Virginia Air & Space Science Center Reviews

Was in town over the weekend for the kids basketball tournament and had several hours to kill between games and found the Virginia Air & Space Center to be close by so we checked it out. Its a great place if you are into planes and space travel with lots of hands on exhibits. We also caught a short movie in their IMAX theater which was pretty cool. They have a snack bar and a gift shop inside if you need it. Overall everyone enjoyed the visit even more so when the rain set in for the day.

This is a great place to visit - if you have small children the activity center is great for them. If an adult, they have a different imax film Every hour (admission just includes one that you must choose ahead of time but it’s only $10 to see additional ones). They have great displays on the museum and an area where you can do hands on things - like landing the space shuttle . If you go upstairs there is an observation deck to see Hampton and it’s right on the water/ near marina .

So much new....starting with the Apollo 11 Imax movie which was great...3 of us remember it and to little guy learned history. Lots of good techie hands on exhibits like take control and land your rover on a surface and control it...a fave with 10 year old! And all free after you pay your entrance. All except the simulator which is 5.00 pp. 2 can get in at a time or can go alone. This simulator which you control can go upside down and tilt and turn..this was the most loved by the 10 year old. 3 floors of great things to see and do. For the adults the movie and the Apollo 12 capsule were the favorites. Disappointed in the cafe so we went out for lunch and returned by just showing our tickets again. And of course a good gift shop for souvenirs.

Can't believe we have missed this place so many times when visiting the area. There are lots of exhibits and hands on activities for the kids, a flight simulator, and an IMAX theatre. My son loved the space shuttles, moon rock, and opportunities to learn about how astronauts eat, sleep, and sleep in space. Unfortunately, we didn't get to experience the Solarium, but I'm looking forward to another trip soon.

We chose to see the Robots IMAX 3D to start our journey!! Fun for the whole family! Incredible and amazing! Love Michelle talking about electricity! She was so knowledgeable and fun and loves PUNS!! Made kids learn while having fun! You can tell she loves working there.

It seems obvious that some of the display elements are aging. Still, the museum has some fascinating holdings that are worthy of the visit. On top of the museum, the 3D IMAX theater provides 50-minute viewings on a variety of subjects so be sure to check what is currently showing. The shuttle landing exhibit is fun even for an adult. As the Visitor Center for Langley, it well represents the Space Center.

Amazing the aerospace history available in downtown Hampton...great place DF or whole family and out of town guest

For the price of $20 a person I was hoping for more displays... honestly there isn’t much to it.... That being said... the IMAX Aircraft Carrier movie was pretty neat... takes the sting out of the entrance fee a little.

Wonderful place. See something new every time. Subsidized by Langley AFB and NASA Langley. This place is the real. Unlike the Smithsonian in DC, this is an easy off/on kind of place. Wonderful for kids. Also an IMAX with appropiate 1st Run Movies like Star Wars, etc. also tremendous science and nature documentaries. Small Cafe. Great gift shop for science stuff for kids. Worth a day in Hampton. Pair with Venture or Marker 20 for an early supper.

There is something for everyone The space capsule is amazing i thought, That they traveled to the moon and back in it There's lots to do for all My seven year old grandson enjoyed it as much as i did

Although a distance from the Williamsburg attractions, this small attraction offers something different. Unlike the Smithsonian, this museum can be done in a few hours and you'll see it all. The history, the actual Apollo capsules, aircraft and hands on exhibits for the children.

There are a growing number of air museums, this must rank near the greatest. It certainly has a story to tell as the nearby NASA research center feeds not only disdaly items but also walking and talking docents who lived the story most only dreamed.
Great open spaces enhance the displays of air and spacecraft. Interactive displays makes young visitors only want to learn more. There are nice shops nearby and parks to enjoy the inlet.

Upon arrival finding a parking place was tricky because it’s not really clear where to park. After we parked far behind the building because across the street was only two hr parking we discovered across the street on another corner was parking. Nice visit. I was in a wheelchair but we had no issues. Kids would love this place.

There are a lot of interesting aircraft here. A lot of history through the ages of air and space travel. It's a nice place to spend a couple of hours.

Stopped in on a Wednesday in late October, uncrowded, ample free parking across the street. Lots of exhibits & displays, including many interactive, in a compact museum. Two levels of exhibits (providing various views of the hanging aircraft) and a third observation level with outdoor viewing area, overlooking Hampton. IMAX theater is comfortable and nice variety of movies. One movie is included with general admission. Couple of hours well-spent.

I am very interested in the Apollo era, so it was great to see Apollo 12 and the LEMS used by the Apollo astronauts. I enjoyed seeing the moon rock and the Mars rock. There is a great area for kids. You can color/design a paper airplane, scan it, and watch it become a digital airplane and fly on a screen (I enjoyed this too!). Having said that, this place needs some better organization. There were items displayed with no information…at least I couldn’t find the info. For example, there was a craft that looked like it was from the Mercury era, but I did not see that info posted. If you are not a pilot/aviation expert, good luck finding out what each plane is…I found it difficult to match the few info. cards I saw with the plane hanging overhead. The lunar habitat was closed and some games were not really working. However, I found more than enough to do for 3-4 hours and would recommend it to anyone who likes space and aviation.

I loved going to the Air and Space Center. We happened to have a guy tell us SO many amazing facts. He was a director at Langley at one point. My goodness did he make our experience just lovely. However, I was disappointed that many of the interactive displays were not working, which reflects my overall rating.

The Hampton Air and space center is a good place for science enthusiastic kids my kids really enjoyed it . They should invest in real food in there snack shop and may be add more interactive displays the display's that are interactive are the ones my kids liked the most.

There are some good exhibits of aircraft. There is an IMAX theater. But, the most impressive thing is that many of the exhibits put engineering principles on display.

Such a neat and interesting place. You can learn all about space exploration and aircraft new and old. Has numerous military aircraft and fighter jets inside. Very good place for kids to learn.

Loved this Museum. Clean, air condition and love all the exhibits. So much too see and must spend a good day there to really enjoy everything. So many planes to see and explore.

In addition to the displays, plaques and interactive activities we took in a film at the imax theatre, Apollo 11. We were there for about two hours. Plenty of parking in the area.

My family (6 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old)and I stopped here while staying in
Williamsburg, VA. Our six year old is currently very interested in learning about the solar system. The space section was filled with lots to explore. The commercial airplane was a lot of fun to go into. The center has many hand-one and interactive exhibits throughout. There are two children’s play areas.
It is large, but not overwhelming, and very clean.
Only negative would be not enough aircrafts and space capsules to go into.

When our friends and family come into town, we always visit this museum. And in between that we visit when they have local events, change displays and more. We have been enjoying this beautiful museum for over 22 years. The staff is friendly and professional. My kids love to go to the museum store afterwards. They had a blast at their friend's birthday party there. The freeze dried food was fun. I highly recommend you visit.

I wish I had known that there was so much to see at the Virginia Air & Space Center. I would have planned to spend more time there! I came across a brochure for this place and decided to visit. Now I know it's a "must-see" attraction. The staff was excellent and very knowledgeable. The space simulator was not for the faint-of-heart, but anyone who likes carnival-type rides will love it. There is so much to see, including authentic military and commercial planes and space craft. You can actually go inside some of those exhibits. Don't forget to look up. There's lots to see above you! And take the elevator to the upper levels so you'll see things from a different view. The IMAX movie was spectacular also. Do not miss this place! Even if you're not in the area, make plans to visit. Put it on your "Bucket List". There is also a small cafeteria so you can relax and have something to eat during your visit. The restroom was spotless and ultra modern. Check out the faucets in the restroom.

A lot of the exhibits were broken. They don't really have a lot of aircraft as compared to other museums. The IMAX movie was boring and the seats uncomfortable. The staff was very nice though and knowledgeable. Parking was a little confusing but we found a spot across a busy street. If you have little ones hold them tight when crossing. The gift shop was so-so. All in all was just ok

Educational displays of space travel and military aircraft are featured in this museum. There are several hands-on activities for young people to learn more about the science behind flight. The museum is a little pricey for the size and you'll pay an additional fee to take in an IMAX movie. The gift shop offers a wide range of space-related souvenirs and is worth a stop.

Really nice place1 it was unexpected to find a place like this in Virginia. Nice hand-on attractions/activities for both, children and adults. Really nice simulators to play and learn about Mars, the moon and the space missions.

We love our science museums and this was no different. The exhibits were well planned and informative, with some interactive pieces. The museum has an area for toddlers, there are several planes and an observation deck to see them from different perspective. The center has a small cafeteria, elevators and parking is across the street free of charge.

Great place to learn about space travel and our history of flight. Plus, it's a great place for those who might have been in the business of rockets. There are gentlemen--real rocket scientists!--there who actually worked on the programs and the rocketships that went to space. They're happy to talk with all ages, answering any questions. Plus, there are fun hands-on features, e.g., piloting a jet plane. Great for all ages!

Last year we visited the National Air and Museum in Washington DC, so we were a bit spoiled.
It's a nice enough museum, informative and with interesting exhibits.
For kids there's lots of things to do.
An imax-movie is included in the ticket, so be sure to choose one.
There's no parking attached to the museum, but there's a large parkinggarage across the street, free of charge!

We have seen many air and space museums. This was nice. Had many interactive exhibits, but many were not working. Still a nice place to spend a few hours.

We had a great time going around the museum and experiencing all the history of air and space. They have great interaction exhibits for children and adults. We even got to enjoy a IMAX 3D documentary.

This is such a great place. They have static and traveling displays. Interactive for kids and adults. You can see some amazing planes. There are stairs and an elevator, so it's easy to get around. Nice view from their sky deck. View of downtown and the river. They offer classes and camps throughout the day, and educational lectures at night. They have an IMAX, fun gift shop, and clean restrooms. They have also invited our robotics team to display and educate the public. There's parking across the street in a free garage, plus they have an unloading zone out front for those that need to be dropped off. So much to take in and worth your time.

If you are into planes, space and their history, this place is super great! My husband and I enjoy coming here. The location is great too, with restaurants across the street. We also thoroughly enjoy the movie theatre here. They don't play a large array of movies but do have popular ones often. Their theatre is an IMAX and the screen is unbelievably giant! If you have anyone in your life who loves aviation or space travel, this is the place for them. From capsules to real airplanes and military jets, to interactive exhibits, I can't say enough.

I love everything about space and flying, so this museum is the perfect place for me. I had so much exploring all of the pods, planes, helicopters, and interactions. The displays were amazing, probably the best ones I've seen thus far. We weren't able to make it to the IMAX show, but we did do the simulator. If you love roller coasters then this is a perfect way to ride one without having to go a theme park. We spent almost 3 hours looking around and playing with all of the interactive exhibits. There was so much to read and learn that I could have probably gone back the next day, go back through the exhibits, and learn so much more.

We expected to see a lot more NASA things. Seeing a lot of planes isn't exactly what we expected. There were several hands-on things for kids but as far as "Nasa" stuff, it was very disappointing. We also went for one of the two shows allowing time to see the center before the movie. Since seeing the center takes less than an hour, we weren't waiting another hour to see a half hour movie. Maybe they need to show the movies more often. We just expected more Nasa things.

The setup of this museum is great. From the artifacts to the hands on exhibits to the IMAX theatre, this museum has something for everyone. The best part is how uncrowned the place is. You can truly enjoy looking at the exhibits without having a bunch of people pushing you about.

Prepare to experience the history of air travel at its best. Tons of hands-on exhibits. Hours of exhibits to explore. So much to see and do it staggers the imagination. Staff are extremely nice and helpful. (These folks understand the meaning of customer service.) The Math Alive exhibit was an interactive demonstration of STEM concepts as related to real life and would make the most virulent math-phobe enjoy mathematics. Be sure to check out the moon rock and the meteorite from Mars! PS. Rather than going downtown for lunch, we decided to try out the museum cafe. What a surprise! As good as a deli but much more convenient--and the service was superb!

Excellent museum. Spend a day (4 hours minimum) learning about the impact of NASA/Langley in the Hampton Roads area and the air and space timeline. Get to set in an airplane and pilot it virtually. Enjoy the different specialty exhibits that are featured. And the IMAX Theater is second to none. Currently they are featuring bees. The price is reasonable.

Not being a big fan of space I was skeptical about going to the center but after watching Hidden Figures, I was curious. We traveled with a friend that assured me that I would have a good time and might even learn something new. We went to the IMAX 3D movie and walked around for hours reading the placards and taking photos of all of the different planes.
The Apollo 12 Command Module was very interesting as well as the other space items. It was a very educational trip and I'm so happy that we decided to go. Lots of interactive items for both kids and adults!

The good: IMAX movie was good. Artifacts (planes, space craft, etc) were really good.

The bad: the layout is confusing and not at all laid out in any order. There are different years, planes vs space mixed in all over the place. The only map I could find was at the elevator.

Worst of all: everything was broken. I mean, like 80% of the stuff was broken. Simulators are missing the joystick and most of the throttle controls. Interactive displays for exploring the planes either couldnt be controlled with joystick or the screen was sitting at the windows xp screen(pic). Demo rovers are missing or stuck on "rocks" and immovable. There was no paper or crayons on the display for coloring (pic)! And a display where you need to sort the items into a bag is missing most of the items and the bag (pic)! So much more, I can't type it all.

It was honestly so bad, I wanted my money back. There's no reason for it either. The museum is modern enough and they have moon rocks and Mars rocks... It's just not maintained AT ALL!

Funny - a security guard came to us and told us they were closed and we had to leave. I said I was sorry, I must have missed the announcement and he said that there was no announcement.

Such a poorly run museum. Worst $50 spent this vacation so far. The kids said their highlight were the Dyson water faucets in the washrooms. Enough said.

This is the official welcome center for the NASA Langley Research Center as well as being an excellent aviation and space museum. Exhibits include several actual aircraft suspended from the ceiling and the body of a passenger aircraft with exhibits inside. Visitors can also sit in the cockpit and play with the controls. Almost all of the exhibits are hands on, with many having special features to interest youth and children: control a rover, explore the solar system, use a flight simulator, etc. The iMax theatre usually has 3D features including first run popular movies as well as space-related documentaries. This is an excellent choice for a family outing, with displays that interest all ages. I also recommend their summer space camps for youth. My grandson has gone there for the last three years.

Like many of the others, disappointed that so many of the displays were inoperative. For instance, push the button and nothing happens. Various touch pad tablets around saying "for more information, click here"...well, nothing to "click" with and touching the screen did nothing. From the upper level catwalks, could see how dusty and dirty the aircraft had become, and littered with paper airplanes that someone had thrown on top of the wings. The "observation deck" on the third level gave a view of the top of the roof and nothing more. Total admission was $50 for two seniors and a 4 year old, which included the iMax movie. Didn't see an option to exclude the movie, since it really didn't apply to a 4 year old and didn't have time to wait for the next showing 3 hours later. The carousel across the street ($1 per ride) was a big hit, however.

During our Spring College Tour, we stopped by VirgIndia Air & Space to more! Overall great price and experience. Admission also includes an IMAX show, highly recommend Dream Big, which focused on engineering

3 floors filled with neat stuff and inside on a hot day.....plus we got to see a movie in the Max......over all plenty of hands on stuff to do and thingsthe children can learn from.Than take them outside for the maze......when you finish up stop by and get a cold drink.

I had the pleasure of chaperone for my son's 5 grade trip.
The staff were ready when the bus pulled up. They were organized to assist with the large class.
However, they did not offer the parents that came with their children any type of discount. This we all had to pay full price which I personally thought was not fair.
Some parents decided not to attend and left.
Over all the movie was awesome and the exhibits were also interesting.
I will get.my tickets in advance for any future trips

Lots of planes and 'space stuff' to see here. Was nice to see the actual Apollo 12 moon capsule there. Lots of hands on for the kids too. Also saw the IMAX mocie on the National Parks, but I was a little dissappointed with the movie. There were 2 other shows to pick from.

My wife and I recently took three of our grand kids (ages 11, 8, 6) to the Air and Space Center. It is great. Equally enjoyable for both adults and kids. They had a number of hands on simulators and games that the kids really enjoyed. The IMAX theater movie was also great. Overall we had a very nice time. However . . . Don't waste you money or time on the restaurant. We ordered two sausage combos, a hot dog combo, and two pizzas. The sausages, for my wife and I were delivered in about three or four minutes. Each was half a sausage on a roll, literally a sausage cut in half! As we waited for the kids meals to come out, four other people who ordered after us got hot dogs. Then one got a pizza. No explanation as to why. Pizzas were probably fifteen minutes until we got them, hot dog about ten. At least the hot dog was full size and not cut if half! Really ridiculous. So if you go, enjoy the museum, but eat someplace else!

Took our grandsons there for a day. We spent the better part of the day there and they didn't want to leave!

Took a morning trip during a recent stay to Virginia Beach.

It’s a great place for kids to explore and learn. We particularly enjoyed the IMAX theatre. The film of Asteroids was enough time to learn about the issue but not too long to lose interest.

Another aspect that we particularly enjoyed was that there were so many hands on experiences. This was perfect for our eight year old.

Any true aviation/space buff will enjoy the displays, even the fake ones. This Space center is definitely geared towards kids. It's definitely dated,yet the planes, space capsules, and hands on interactive stations will entertain kids of all ages. We thought the IMAX movie was overpriced. It's not Cape Canaveral by any means.

Having been to the Smithsonean Air and Space Museum I was excited to check this museum out. I liked seeing the planes displayed and enjoyed a lot if the interaction activities. Learned a lot about aircraft carriers and a little bit about the space program. However , I was rather disappointed that there was nothing about the "human computers" as featured in the movie "Hidden Figures" which is one of the reasons why we stopped here in the first place. There were only books in the gift shop. Overall it was interesting and informative.

Center has many interesting displays, but is definitely showing age. Many of the interactive displays did not work. Much wear and tear on others. IMAX theater was the highlight.

Bring the kids and learn how the 1903 Wright Bros 12 seconds/120 feet flight led to the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo successes just 60ish years later. In this one visitor-friendly museum, guests will view the story of the Wright's flight, stand in front of Apollo 12, see an IMAX 3D presentation, experience many interactive exhibits suitable for aspiring pilots of all ages from every decade of flight, and talk to knowledgeable docents about everything from the use of Morse code to communication aboard the International Space Station. Parking garage is located across the street. WOW isn't adequate!

This venue is based on actual participation of the area''s citizens and history in support of our nation; it is most authentic and truly educational; well worth the visit.

We love museums where you can touch everything and that is exactly what this museum is. The exhibits are interactive and educational. This museum was fun for the adults as well as the children, with interesting bits of information scattered throughout.

A wonderful exhibit of aerospace, past and present. Fantastic static display of military and commercial aircraft. Great labs for children and adults alike.

Not the largest museum, however there was plenty to see and do. Numerous interactive exhibits, Apollo 12 command module, test vehicles and replicas. I was more interested in the space side but there was plenty to see as far as aircraft as well. They have an IMAX (didn't do this) and a good sized gift shop. Great place to spend a few hours.

If you have someone in the family that enjoys planes and space this is a wonderful place to visit. We just went through the actual museum, but they have IMAX movies as well. Hands on exhibits as well.

This gem of a destination is well worth the price of admission and your time.

The exhibits are both informative and entertaining with lots of opportunities to push buttons and make things go "bing". Actual planes and space craft are crammed into the centre but the space is roomy and engaging.

For some reason when we went there mid-week, there were very few other visitors which allowed us to roam at will.

I highly recommend this destination for the young, the old, the tall and the small and everyone in-between.

The perfect place to study all aspects of flight from kitty hawk to moon landings.Great IMAX movies,and hands on exhibits.Great place for the kids.

There is so much history at the Virginia Air and Space Center. I not only went once, but went back to see more the next day. Well worth a visit especially if you have out of town visitors as they probably have nothing like this in the area they live. I look forward to going back again this year with guests because my other friend told them all about it and they want to see it also.

this museum is full of hands on activities, a terrific IMAX theater that puts you into the movie and history of space flight. many people think that the space program started in Texas which in reality it all started here in hampton. there is a space capsule and things about the galaxy and other interesting things in this space center. once when i and my grandson were there there was a fighter pilot simulation, which you got into and went thru the motions and feelings of a flying, it was a great experience for us. you never know what interesting things they have there until you go. it's well worth the visit

After paying $67 for two adults and two kids...we expected more working exhibits for the money. This was such a let down! As soon as we enter there was a simulated ride, my kids wanted to hop on and then we were told it was an additional $4!!! No thanks!!! Go enjoy other parts of the area, save your money. I gave it a two because the planes and aircraft suspended from the ceiling was cool!

nice place for the kids to come and see the exhibits however they are dated and look worn. persaps need to up date the planes

Since we are seniors, we reminisced seeing many older planes, space travel and enjoyed seeing the progress science and technology has made. The Center also has many older people whose job is to engage you in conversation regarding the exhibits and answer questions. This was nice but one lady just wouldn't stop talking!! We were looking forward to the IMAX feature but one of the cameras wasn't working. They showed the movie but did not offer another movie in it's place when the camera was working. That was somewhat disappointing. Overall, a very good experience!

We all enjoyed the interesting activities and the various sections of the center. The children especially enjoyed sitting in the airplane and imagining that they were flying. The oldest child, ten years old, really enjoyed the rough and tumble ride in the space capsule. The children found the movie navy ships a little boring, but I really enjoyed it. We all had a blast trying to find our way out of the outdoor maze. The hands on educational information arranged by the Air and Space Center was very interesting. It turned out to be a great outing with my grand children.

Parking is available 2 blocks away so you will need to hold little ones tight to cross the street. They have a carousel outside and hands on exhibits inside. Lots to learn and see while having fun doing so.

Went with the family with high hopes, since we had been there many years ago. Unfortunately, may good exhibits we remembered were gone. Of the "new" exhibits, several were out of order, including the space shuttle simulator, the lunar lander, and probably a third of the hands-on activities. After awhile, we gave up trying to push buttons. The aircraft were fun to see, but some need dusting badly. One display started off great - the Liberator bomber. You sit inside a mock up of the bomber, while the pilots and other crewmen appear on a screen at the front. Unfortunately, their language was laced with so many 'blue words', we took our kids out early! I mean, c'mon, it's a family attraction! Oh, and the IMAX showing is supposed to be included in the over-priced $18 dollar admission fee, but we were advised that they were showing 'Star Wars' instead (extra fee), and we would not get to see the IMAX film! No price break for that. They have sparse food...hot dogs, popcorn, & candy. So much potential, but I can't recommend this place. I gave 2 stars only because the aircraft collection is pretty good. Go to the Smithsonian Air & Space instead.

This is a large interesting place. One that is great for kids. They have a ton of interactive things for the kids to do. The best for me was the IMAX so come for that for sure. They need to change there exhibits more often

We had a cloudy morning so decided to check out the Virginia Air & Space Center. They had a number of very cool spacecraft and airplanes. We got there when it opened, so it wasn't crowded at all, making it easy to get up close and read about the items. They also had a lot of interactive stuff -- my daughter got to be the "stick" to land a jet on a carrier, and there were volunteers helping kids with a variety of activities. We also watched an IMAX on robots. My tween kids were skeptical but wound up having a great time. I would definitely recommend the Air & Space Center to kids of all ages who are in the Hampton Roads area.

While not a large museum, it certainly has plenty of interesting exhibits that will appeal to the aviation and space enthusiast, most notably the Apollo 12 command module. The IMAX theatre is definitely worth a look; a viewing of one film is included in admission.

Overall had a positive experience. The IMAX movie about Apollo 11 was great, and the hanging plane displays is amazing to see as well. Not to mention the Apollo 12 capsule. However, having seen multiple NASA visitors centers, including Johnson Space Center, it falls a little short. Half of the interactive exhibits weren’t working, and it all feels a little dated. If it were like $5 or so for admission, wouldn’t be that bad, but for $20/person, it’s not a great deal.

Just chanced to see this place on an impulse. Closes early but we were just in time for a hurried visit and we did not regret it. It was awesome with exhibits of all aeroplanes even from the world wars. There was a space centre vehicle named Discovery and they explained all the details about this. There was a stealth plane which could not be detected on a radar and there were a plane which could take off and land vertically. All in all, a great place but you need lots of time. We also watched an awesome movie ' A Beautiful Planet ' in the IMax theatre in 3D, It was an amazing movie.

The Virginia Air & Space Center is also the visitor center of the NASA Langley Research Center. The museum has many planes on display several which highlighted advancements in aviation owing to the research carried out at Langley. Among the artifacts on display is the Apollo 12 command module. Many hands-on displays are provided to acquaint inquisitive minds with how the principles of aviation affect flight. For kids of all ages, you can create your own paper airplane and test its ability to reach one of several targets.

If you’re fan of aviation or have an interest in the evolution of aviation technology, the Virginia Air & Space Center is a place you’ll enjoy.

This place is a wonderful gem right downtown Hampton. I took my 6 year old great niece here last month on a very rainy day. We spent hours here and she had a ball. Your admission includes an IMAX show, and that is always a treat. They have a small snack bar, but only one person was working and he was overwhelmed. So, come for the exhibits and the activities, but eat elsewhere.

Currently closed on Monday and Tuesday web site not updated so unable to access and review will try again soon so don't use star rating yet myself just checking until can attend

This was our first place that we visited for our 25th wedding anniversary! My husband & I loved all the airplanes & space ships on display. One of our favorite parts of this visit was that we actually met World War II airplane restorer! We got the in depth story about one plane that he restored.

I grew up in the DC area and visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum regularly. I loved it but it became so crowded it was no longer fun. The Virginia Air and Space Center is smaller and not free but still has just about everything and way way less crowded. We especially enjoyed the hands-on items. The I-Max theater 3D show in included in the price of admission and worth seeing.

Fun museum with lots of planes, space capsules, and a great IMAX theater. Need at least three hours there. Interesting interactive exhibits on future of space exploration. Two floors plus. Lots for children too. Associated with NASA Langley which is nearby.

There are not too many places one can go to see such a terrific set of aircraft and aviation displays like displayed at the Virginia Air and Space Center. If you are an aviation buff you'll enjoy seeing many actual aircraft and a couple of spacecraft. Before you go check out inline the descriptions of the IMAX movies currently playing. I saw the Hurricane 3D movie and it was impressive. Free 2 hour parking across the street.

As locals we've been going there for years. It's interesting the first time or two, but ut just gets a little old after that. The changing exhibits are quite interesting for younger kids, but mine were bored by the 5th or 6th grade. Although, I do find the IMAX movies very interesting! However, It's a great place to take out-of-town family!

This attraction offers IMAX film along with the Museum. The museum is more than double the cost of the IMAX; however, because there are not separate entrances or anyone checking what was paid for, we noticed most people paying only for the IMAX, but also touring the museum!
The museum is not staffed and most of the attractions were not open due to some sort of maintenance. There was actually one attraction where the film was shown backwards!
Staff that was available was not friendly or accommodating.
For the "honest" cost---not worth it!

The Air & Space Center was very interesting to see, a lot to read about and see 1st hand. Very glad we took the time to go there.

i loved it so much i wish i could go back but i do not have money so it is a little pricey but hey it is so worth it if you love space this is a place for you to go

I have mixed feelings about the Virginia Air & Space Center. There are definitely some planes and space craft to see. We enjoyed the IMAX movie about the Hubble telescope. However, many of the interactive exhibits were broken and tickets aren’t exactly cheap. For example, we went into what looked like a room inside a spacecraft and the door closed. There was audio playing but no images. We had to wait (quite bored) until the door opened again.

I went with a group of 30 to the various buildings on a guided tour. It was amazing to see the different departments and how each one was/is vital to our space program, from the beginning to present day. My favorite was the gantry tests. Three places to enjoy lunch at a very reasonable price. Small gift shop, but varied items for all ages.

A lot of airplanes/ aircrafts but a shame that so many displays weren’t functional. Informative guides very helpful & much appreciated. IMAX was good but not the best I’ve seen.

Enjoyed the center, felt there was something for all ages to enjoy! The exhibits were very informative but not overwhelming with details so it held the interest of all.

This was a nice place to visit. Saw a lot of things we never had seen. I will say from the ads we saw we did expect more. It was a very hot day so it was a nice diversion to be inside.

Best place EVER for Christmas party. I wish I had visited that museum before...its really great. All sorts if aviation history. My favorite part was the huge airplane and simulation inside it where you could try to "land" the plane. Wow did I ever fail at that!!! But it was super fun! This place is close to Venture Pizza and downtown Hampton plus a brewery, so Win-win!!! There are neat things for smaller kids to see as well...I could see a 5 year old enjoying it or 7 year olds and even some teenagers.

I went here a few months ago and I oddly had almost the same experience as the person below! It was a great museum and worth the visit but there was an employee there yelling at his staff and using foul language in the space gallery. He was yelling at a female staff member so loud that I had to remove my kids from the area. Although the museum is very strick on wearing a mask, he was not. I had to just post this because its so funny that this happened to both of us.

Also, there are a lot of people saying it was pricey but if you look on VB hot deals, you can get in for half price. We did that and it was totally worth it. I think it was 10 dollars for each of us. We ended up seeing backyard wilderness and it was fantastic.

Loved it. I'm not normally a history person but the workers here made learning about the world wars to be very interesting, especially in relevance of today's news stories. This is a great educational experience.

The VASC was a fun place to visit. There was a lot of history of flight, naval history and space exploration. There are many interactive exhibits especially for children.

Very nice,clean, and engaging museum! Lot's of interactive displays for kids AND adults. .GREAT IMAX 3-D movies. ..movies are about 40 minutes long,lots of fun.

My parents and I went while they were in town visiting. It was nice and we really liked the imax movie. Definitely geared more towards younger kids!

One of the best small museums I’ve been to. We happen to be their with two special exhibitions but they ended now. Their glass collection is beautiful. Definitely worth going.

This is a wonderful museum, and great for all ages!!! Pay per car, so I recommend going as a group. Please reserve 2 to 3 hours for the museum!

Great imax theater. Awesome observation deck. Great for all ages! Little pricey, but it was worth the visit. It asked who we went with… Family with young adults (the space did not give that as an option.)

Poorly maintained, much not working and the IMAX theater smelled musty. I was expecting much better. Sadly I would not recommend this.

I am only just now seeing these recent negative reviews and I am surprised. My husband and I have visited many air and space museums, including the Smithsonian's, and thought this was one of the best. They have a great collection, not too overwhelming but ranging from the very beginning to the current efforts in space travel to Mars. We especially enjoyed going into the Mars habitat and the simulated space journey. We found the exhibits to be in good working order and enjoyed our IMAX film. The docents are wonderfully knowledgeable and help bring the place to life. Tickets are a bit pricey with the $19 adult admission, so be sure to allow time to see everything so you get your money's worth. We visited on a Saturday and while busy, the museum didn't feel overly crowded or noisy. Many families were having a great time, kids and parents alike. Fun to see the blossoming of future young engineers and astronauts!

We have 3 kids under 10 so it is hard to find places that we can all have fun. There are so many things to do here for all ages. We killed 2 hours looking around and there is a lot of space that the kids could move around and not bother others. Very hands on so don't be afraid your kids will break anything. A little pricy, but we had a blast.

For 20 dollars I expected so much more. This is the worst space museum I've ever been to. Half of the exhibits are either broke or lame. The Smithsonian space annex by Dulles is a solid 15x better for the same money.

I would definitely not recomend this place to my worst enemy.

I'm a space nerd on a quest to see all 9 Apollo Command Modules that went to moon. So I'm not going to lie, I stopped by here just to see the Apollo 12 spacecraft. What was supposed to be a 20 minute trip, turned into 2 hours. The museum feature some amazing exhibits that features not only a ton of NASA history, but also some amazing aircraft, as well as some very informative science exhibits. Bonus points, they have a moon rock brought back by Apollo 17, a sliver of a Martian rock as well.

If nothing else, if you find yourself in the Virginia Beach area, and rain spoils a bit of your sunny vacation fun, I highly recommend this as a great way to spend a few hours and see some amazing treasures from when men left the safety of Earth to walk among the stars.

This is a very fun place to stop. Lots of fun hands on things to do. Great plane displays. The IMAX show was very well done as well. I would do this again.

Not sure this is how NASA wants to be represented. Many exhibits were either broken or under construction. My girls were in town and they wanted to do the MAXFLIGHT simulator which was not open. Pretty hefty price for such a small museum with not much to offer. Very disappointing.

Lots of good exhibits, my kids (5 and 1) loved the ones where you pretend to drive a space vehicle. There was a lot of space for my 1 year old to run around in and it wasn't crowded. They had hands on things and exhibits to read about events. Nice spot. Park across the street. I think the membership is a good deal as you get other museums in the area (and around the country) as well.

I was going to my mother’s funeral and my husband thought it would be a good distraction for me. We had a great time looking at all the exhibit’s. It is worth the trip!

So impressed! Arrived to see the NASA exhibits of many of the modules used in the Space Program as well as the history of space.

We were excited to see the air and space museum. Unfortunately, hardly any of the interactive displays were working. What a let-down !!!! This was a NASA science museum, a place that should have all of the latest equipment and computer programming.

Gene P
Coplay PA

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place! So many examples of air and space craft throughout the ages, interactive exhibits to engage the visitors, and a really cool solarium! They even have a B-24, a replica Wright flyer, a DC-9 that you can board, and so much more! I actually enjoy this one more than the one in Huntsville, AL. They also have a flight simulator!

Went to this museum on a recent day trip and I found it wasn't too bad. Almost like a smaller version of the National Air Space Museum. The had some good exhibits, some interactive exhibits and stuff geared towards kids.
A few galleries were being revamped and some exhibits needed repair. They were offering free IMAX tickets but did not have the time. Most of the visitors were wearing masks, which was a good thing and most were practicing social distancing.
Overall not too many visitors, but it was a weekday. A big plus was the free parking at the parking deck across the street. It sort of made up for the cost.

The pros:
1. There are things to keep the kids busy.
2. Most of the exhibits weren't too bad.
3. Free parking in the parking deck across the street.

The cons:
1. The cost!!!!
2. The need to stay on top of the broken exhibits.
3. They only had discounts for active duty military, what about the veterans and retirees????

The whole family had a good time. Everything from interactive activities to large planes. A lot of information on space flight, airplanes and air craft carriers. There is even an IMAX .

My family and I loved the Virginia Air & Space Center. I would highly recommend for anyone special kids who are interested in space and flight.

Fantastic exhibits, loved the IMax and a great exhibit on Langley Air and Space. Newly renovated, everything was spotless. I thought the entrance price was a little high--not sure how a large family could afford $20 per person.

Enjoyed a morning visiting this museum in the heart of Hampton. Lots of planes and space vehicles to see. Excellent exhibits. Helpful staff. The IMAX movie was outstanding (saw the one about life on other planets). Highly recommend for adults and families.

The museum has so much information that we spent the entire day in the museum from the moment they open till they close. At the end of the day we felt like we learned so much about space that it's absolutely money well spent. One thing I hope they can do better was the gift shop. We were expecting a store similar to the one in Washington DC and we were wrong. Even we promised the kids a souvenir from the museum but we left empty handed. We all agreed that most of the stuffs were overpriced junks and not too many educational merchandise. Will definitely visit the museum again in the future.

This small museum is packed full of great planes, spacecraft, interactive exhibits, kids' activities and a large IMax theater. If you enjoy flight of any kind this is a good place to spend some time.

I have been taking my son here, once a year for past few years. Every time, there are issues with various interactive things. But this time, I counted 8 things that did not work or worked poorly!
This includes: the passenger plane, mars rover, mission to mars journey, meteorite impact, fighter jet simulator, and some others that I don't recall names.
Also, the food place is not managed well. There was one guy working the place and he could not multi task. So line was long and slow.
In one of the restrooms, there are 2 sinks but only one worked, and the dryer is part of the faucet, and it hardly worked.
There are a lot of interesting displays, but forget about the high tech interactive things.
Son and I both agree, we will not return.

This was our first visit and we had a great time. There are many historic artifacts from the early days of flight and space flight. There are tons of things to see and experience. It is a great venue, highly recommend, especially if you grew up in the 60's and remember the early days of space flight.

Great place to learn some history about NASA and flight history !! A lot of planes and space craft in the building too see. A great experience young and old !!!!

I have visited this facility a number of times in the past, with my children, who always enjoyed the site as did I. This was a solo visit, after an interval of 10+ years. The good - the static exhibits of aircraft and spacecraft are terrific. The exhibits are

We took our two year old toddler because he loves planes. I was surprised as to how many interactive elements this museum had. The only two downsides to this place is 1) some of the interactive elements are broken or don’t work correctly and need to be fixed. 2) the “observation” deck really is underwhelming (but they probably can’t help that). Overall we really enjoyed our time as a family. If you want a place to go with your kids of all ages, this is a great place to check out.

I thought we would spend just an hour or two but we were there for hours! Make sure to see the Hubble Imax movie which was excellent. Many of the exhibits are interactive and it's a great place for children of all ages as well as adults. Even if you think you are not into space stuff, go anyway. You will be surprised.

Very disappointed that masks were not enforced in the IMAX theatre. Everyone had a mask on in line but when we took our seats in the theater literally every family excepts us and another family took their masks off! I was shocked! I walked out and spoke to 2 employees about it and was told someone would be in to address but no one ever came. There was enough room for all to be social distanced but since we were in a indoor theatre, masks should’ve been enforced like their websites states. While walking through the rest of the museum most did have masks on. The museum was just okay, there were some interactive activities that were not working. I felt the exhibits were geared toward kids 12+ and adults.

Very interactive. Can spend at least 2 hours here. Cute downtown with shops and restaurants. Museum overlooks a Marina.

Staff is very helpful, volunteers to explain some exhibits. Be prepared to spend a good part of the day.

I am giving the same rank to this exhibit hall as to the one at Wallops FF not because they are identical or even similar (they are not) but because there should be very different expectations from a free-admission facility (Wallops) and one that charges a significant admission price (Hampton). Both facilities serve the purpose of being ‘visitor centers’ to the respective nearby NASA research center. The similarity ends there. VASC seems to waver between a focus on air-breather flying machines (airplanes) and space flight. Given that Langley’s role with space exploration is somewhat tenuous, the display of space hardware appears out-of-place. The collection of space paraphernalia at the Smithsonian (especially at the Udvar-Hazy facility) is substantially more impressive.
the usual array of arcade-like games, aimed to the pre-teens crowd could not be missing (unfortunately).
During our visit several of the interactive displays seemed to be not-working.

The children had a wonderful time in the museum. We also watched the moon landing in the theater. Very informative.

Great overview of the space program...interesting displays and IMAX was WONDERFUL -- wish we could have stayed for all the offerings!!

Made the trip from Richmond VA to Hampton to see the NASA Air and Space museum. After paying $38 for two adults (no veteran's discount), we experienced a museum that had interesting planes and a few space capsules, but Is mainly an interactive place for younger children. Unfortunately, it is technologically outdated and many things did not work. It has potential, but needs to have a serious update. At this time, I would suggest skipping it.

Always new exhibits added, great time to be had by all. Make sure you also check out the IMAX theatre

As one of the kids said “well that was just not as fulfilling as I’d hoped.” They have some cool things to look at for sure but it seems that most of the exhibits were geared towards younger kids. We enjoyed the IMAX.

We wanted to add learning to our family vacation and this was the perfect place. We brought children from ages 8-14 and adults. We all learned new things and enjoyed all of the exhibits. We watched the amazon movie at the iMax which was great.

My mother and I visited as part of a YMCA trip and totally loved it. Highly recommend going if you can. Great for little kids!

They have really updated this museum with some pretty fun and educational offerings that are STEM-related and interactive for kids of all ages (and adults!) From the huge planes hanging from the ceiling to the video games and make believe play areas, one can feel like they've gone to outer space without leaving Hampton! There are movies (IMAX and 3D) and even a beautiful old carousel just outside the museum for a good old-fashioned ride including an authentic pipe organ!

We were able to use our Intrepid membership for free admission to this place. The kids enjoyed the flight simulator ride($) and the free games to try everywhere....they were able to practice taking off and landing while seated in an actual plane....saw an IMAX movie and the popcorn smelled divine.... Very fun for kids...they were setting up,for a wedding while we were there and it looked lovely...

Lots of exhibits regarding air and space travel, focusing on the contributions at Langley Air Force base. Several hands on exhibits.

This a Great place to take your kids for the history of flight to todays modern flight. The kids loved all the interactive displays ,and the flight simulators were fantastic . We also caught the Imax movie National Parks it was wonderful.

Our Daughter and my Wife were getting a massage, so they dropped me off here to kill some time while I waited. So glad they did! It was so cool to see some of the space crafts that up until now, I had only seen on TV. There are some short films to see in a couple of small theaters and also a great Imax presentation as well. Many interactive exibits that were not only entertaining but highly informative. Some of the interactive devices did not seem to be working but the ones that did were great. Hanging above you as you stroll through the various areas is a display of aircraft that gives you an up close and personal look at planes that again you usually don't get a chance to see. It was a great way to spend time but also learn alot about our aero space program and aviation in general that I was not aware of. If you're at all into that, this would be a "must see" place. Lots of stuff for the children too.

This was our first time at this museum and it was truly impressive. The displays and numerous aircrafts were great and allowed the children an up close view of how we have learned to fly around the earth and beyond. There was interesting exhibits and flight simulators that kept our boys busy for a while. It was a great afternoon activity with a historic carousel nearby for the children as well!

Quote small museum that is aimed at kids and really needs better management. Old exhibits just pushed into the back of the first floor with some kids stuff crowded around them. Could be much better but still worth the entrance fee of $20. Lots of parking at the front at weekend, don't know about weekdays.

My wife and two children spent all day walking around and enjoying the displays. Great science information and exhibits. Set aside 3-4 hours for this. The IMAX theater is about 45 minutes. There are plenty of places to eat nearby it's ashame that people in Southern VA don't get out and walk around, because this area is quaint and the carrousel is 20 meters away from the front door.

I bought a family plus membership because there is so much to see and do at the Center. I had 2-, 5, and 7-year old grandkids with me, and I have two others who were unable to join us. I know I will return often. Ate lunch in the Cosmic Cafe—killer PBJs—and salad, so those who want healthy options have a choice.

The nice thing about the membership is the reciprocity with so many museums across Virginia and the country.

The Real Deal. Most everything has flown!
The Official NASA/Langley Visitors Center.
The Apollo twelve command module.

What a wonderful experience being wowed by great exhibits, hands on learning and dreaming of space. The IMax offers wonderful movies while you feel part of it. See planes from ages ago, fascinating.
Get out of the heat and enjoy!

The start to this adventure was a little rocky. They open at 10:00. They start checking in groups at 10:00. The very nice workers ask if we can let the group leaders check in first so the munchkins can get to the movie.The imax movies start at 10:00..... can you see any issues??
We were in a very casual line by 9:55. They started checking in the first of 2 groups ahead of us at 9:59. 4 minutes to look at paperwork for about 8 munchkins? Then the next group. Another 5 minutes for 6 kids? You are holding a stack of papers and looking at a computer screen. What are you doing??? I saw no money change hands. No one got patted down. No bags were checked. They're day care groups. What is the hold up? It's August - you should have a system in place for summer groups by now. One person working the check in? There were employees everywhere. Open a line for groups. Open it early. Ok. end of rant. Less then a minute each for two couples ahead of us. Our turn - do we want to try to make the 10:00 show? seriously? No discount for students or teachers. Bummer. ok, now no more ranting.
The very good benefit to not doing the 10:00 show is that my kids got to do all the hands on stuff they wanted before the munchkins were turned loose. Very cool exhibits. Excellent docents everywhere. We only spent about 2 hours here (no movie) because we were traveling but i could easily have spent 3 or 4 hours.

We use to have a membership here, but toward the end we found buttons on things not working and things just generally in need if care, so we chose not to renew our membership. Recently we visited with a homeschool group, for a field trip. We noticed some minor changes, but nothing significant. My kids loved walking around and doing some of the things they use to enjoy there.

The best part is the Imax theater. We've never seen a bad movie there. Films are entertaining and educational.

It is a like a mini version of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. A few cool aviation exhibits and an IMAX theater. If your in Hampton this is probably the best attraction.

This has the potential to be a really cool museum. There are lots of planes, spacecrafts, and interactive exhibits. Unfortunately, at least half of the interactive exhibits were broken. The museum generally had a run-down feel to it. There were a few neat things for kids, like the "make and fly a paper airplane" area and some huge legos and building materials for little ones. The IMAX movie was really cool, and is included in the price. At $69 for 2 adults and 2 kids though, this was really overpriced given the run-down state of it. If they improve it, I would definitely return.

It was a 100 degree day and we decided an inside activity would be best, so we visited the Air and Space center in Hampton. So glad we did, and could have spent all day in there exploring all the levels, trying the hands on exhibits and watching the IMAX movie. The brand new "Be the Astronaut " exhibit had just opened with no line, so we all got to sit in the interactive seats and plot and execute our space missions. Very cool. As well, the NASA volunteers that assist in the center are so knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. It was incredible standing next to the original re-entry capsule of Apollo 12, complete with burn marks, and accompanying photos. Lots of history and a great experience. We did experience only one or 2 devices that weren't working, but it was not a huge complaint. If you have the time and interest, check this out!

Very nice facility. Takes about 3.5 hours to go through including a 3D movie. Very interactive. Recommend for ages 6 and up.

What a great place to spend with families , friends or yourself. Louts to look at , read and experience. There is something for everyone. They also have show in IDMAX that are fun to participate in

For the price of admission, the exhibits need more work. Several exhibits were closed, many screens didn’t respond, and any craft stations that required crayons/paper/materials were empty. I was disappointed by the quality of the museum.

Very educative for anyone interested in space science. Nice displays with a lot of hands on activities. Check the observation deck, which has a nice view. Highly recommend the IMAX movie (Hidden Universe) which was excellent.

Lots of interesting planes and space craft, jet engines and displays. IMAX movie of Apollo 11 mission! A great place to spend a rainy day. Also, right next door is the last surviving working Carousel from the old Buckrow Beach amusement park. 50 cents per ride. If you have a military ID, you can go to the NASA part of Langley AFB and see the actual crane that they used to practice for the Lunar landing.

The attractions were ok, needs to be more interactive areas for the kids. the simulation was broken when we visited, we will visit again.

Great tour guide who was very informative and knowledgeable!
The only negative things are that the parking is limited, the picnic area is very small and the playground is not shaded.

It wasn't too busy when we were there, maybe because it was a nice day. There were so many things that engaged the kids, they were always doing or climbing, or something and they had staff around with other small activities for them. Would definitely go back again.

This is a really nice place for Hampton or even the whole of Hampton Roads (Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Newport News and Hampton). This is worthy of being in a large city. They have a nice carousel outside too, historic and very pretty and unique. Inside they have IMAX and a lot of children's programs. They have a nice selection of aircraft and space memorabilia There's a few interactive exhibits which is nice and a pretty nice gift shop. I guess the reason why it's as nice and large as it is, is because it's located nearly Langley AFB and NASA Langley, so they probably get a lot of material from there. There is some historic stuff and sometimes, they'll have the odd astronaut come in. So check their page for that because it's worth waiting to go till something cool happens. I once went and they had Lt Hurura from Star Trek Nichelle Nichols... you never know..

It seems more and more displays are not working. Also, when you have the Robots as the new theme and the IMAX movie only plays when it first opened at 10:00? Very misleading as when you go to plan your visit it has 2 other shows but that isn't until mid June! Why alternate 2 other movies for the rest of the day and only show the robot movie only one time and when you open up first thing? Very disappointing.

This museum is enhanced by an IMAX movie which is included with the price of admission. I felt it was more of a family fun activity with lots of hands on exhibits.

This museum is richer than the Smithsonian Air and Space museum - it has FOUR capsules, a Mars rock - as well as an IMAX theater, extensive gift shop etc!!! The original beat up Apollo 12 capsule, the Gemini, Mercury and an Orion test vehicle!!! It is veyr much geared to children, with a lot of hands on activities. Several airplanes are also suspended from the ceiling, along with a Huey helicopter. The second floor has interactive exhibits, and the IMAX theater never fails to dazzle. The giftshop is pretty extensive as well with unusual collections. A must see!

Nice place to visit with young kids or even when just out for an afternoon stroll. One of the first places I visited when moving to Hampton. Downtown location is perfect!

Great place to interact with science and family. Family had a blast. We wish we had more time but we had no idea there was so much to see. Plan on heading back with more time. STEM friendly.

We went for the IMAX movie about aircraft carriers. Excellent job. Then a kindly docent gave us a virtually private tour of the exhibits. If you live in the area, buy a membership. There are several little restaurants across and down the street. Very pleasant day. Very informative

The Virginia air and space Center has much to choose from for grown-ups and children alike and if you're at all interested in planes and the evolution of the space race it's definitely worth a visit many interactive exhibits and many real life planes hanging about. He IMAX movies are worth the price of admission but I have to say I was a little disappointed that, when we were there, several of the interactive pilot video games weren't working. The little kids in our group would have had a much bette me time if they could have done some games like landing a plane. All in all, though,its a nice museum located next to the harbor and fun for air aficionados of all ages.

My family of four (2 adults and two kids - ages10 and 14) visited the Air and Space Center today for a bit of education on our vacation. We were pleased with the interactive options and the variety of air and space historic artifacts. My girls tried the roller coaster simulator (which costs $4 extra per person) and loved it. LOTS of movement and squeals! We ended the visit with the IMAX film, Hubble, which was included in the price of admission. Very interesting and perfect for a sunny or rainy day!

Enjoyed the museum. Very informative. Some exhibits, however were closed. We would have enjoyed them.

My 13 yr old son and I visited for the 1st time Wed. Aug 10, 2016. He loves Military and things related to flight. He had a great time and enjoyed the exibits that were hands-on. For this center I would say ages 8 & up. If younger I think they will get bored as the subject material will be too advanced for them. There is a free IMAX movie included that I really enjoyed. I would say allow around 3 hours, there is also a nice gift shop so allow time and money if you desire. The big passenger plane that you can go through is cool! This was convienent to our hotel on the marina where we were staying. Ask for AAA discount.

The museum is certainly designed for kids, got it. That should be enough justification to fix the interactive displays throughout the museum. The IMAX was nice, several displays informative and a very nice collection of airplanes and space vehicle to make it an excellent destination. Please maintain what you have and pick up a rag to dust off the planes. There was enough dust to hide the color of those beautiful flying machines. Great potential, please show some care!

I originally thought this would be closer to NASA Langley, not in downtown Hampton, VA. Great location, though, impressive building. Exhibits were well done, though a couple didn't seem to work well. This museum spoke to the local history with the NASA space program. Three floors and an observation deck, all clean, spacious and informative.

We have 3 children ages 3-10 and we ALL had a blast here!! There was something for everyone and spent hours in the museum! So glad someone recommended it to us !!

Great place to take your kids. Alot of interactive things for them to do. Very informative. The imax3D movie was very cool.

Came here for a Christmas party, and I was impressed with my experience. There were plenty of interesting things for both adults and kids to see. There was plenty of space, and the overall atmosphere for the party was great because it was in the middle of the center, with the planes and exhibits all around. I was so happy with my experience here that I will likely get a family membership to return so my family cam enjoy the experience at the center. I recommend others attend also because you will not be disappointed.

There are a lot of interesting artifacts here but the center is mostly set up for kids, not so much as a museum. I kept wishing there was more information available abou the aircraft on display. The center gallery is beautiful, while the gallery with the B-24 is dark and cramped. The second floor gallery with the Solarium sun video exhibit was well done, as was the B-24 exhibit. The interactive exhibits are in need of repair.

There are a large number of particularly fine models on display throughout the museum, if you like that sort of thing. My hat is off to the person who made the accurately-detailed model of the Apollo 12 lunar module there, it is a thing of beauty.

The food service was fine for what it was. I was served quickly and courteously, and there was plenty of seating with a view of the carousel park across the street.

I was pleasantly surprised by the gift shop, which was not solely devoted to kid merchandise, and whose staff was very helpful.

The free parking structure across the street was a good choice. Set your GPS destination to "History Museum Way, Hampton, VA" to go straight to the garage entrance.

Definitely not worth the hefty admission price. At least a quarter of the exhibits were OUT OF ORDER for our visit, some marked as out of order, and some just not working. Surprising since this is an official "Visit NASA" attraction. Come on people, get this stuff fixed. Not worth the price of admission. Period.

Our family including 2 teenage daughters spent a few hours at the Air & Space Center and really enjoyed it. There is a lot to learn and see if you slow down and take some time. We were very fortunate to talk at length to one of the workers there who was a leak expert who worked on the Space Shuttle program in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster. So insightful. The museum could use a few more guides for people to talk to along the way but I suspect they are wrestling with cost issues like many others. Definitely recommend!

Sooooo....we checked the website at 2pm and saw the museum was open til 6. Arrived at 2:45. Notes on the door say they close at 4:30 for a special event. While I can't argue with closing for a special event, we drove 45 mins to get there and some notice that they would close early would have been great. There was 1 imax show left, which would have left us less than an hour for the museum. I had to ask for the manager to talk about a reduced price. In the end, the manager and I came to a reasonable admission price, but it felt like a battle.

After that, we had 90mins to get thru the entire museum, and we used every single second. It was pretty annoying to have to move around tables being set up that blocked the display info, and thank goodness my kids are old enough to have not sent towers of glassware to the floor. I felt we were in the way the entire time we were looking at the ground floor exhibits. By 4pm, the band was rehearsing and the floor was being vacuumed. Again we felt like unwanted guests. If they were closing for the party, they should close for the setup.

BUT, the exhibits are wonderful. All of us enjoyed watching the solarium and seeing each space capsule, etc. The sphero demo was super fun for us as well.

All in all, a great museum on a non-party day.

We were looking for something to do and found this in one of the brochures. Who knew it existed! It was a fantastic stop. So much space and air history. I think kids of all ages will love this place and if the observation deck is open, go, the view of the bay in amazing.

Museum was empty, nothing was open, no one was there except for maybe 10 people. Very weird and expensive for none of the attractions being open

This rating is solely because of the retired AF fighter pilot tour guide. I wish I could spend a weekend with him hearing his amazing personal stories and about the museum.
If you visit here, please allow him to give you the tour. You won't be disappointed.

The museum is more a place of discovery, aerospace engineering, and science than a aviation museum -- but the aircraft they have on display are fantastic. A great place to take a kid who is interested in aviation, space, and science.

Friendly and informative staff. Lots of interesting exhibits, although hard to get good photos of some. Some areas closed off due to re-configuring and set-up. Imax 3-D was good (US National Forest Service).

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We stayed roughly 4 hours which included an iMax movie. The facilities were in great shape, and the staff was friendly and helpful. There are some incredible artifacts! And the interactive games and exhibits were very good. Most school-aged kids would love the place, but we “mature kids” had a great time as well.

Another plus… there is a city parking deck with free parking in the next block.

A very nice air and space museum. A small collection of aircraft and space hardware, but a good number of interactive learning experiences. An IMAX showing is included in the admission.

Science, Space, and Planes are a passion of mine. Every since I was in school, I wanted to be an Astronaut and a fighter pilot. But, I am to short for being a fighter pilot and ultimately before I could get started in the Air Force, I was struck with Multiple Sclerosis. Every since, I've lived vicariously through NASA tv at home. So to see this place and the movie called A Beautiful Planet. I felt like a dream was coming true for me personally, if only for a little while. I recommend this place for all children and adults who are just as passionate as I, when comes to Science, Space and Flight of any kind. I truly enjoyed my visit.

For those that forget Langley in Hampton played a vital part in the space race. This space center in downtown Hampton has a wide selection of displays from that era. The recent movie “. Hidden Figures “. Was based on the real women who worked on those first phobes into space and how to get there

Took our girls (ages 13 and 10). The exhibits were interesting and educational, though some interactive things were out of order. Spent roughly an hour and a half there.

Visited this museum on the way to Visit VA Beach. This was a wonderful experience for the kids and we enjoyed ourselves as well. There are a lot of interactive exhibits.

Took grandkids to the place and had a very wonderful time. Also went to see the
IMAX movie whilst here called Hurricane. Have actual rocks from the moon and
real space capsules.

Not much to see really. Some nice examples of classic aircraft, but all are hanging from the ceiling and can't get close.

We spent 4.5 hours and did not see/do everything. The IMAX shows were incredible, displays were amazing, and storyboards were excellent!

There was something for every age. We plan on returning next week with our 3 & 4 year old granddaughters!

We enjoyed it so much we bought a membership; it gets you in to other museums around the country.

Oh - the gift shop is fabulous!!

Tons of hands on displays and real planes and space craft. They also had people demoing some small robotic toys, which the kids enjoyed. Lovely observation deck on top of the building. Enjoyed an imax movie--one is free with admission. There was also a cool virtual reality thing, for an extra $4, which was worthwhile.

Great visit. Friendly environment. Staff very knowledgeable and accommodating. Just a few pictures to show the fun, adventures and very educational exhibits here. A must visit if ever in Hampton Virginia!

We've been to a lot of museums but this was the most enjoyable adult and child hands on science museum we've seen. My husband road inside a simulator and we both "drove on Mars". Lots to do and see for hours plus an I Max 3D movie. Free parking around back on the street.

I was going to leave a stealer review. The place was beautiful with a emphasis on African American mathematicians and pilots. An amazing learning experience for my son, right down to the IMAX theater. HOWEVER, upon leaving I figured let me spend my hard earned money on memorabilia from the gift shop. Not sure who the older Caucasian man was but he was screaming at, what I was told was a manager. That is completely unprofessional. I tried to mind my business up until the moment my son asked why the lady was being yelled at. I mean berated. Did he not know the place was open and full of patrons? That is unacceptable and disgusting . Absolutely disgusting and rude behavior. I will not spend another red cent until your manager/director/ whomever learns to handle things better. Such a poor way to end a treat. Keep your 10.00 robot arm.

This place is smaller than I thought. I guess coming from Chicago this place doesn't come close to the Museums and centers there. This place is good for an imax movie and 10-15 minutes of viewing exhibits.

Great place to go on a rainy day.The 3d video on microorganisms was awesome.There were other videos also.Many aircraft on display as well as space capsules.There is some interactive attraction so kids can have fun.Reason-ling priced.

I recently went here for a wedding and it is a great place for everyone to gather and have a fun time. I would recommend this place as an option for those who are going to get married soon or in the near future.

Perhaps it's just because we have done a lot of travelling and visited many air museums that are free that had a lot more than this place. For two adults the price was $34.00. This included the IMAX movie which was excellent ! That at least made us feel a little better about the cost.

There are some fun interactive exhibits that we took part in. We noticed that quite a few were not working though.

We parked across the street in a municipal lot for free. They did post a maximum 2 hour visit which we exceeded and had no difficulties. Not sure if they would be less forgiving during a busier time of the year. There are some free parking spots on the street as well.

The simulator which was taking a ride on the roller coaster was very popular. I believe it was included in the admission price but not sure as we did not try it.

We enjoyed the NASA exhibits with the Apollo 12 command module. Including the movie (45 minutes) we spent about 2 hours there.

This is a great aerospace museum - has lots of stuff for both adults and kids to see and try. There is also a half jetliner you can go inside and go into the cockpit and act like you are flying the plane. Lots of fun for any time of day.

We Had A Party Of Five This Weekend I Took Them To Watch Movies At The Theatre We Had An Wonderful Time Looking Forward To The Next Time

We spent a week in Williamsburg, VA and this day did an excursion down to Hampton to visit sites down there. We really enjoyed the hours we spent at VA Air & Space Center. They have a lot of displays and found them all very interesting. Our one compliant was that we left our jackets in the car (a walk aways from the center) and it was freezing cold in there. Checked out the gift shop thinking I'd get a sweatshirt souvenier to wear then also - very little choice all large and I'm petite.

Most of the "experience" exhibits and videos were closed or broken. Looks like NASA needs more budget. No docents to guide or explain anything. Apollo 11 Imax was great. Had a scary experience with Hampton PD Officer who was directing traffic- went into a screaming rage against drivers because his signals were so confusing- he caused an unsafe situation....he really screamed at people- was out of control....so be careful if you are driving in Hampton.

Our family decided to check this out today and my boys loved the displays and exhibits! I loved reading the history of flight as well as many of the other displays.

We were disappointed because the IMAX was not included with our membership pass. We decided to buy the tickets because the movie on National Parks sounded great! But when we got there, she said the 3-D part of the movie was not working. While the movie was well done and we enjoyed it, we were disappointed that it was not 3-D as well as that we were not offered a refund/discount on the movie.

My kids were disappointed that some of the simulators were not free. we assumed that those would all be included with admission.

Overall, my boys were still happy to be in a place about air, space, and flight.

I would have probably given it two stars if iMax wasn’t included. Many of the hands on exhibits were non functional but some were entertaining for kids. There was an apple error displaying on the big screen the sun viewing room. There was a garbage bag covering one of the exhibits because I would guess the roof leaks. There are only about a dozen or less full size planes on display. Definitely not worth the $80 my family of 5 paid to visit. If you are going to visit a museum while at Virginia beach go see the Wisconsin.

This was one of the pricier things we did in the area this trip. At $20 per adult and $16.50 per child it added up quickly. Tickets included an Imax show that was both educational and entertaining for my children who have an 11 year age difference.

Despite the price tag this museum is unique and essential to understanding the area, which played a key role in aviation and space travel. This museum has a one of a kind exhibit on the US Space program from Apollo through present day and several cutting edge interactive exhibits.

My youngest enjoyed the interactive stations that included exploring aerodynamics through paper airplanes, sitting in the pilot seat of a DC-9 and playing in an indoor playground. My oldest was fascinated with the Apollo Spacecraft and the concept of space travel. We all enjoyed the flight simulator where we got to crash a WWII Era P-38 (Twice). [No vintage aircraft were harmed during this visit].

We finished out visit with a selfie from the observation deck on the roof which provided a long range view of the bay.

Not a space fan, but it was interesting to see the planes, rockets etc. up close and read about their history.

My wife and I enjoyed the exhibits which were very educational. We also watched the the the 3D film Future Cities at the IMAX Theater on site. The movie was so realistic my wife got scared for a moment when a satellite looked like it was heading toward us 😂. Highly recommended if you are visiting the Tidewater area

IMAX movie screen. Lots of planes, space craft and other stuff. Fun for the whole family. The museum is a nice size, big, but not huge. There is something for everyone, from kids to adults. There is a good gift shop in the front and a bunch of stuff again for all ages. Great place to learn and have some fun for the day.

This museum is with it's many interactive displays a great place to visit with your children and they can see how aviation evolved through the years. When you pay a little extra you have also access to the imax theatre were you can watch a 3D movie. When we were there we could choose between the national parks of the USA and Hubble space telescope. We chose the national parks, beautiful!

The VA Air and Space Center is a great place to take children and adult alike. There are many hands on activities for children and adults. The Imax theater was really nice. Service at the snack counter was a little slow and they were not that busy.

I hate to give it only three stars, but feel I must. The place itself was wonderful, but sadly I feel to let to many "school children" there at once! They were everywhere, screaming, yelling, running in front of etc... Just wild and out of control. It was very hard for myself and my husband to fully enjoy because of this. The teachers/guides had no control of them and all you heard is either the kids screaming or the adults yelling at them. I understand places like this do fieldtrips, but they need to greatly reduce the number of children allowed there at one time!!

The museum has phenomenal aircraft on display along with all kinds of interactive fun things to do. Not just for kids either. The two men in our group were having a lot of fun with the simulators and other interactive stations. There is a gorgeous observation deck overlooking the bay too. You also can pick from several iMAX movies depending on what time you get there. We saw the National Parks movie - which has jaw dropping camera work. Go there - you won't be disappointed.

3D IMAX is awesome! Just stopped in today for a showing of the Great Bear Rainforest in 3D. Show was about 45 minutes long and worth every penny of the 10 bucks I spent to get in. Theatre was practically empty for the 3:30 Showing which was perfect for me. Popcorn and Sodas available.

LOVE IT.

Funplace to take your young kids. Cool stuff to spark imagination but about 1/4 of the displays/ things to do were either shut down or broken. Kinda bummed when you pay full price for 3/4 of the fun.

This was truly a great trip with my sons. This is a must do day trip. Plenty of stuff to see and do for all ages. Has res jets and space craft, missiles and a fun interactive lunar and rocket flight simulator. Food is available and Has an IMAX theatre as well. Convenient parking deck across the street. Has supper deck observation deck and a HAM radio station.

This area was packed with information. Self guided tour. Plenty of exhibits and many of them interactive. It would have been better if the exhibits all worked properly.

We were in Virginia Beach this week since my office was closed. John and I decided to go beyond the beach to nearby Hampton. After reviewing a brochure at the hotel for things to do. The day before we came out for a boat ride from the Miss. Hampton. And brought a package deal called Sea to stars. So here we are back in Beautiful historic Hampton for our tour of the NASA.Air and Space museum. As you stroll and explore each exhibit you learn something from beginning of air travel such as the Wright brothers to fighter planes from World War 2. Onto next section of space travel with real space capsules such as Apollo and Mercury. Seen a Mars Rover. Then in the Imax theater for short film in 3 D. On Hidden planets.Several famous people were featured for their work on the space programs. Lots of hands on stuff for kids to help educate them on math and science. So much to take in. There are some retired volunteers working in the museum called Docents.Who are around to answer your questions. Would like to say thanks to one of those volunteer Bruce with sharing his vast knowledge. Definitely would recommend.

This is really a museum catering to the very young >6 and early-teen (11-14). There area number of interactive exhibits. Young kids can build things with blocks while older kids can read and do some of the basic experiments. Parents are mildly amused, but mostly help their kids.

It has an attached Imax Theater which is very nice. You can buy combo tickets for the museum and Imax or just the Imax. I would have like to have a "just museum" ticket option. That would have made the price reasonable.

Not into airplanes and science but this museum was amazing! I learned quite alot and will come back!

I was amazed at the exhibits hanging from the ceiling and the weight being put on it. We enjoyed being inside on a hot day in air conditioning.

Went with my parents, my husband and our children. There was something here for every age, from the history of flight to the current project to send humans to Mars. IMAX movies are awesome.

Is a great place to go and have a fun learning day. Kids can explore, hands on and also you can experience IMAX movie. Parking is free across from the center.

Sometimes you can tell how an attraction is going to be just by the demeanor of its employees. This is one of those places. The employee selling our tickets was glum and not personable at all, and when we asked for facility map he acted like it was a huge undertaking to give us one. While the exhibits just meant for viewing looked good, you could tell from the start that the rest of the facility was not well maintained. Probably 1/3 of the interactive exhibits were broken, not working correctly, or not even turned on. Heck, the elevator was even broken so good luck it you absolutely needed that to visit the second floor exhibits. It's pretty sad that the highlight of the exhibits for our kids was the station where you make your own paper airplane and try to fly it through an obstacle. If it wasn’t for the included IMAX video, this attraction would have been a complete waste of time. We went here full of excitement and left thoroughly disappointed and wondering why we even made the drive down to it. Save some time and money and don’t bother going here.

My husband and daughter loved the interactive space table. All the employees we ran into were really nice. The speakers in the small theater need some TLC. Other than that it was a great experience.

Really enjoyed our visit here. A lot of great information packed into a smaller space. Great area for kids too - very hands on and interactive. The IMAX movie was super cool too, of course. There are several different shows you can see. Most of the exhibits are really up to date and well maintained. If you light flight or space exploration, you'll find something interesting here. They have the real Apollo 11 capsule on display!

The Space Explorer gallery ruined the museum for our family. We go to museums for unique experiences we can't get at home. When we first entered the galleries, our child was excited to see the models, aircraft, and space capsules, but once we got into the Space Explorer gallery it was all over. He glued himself to the Mars rover video game and we had to tear him away in tears once it was time to leave. The whole gallery was full of different screens and video games. It turned our bright, curious, space-obsessed child into a zombie addict. And did he learn anything from it? Of course not. He can sit on a screen and play video games at home. Why pay out the nose to do that in a museum? Why can't the museum spend all that tech money on exhibits that are truly unique, like replica space capsules you can actually get inside and experience what the astronauts did? It is astounding that this place can take sa topic as fascinating and awe-inspiring as human space travel and can't manage to come up with something besides a video game to share it. We won't be back until they ditch the screens and prioritize real learning and experiences you can't get at home.

This museum has had many of the same exhibits for the last 25 years. Half of the exhibits there do not function correctly, if at all. Currently they are showing two IMAX movies, neither of which is about space. Save your money, visit some place else.

Came here with daughter and her 6 Y/O and 2 Y/O. On a limited time schedule so we could not see the Imax film. It might have raised my opinion. The Apollo command module struck me for its history and condition. Men flew to the moon and back in it!!! Stunning... I very much thought they should have had a P-51 Mustang, as that was one of the workhorses of WWII. I also missed any reference to Glenn Curtiss who was a pioneer in aviation - and a great contributor to the US in WWl. We did not have to pay admission as my daughter and family are members. If we had, it would not have been a bargain.

We just happened upon this museum after visiting Ft. Monroe! A very nice building filled with all types of planes and space capsules! Friendly staff is very helpful and all of the displays are well done! It also contains an IMAX Theater which we also enjoyed!

Very mixed feelings. The "Langley Visitor Center" thing is misleading since you're not at or near NASA Langley. On the one hand, they have an impressive array of aircraft and spacecraft on display. Way more that you'd expect from such a small place. Yet they fail to really describe well each piece and the Langley connection. Lots of great interactive science exhibits for kids and adults, but too many that were broken and old/out of date. There's lots of potential here that just isn't quiet met. Free parking across the street was nice. Having said all that, I'm glad that I went.

Great place we had a lot of fun and we learned a lot loved the interaction with everything very very interesting. We also did the IMAX theater it was great we did the Amazon movie it was very good

This is a great museum for kids, lots of interaction. If we had known it was more of a children's museum we probably would not have gone. There were some very nice exhibits for adults but not enough. If we had had our grandchildren along it would have been perfect, but just for the grandparents, hmmm, not sure I would do it. It is nice that the price included an IMax movie though.

A wonderful depository of history and a great educational experience. The lunar command module alone is worth the price of admission.

Good exhibits, lots of handson for kids..
Impressive display of planes and helocopters..real planes just hanging there.
One person loved the trip to Mars exhibit.

a great collection of air planes and space equipments, a lot of details to see, take your time it will need easy a half day.
Note that it's free entrance for public in all Washington muesum

It's the perfect place to take family for fun for children and adults and get history of NASA and flight

These exhibits of rockets and jets are the early years of the Air Force and NASA space programs, which NASA and Langley Air Force Base are just down the road. It's hard to appreciate where we are in these programs unless you know where and when they started. Inside the building are posters and pictures of this history, and you can go outside to see the jets and rockets. And it's free of charge, you just have to sign in!

Visited the museum based on all the positive reviews here on Trip Advisor, but we were quite surprised at the state of the museum; at least a third of the exhibits did not work, totally broken, or not turned on. Those that worked, seemed rather run down and old. It was like they built it and then left it to rot. Maybe they get too many school trips through and that contributes to them all being broken? But no one seemed to be working to repair any of them either. The real kicker was that even the elevator was broken, you can only see the first floor without a working elevator. If it were not for the fact that a IMAX movie was included in the ticket price than it would have not been worth it all, we would have asked for a refund. I would skip this museum unless you are on a class trip. Also the prices in the gift shop were outrageous, you expect them to be high, but here they were triple compared to other places. I am thinking this place needs new management that focuses on the visitor experience, cause ours kinda sucked.

Enjoy all of the NASA and space content. There we a lot of hands on activities for all ages. Well done and worth of a visit.

Difficult to get to, but worth the trouble. Lot of rare aircraft, from research to pleasure flying, to a DC-9.
The Apollo 12 capsule is awesome! Lots of stuff for kids, young adults. Only complaint, wish some aircraft were more observable.....mainly the F-104 and P-39.

Went despite recent reviews. Lots of great displays. Lived solarium, moon rock, best of Hubble and so much more. If you grew up with the space race this is must see.

Didn't know what to expect. The first take-away is that Langley has been far more important in space exploration than we knew. I can, however, understand why some would be dissatisfied with the Museum. It's a lot of reading, so it's difficult if you're not a space junkie. Interesting planes, although not always easy to get information at one you're looking at. Entrance fee includes IMAX movie, which is fun. There are a lot of video-type experiences. Unfortunately, a lot were not working. We ended up spending much more time than we had planned. Apollo exhibit was super.

This museum is very interesting and is great if you have never been to an air and space museum. It's small, but we visited it as part of the Sea to Stars combination ticket. That made it a great value for the money. The IMAX movie about national parks was very good and interesting. You need to plan to spend at least a couple of hours there to see everything. It has lots of interactive exhibits for children.

Amazing with I MAX theater, membership and also they help the community and there are neighborhood tax credits on VA state taxes for donors. I so enjoy it here and donate money to the programs that help our children. I also believe they do so much for our local communities. What a great place and everything is always changing. See for yourself.

The museum is very interactive. Lots of fun things for both adults and kids to enjoy. The entry is $19 but includes an I MAX movie. We saw Aircraft and it was awesome. Definetly worth the visit.

Not aware that Virginia and Langley played such a large role in our space program. In addition to displays and artifacts there are multiple interactive things for children and adults to do. Not just history but our space program looking to the future. Very entertaining.

Very informative and educational place to visit, especially if you have family members who are interested in air and space. Lots of hands on exhibits to get the kids involved.

I didn't know I liked air and space that much until we went to this museum. Seemed pricey, but we got in free with a reciprocal membership we have at another museum. We did not see an imax film and had plenty to do. We have a 5 yr old, an 8 yr old, and a 4 month old. Everyone was entertained enough for the adults to read informational plaques all around. There were a lot of interactive displays and buttons to push to keep their interest.

This is one of the better air and space museums in the area. There are many planes to see, but this one has a bigger emphasis on space. Most of the attractions are the original not recreations. There is alot of simulators for both adults and kids to try. The building is two stories with an elevator as well as a third floor observation deck. IMAX theater is included in ticket price. You must select time and movie at the time you buy your ticket.

This is a nice way to spend a few hours. Due to Covid all museums require a face mask and spacing of 6 feet apart from others. Nice displays.

This is a place you must see in Hampton. It defines Hampton and our history with space exploration. Really fun for the children, lots to see and do for all ages. The movie theatre inside is also worth going to. As an adult, I found trying to fly a spacecraft very challenging. A definite MUST for visiting Hampton Roads area.

Full of history, we spent 3 hours walking around the exhibits in awe!! Great Imax movie was included in the entrance fee. A must see!!

This was a very enjoyable attraction and plenty of parking. On the weekend, parking was NOT a problem. Great for the family.

Clean, modern facility. We arrived in the Hampton/Norfolk/Virginia Beach area a little earlier than expected on our way to a Graduation in Suffolk and sort of stumbled upon this facility. Beautiful large building housing 8-10 aircraft from a Piper Cub to a commercial airliner including an F-18 Hornet and an F-4 Phantom among others. There are also a number of real space capsules and other space related items and interactive activities that should appeal to young people. There's also a wonderful wall of display cases with excellent models of ships and aircraft, all of the same scale, by the way, that simply and effectively show the chronological development of travel and flight...very simple and effective.
For me, though, the docents/volunteers made our visit much more enjoyable. While not a guided tour in any way, the interactions, the Q&A, the exchanges....they made our experience so much better. If you visit, make sure you take advantage of these folks, especially if you have student aged children with you.
Admission can also be combined in a "one price" discount package with Hampton's history museum, an antique carousel, and a 3 hour harbor cruise.
Spend the day!

One word describes this museum: BORING! My family got in free because we were a member at another museum, otherwise we would have paid $99 for our family of 5. If it’s free check it out, otherwise save your money and do something else!☹️

The museum seems to be going downhill, some displays didn't work at all. This is the third time in 30 years that we visited and no changes at all.

We spent $73 to visit today, and about 80% of the exhibits were either broken or locked up; I've included several photos of the broken items, but very few things were actually working. The cafe barely had anything to choose from, and the staff was obviously unconcerned about visitor comfort and happiness. I'm very sorry that I wasted so much money here, and I will not make that mistake again.

You can have both at Virginia Air and Space Center. You can learn about the Tuskegee Airmen and sit in an actual plane cockpit. There are interactive exhibits as well as watch an imax movie.

A convenient museum with actual vehicles to view and an IMAX theater. While not huge, it held a number of jets, space vehicles, and other activities. A small shop is available for souvenirs.

I don't know if it was just because it was a holiday weekend, but it seemed as if a lot of the features of the museum were not working or closed to visitors. There weren't a lot of visitors that day. We were able to enter for free due to a reciprocal membership agreement, so I guess we got our "money's worth". Our overall impression was that the museum felt dated and needed some "refreshing"

Well done museum with very knowledgeable folks around to answer questions. Best for younger kids but our teens still enjoyed it, as did we.

This is a MUST!! it is in the Downtown section of Hampton so you can combine many things with one stop!!! The kids, BIG AND SMALL will truly enjoy this venue and what it has to offer educationally - THIS is a repeat!! never the same!!!

This place is nice and has many models at display. Kids will surely have fun. Also their 1 hour videos in the theaters are really awesome.

Okay if you happen to be passing, but I wouldn't go out of your way. Displays are fairly basic. A lot of the displays are either not open and / or not working. Imax was good but very disappointed that they let unaccompanied children in there (very noisy and naughty children who spoiled the experience for others).

I chaperoned a field trip here with my nephews 4th grade classes. The program was good but the children really loved the self guided tour/scavenger hunt that had them explore the exhibits. The best was the imax films on Hurricane, I thought the kids would find it boring, but they were engrossed in the film.

There are a lot of cool and interesting things to see here. If you like space and aviation you’ll like it.

We weren’t sure how this would go over with all the grandkids (ages 2-8) and their parents, but there was something for everyone. Visiting friends have enjoyed it, too. There are bough points of interest for true aficionados, but not so much as to overwhelm the casual visitor. Plenty of hands-on stuff for the kids, too. And the IMAX was a hit with Everyone but the two-year-old. He probably would have enjoyed the movie, but the IMAX intro showing off their sound, etc. was too much for him!

This museum is a cross between a Smithsonian style museum and a kids can touch everything museum. Some of the interactive exhibits weren't working properly, but other than that, it was a good experience. I was pleasantly surprised to find an iMax movie showing of your choice was included with admission. This is a great place to take little ones or anyone interested in flight and space.

We used to live in the Hampton Roads area and loved this museum! We attended a retirement dinner here and were blown away by the atmosphere and knowledge of the staff!

Enough hands on activities to keep my kids busy for couple of hours. Then we watched a film about aircraft which to me was kind of boring however my hubby and brother in law like it 🤔
Overall, it’s a good place to go in a rainy day or if you are seeking indoor activities.

Just a wonderful place to visit. There is lots of interaction for all ages. Children are allowed to touch things and see how they work. I was amazed to see how small the Apollo Command Module was. I also got a crick in my neck from looking up at all the beautiful planes. The IMAX theatre is something else!

Just a great day out, but take a jacket as the aircon is a bit fierce.

This isn't a museum, it is basically an overpriced arcade with a handful of half-assed exhibits. Don't waste your time. You will learn very little and if you have kids they'll just pay attention to the inane video games.

We stopped late on a very hot day and was able to just make the last Imax movie about National Parks. It was a wonderful documentary in a comfortable theatre. We had only paid to go into the Imax so we left afterwards but the museum looked very interesting. We will return.

Although it has educational merit, it is waaaay overpriced!!!! The gift shop is too! One 4x6 postcard should never come out to be $6! No military discounts either.

My husband and I went with our children and we all had a great time. We happened to get there the same time as a really big school group but the museum was big enough that we just started on a different level and it worked out fine. The staff was so friendly and helpful. You could tell they all loved flight and space in the passion they explained everything we asked. They answered all of our curious son's questions. My husband and our oldest son could have spent all day there but our younger ones were finished after about 4 hrs. They have some great interactive exhibits the kids loved. Highly recommend.

Had a great time, we even got an iMax showing, National Parks; awesome. They had NASA volunteers there that gave us more information about the aircraft. Plan on about two good hours not including they 45 min 3D show. Really worth the money and time.

Great museum for young children!! Been to this place since I was a kid and always have a trill to see the interactive and static displays. They offer summer camps for young children during the summer months. This place is highly recommended.

Just as others have reviewed.. Many things broken, not working. having been to other space museums i found this one poorly executed. There seemed to be no order and the facility is not maintained. They charge a lot for a second rate experience.
I honetly do not know the cost to maintain a facility like this but with what they charge to enter and the prices in the gift shop, just based on the amount of traffic the day I was there, they should be able to keep the lights on for the entire month...

While we all enjoyed seeing the various planes and spacecraft in the museum, the cherry on top of the day was the virtual trip to Mars. Our 10-year-old grandson was mesmerized. I think science just became real to him!

Largely made possible by NASA, this is a very nice little air and space museum. There are a number of great artifacts, both aeronautical and space related. Many hands on things for children as well. It is very much worth the take in.

We visited this in conjunction with NASA's open house recently celebrating their centennial in Aerospace. What an amazing experience to learn about all of the cutting edge technology and advancements they are currently making in the field of Aerospace and Aviation. The kids loved every minute of this place and we all felt like we learned a lot! Very happy we checked it out. Its crowded but they manage everything well.

We enjoyed our visit here. There were exhibits of planes and the Apollo 12 space craft. One problem was that some of the hands on interactive exhibits were broken. Your admission also included admission to an iMax movie as well.

We went for an afternoon and enjoyed it so much we got a family pass for the next year. Our youngest, 5 years old, was only interested in the movies and the play areas. The older kids loved it all! We saw the National Parks movie and enjoyed it, already planning our next visit.

This was a fantastic facility that is a 50/50 split between aviation and space. It is geared towards young adults and children, but is still very enjoyable for grown adults. There are a tone of very unique and rare items from NASA as well as numerous interactive exhibits. Overall, this facility was fun to visit.

Tickets weren’t expensive, but parking was hard to find. I parked on the street at the rear of the museum. You could easily stroll through this museum in about 2 hours. There is also an IMAX theater that show numerous 30 minute movies covering various subjects.

At least it is something different. I thought it would have a lot more to see than what it did. Okay, I have seen it and do not need to come back.

Not a huge place, only 3 stories, but packed with a lot of information and interactive activities. Great for a kids or family field trip. They have an IMAX with 3 different movies to view. They have very informative group guide's to explain the background of the displays. There is a food court and an upper outside covered deck with a nice view.

2 Seniors + 2 Children = $69.00. Many interactive displays inoperable. An attendant for an activity said he'd been working since 10 am and the activity was now closed. It was now 2:30 pm. Many displays needed refurbishing, if not a good cleaning. And make sure you eat before you get there. Save your money and go to the Smithsonian.

We were in town for a short, Thanksgiving weekend visit with our son, and it was pouring rain so we wanted an indoor activity. We love all things NASA so this was a no-brainer. It was tricky to figure out where to park - we ended up on a side street, we never did find a parking lot designated for the museum. But at least the street parking was free! The museum has a lot of things geared more for children, but we loved seeing the space capsule and all the full sized airplanes that are hanging from the ceiling. The museum has several levels, so if you visit each level you can get a more eye-level view of each of the planes, as opposed to just seeing their bottoms from the main floor. There were a few things you could go into, and one airplane cockpit which was really interesting to sit in! But the one thing that we all loved the most was up on the third level you can go outside to an observation area. There was the most incredible views from up there! We loved it and spent a lot of time taking in the views from every angle. Don't miss that while visiting the museum! We enjoyed our visit, but it really isn't the kind of museum that you would return to repeatedly so I doubt we'd go back.

My wife and I went to the Virginia Air and Space Museum for the first time. Our guide was a personal friend of ours, so our tour was even better. The exhibits were extremely interesting and time went by way too fast. Our guide had worked on some of the planes that were on display and told personal stories about several of them. The Museum truly is a fascinating place and there is so much to see and hands on exhibits, to interact with. We didn't see the IMAX movie, but that will be another visit. For us, it was " a great way to spend a few hours".

This museum is incredible, and my kids will remember it as better than the Smithsonian A&S. No crowds, tons of interactive displays, great IMAX theatre... we cannot get enough!

My son Brendon enjoyed that space center. We Saw so much in their. They have 3 floors and it was a lot to learn for the kids. Would recommend it to family's with kids!

The Center offers a lot of activities and historical items to look at if you are interested in NASA and aviation history. The 3D Imax theater was very nice. I would recommend the movie on America's National Park System. Lot's of family and kid oriented activities.

We took our teen-aged grand kids for "something to do" and all four of us enjoyed it very much. The place has a great combination of education, information, displays, and hands-on devices, so there is always something of interest for everyone. The IMAX shows are really good, too, and the entrance price includes theater tickets.

We have annual membership for here. We take our grandson at least once a month. He loves building things with the "blocks" on first floor. We have also gone to the members events, this one recently for holidays. The kids made ornaments, reindeer food, made a shooter to shoot marshmallows through targets and had cookie and refreshments. Does have a small food shop and my grandson loves the french fries. Gift shop is a bit expensive but still has some unique items I've bought. They have been improving the exhibits to have more interactive things to do for the new "tech" generation coming up.

We thoroughly enjoyed this entire museum. The displays were good. The IMAX movie came with the ticket cost and was incredible...Apollo 11.
**Be sure and ride the old Carousel**in the round building with green roof ($1.00) in front of the Air & Space Museum.

This place looks small from the outside, but does not disappoint! The kids ran from exhibit to exhibit and really enjoyed themselves (ages 9 and 11). They loved the fligh simulator and had a great time making paper airplanes. We would have loved to see the area with the Mars exhibit finished, but overall we were very impressed with the place. Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable.