Which Smithsonian museum opened its National Mall building during the 1976 United States Bicentennial?

The National Air and Space Museum opened its National Mall building during the 1976 United States Bicentennial.

The building opened on July 1, 1976, just before the main Independence Day celebrations. It gave the Smithsonian a large public venue for displaying aircraft, spacecraft, and objects connected with the history of flight and space exploration.

The institution itself dates to 1946, when Congress created the National Air Museum. The collection later expanded as aviation and the space race became central parts of modern history, prompting the name change to the National Air and Space Museum.

The museum’s exhibits include the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, John Glenn’s Friendship 7 capsule, and the Wright Flyer. The National Mall building should not be confused with the later Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport.