Seattle: The Museum of Flight Entry Ticket

About This Experience

The Museum of Flight is the other half of Seattle's aviation story, and it answers a different question from the Everett factory. Nothing is being built here. Instead you get one of the largest air and space collections anywhere, more than 150 aircraft, and the freedom to spend as long as you like with any of them.

The headline exhibits earn the trip on their own: the Lockheed M-21 Blackbird seen head-on in the Great Gallery, the first jet Air Force One, a Concorde, and the only full-scale NASA Space Shuttle trainer open to the public. The Aviation Pavilion outside holds the first flight-worthy Boeing 747.

It is a genuinely large site - five galleries spread across a two-sided campus connected by a pedestrian bridge - so treat half a day as the minimum rather than a generous estimate. Flight simulators and the hands-on benches make it a strong choice with children, and unlike the factory tour there is no height requirement and no camera ban.

This ticket is entry only, dated but flexible across the day. It is also the cheapest aviation ticket in this comparison by a wide margin.

Highlights

• One of the world's largest independent air and space museums, with 150+ aircraft
• The Lockheed M-21 Blackbird, a Concorde, and the first jet Air Force One
• The only full-scale NASA Space Shuttle trainer open to the public
• Hands-on galleries and flight simulators - strong with children
• No height limit and no camera ban, unlike the Boeing factory tour

What's Included

• ✓ Entry to all five Museum of Flight galleries
• ✓ Access to the Aviation Pavilion and the outdoor aircraft
• ✓ Skip-the-counter entry with a pre-purchased ticket

Not Included

• The flight-themed 3D film, which the operator lists as an optional extra cost
• Parking
• Food and drink

What to Bring

• Your ticket on your phone
• Comfortable shoes - the campus is larger than it looks

Good to Know & Caveats

• Last admission is 4:00 PM and the museum closes at 5:00 PM - arriving at 3:30 PM does not give you a useful visit.
• Five galleries across a two-sided campus: plan at least half a day, ideally longer.
• Audio guides are available in several languages.
• The operator's inclusions list and its own description disagree about whether the 3D film is included; treat it as an extra and check at the desk.
• Weapons and sharp objects are not permitted.

Meeting Point

The Museum of Flight, 9404 East Marginal Way South, Seattle - on the west side of Boeing Field, about 15 minutes south of downtown.