The National Air and Space Museum’s main building opened on July 1, 1976, during the U.S. Bicentennial.
The museum stands on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., near L’Enfant Plaza. Its opening formed part of the major capital-city celebrations held shortly before the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The institution began in 1946 as the National Air Museum. The space race and the growing importance of astronautics led to its renaming as the National Air and Space Museum. The new building provided room for large aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and other objects that could not fit in earlier facilities.
The building was designed by Gyo Obata of the architectural firm HOK. Its large atria allowed visitors to see full-size historic machines, including aircraft and spacecraft, rather than only small artifacts or models.