visitors on the history and evolution of flight. It’s a thrilling space filled with spacey objects and fun exhibitions to marvel at, from U.S. Air Mail planes that hang off the ceiling to immersive exhibits blending aviation with art.
Not only does its purpose lie solely in the appreciation of air traffic; however, the museum also hosts a variety of Candlelight concerts where talented musicians pay tribute to iconic artists with thousands of flickering candles surrounding them.
The Flight Museum houses the first Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range commercial jet airliner, often called the “Jumbo Jet.” It was first introduced in 1970 and became famous for its distinctive hump-shaped upper deck. Also famously known as the “Queen of the Skies”, this legendary aircraft changed air travel forever by making international flights more accessible, and today visitors can actually step inside to experience the sheer scale of aviation history firsthand.
What else can you do at The Museum of Flight?
The museum is open daily, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and a heads up! Admission is free from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm the first Thursday of every month. Saturdays and Sundays, if you’re planning a fun family time, the museum offers weekend family workshops with lots of hands-on and interactive experiences, where the whole family can learn more about science, engineering, and aerospace.
Candlelight concerts at The Museum of Flight
Besides learning about the history of aviation and looking at all the amazing aircraft the Museum of Flight has to offer, you can also attend a magical Candlelight concert at the very heart of the museum. The popular concert series always selects interesting and culturally important venues for its row of classical tributes. It makes for an incredible view! As you sit back and listen to classical takes on contemporary music, thousands of candles flicker and illuminate the spacey and impressive spacecraft. From Adele and Joe Hisaishi to Metallica and Billie Holiday, there’s really a concert for everybody.
Facts, Curiosities and Interesting Things about The Museum of Flight
1. The documentation and preservation of the evolution of flight is key.
In 1964, the Pacific Northwest Aviation Historical Foundation was created out of the necessity to preserve important and historical artifacts that were being lost or wasted. One year later, the first official Museum of Flight exhibits opened in a 10,000-square-foot space at the Seattle Center, where the 1962 World’s Fair was held.
2. There are tons of materials and objects to discover.
One of the best air and space museum collections in the world, the Museum of Flight in Seattle houses over 150 aircraft, more than 25,000 small objects—meaning everything smaller than an aircraft—-over 90,000 books and periodicals, approximately 18,000 aircraft manuals and other technical documents, and nearly 5,000 cubic feet of archival materials, including more than a million images.
3. The museum has a restoration center, devoted to renovating and restoring aircraft to exhibition quality.
The Restoration Center & Reserve Collection is a 23,000-square-foot space that can be visited by tourists and aviation enthusiasts. Around 50 volunteers work to restore and renovate aircraft, making it an important step for the preparation of the aircraft to exhibition quality.
Where is The Flight Museum and how to get there
Located at the southern end of King County International Airport in Tukwila, just south of Seattle, the museum is easily reachable by bus. Take METRO Bus 124 from Downtown Seattle or Tukwila Station and hop off directly in front of the museum. What’s more, all parking is free. So, if you decide to take your car, instead, free parking is located next to the museum entries on the east and west sides of East Marginal Way.
Nearby venues in Seattle
Beyond The Museum of Flight, visitors can explore a range of nearby Seattle music venues. The museum itself often transforms into a stage for candlelight concerts among its aircraft displays, while the Arctic Club Hotel downtown hosts intimate performances beneath its historic dome. In Ballard, the National Nordic Museum presents concerts in a striking cultural setting, and Sparkman Cellars in Woodinville offers live music in a warm, wine-country atmosphere.