Smithsonian Air and Space Museum has something for all

The winter weather in the Washington, D.C. area hasn't been too frightful this year. Grab a jacket and head out. There are some places you won't want to miss. One of the places worth visiting is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

The museum has free admission and is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. The museum is on the National Mall and has hundreds of original, historic artifacts on display, including the Wright 1903 Flyer; the Spirit of St. Louis; the Apollo 11 command module Columbia; and a lunar rock sample that visitors can touch.

The museum offers shows at the Albert Einstein Planetarium. The breathtaking new Space Show, Cosmic Collisions, is narrated by Robert Redford. It shows the creation of Earth's moon, NASA's current plan to prevent an asteroid colliding with earth, and the evolution of our galaxy as it collides with another.

Back seats offer the best view as you look straight up into the dome. During the film Stars Tonight a museum staff member will show you the current night sky and point out which constellations, planets, and stars to look out for. The planetarium also offers a movie on black holes.

The shows cost about $8.50. If you are on a budget and bringing children take the kids to the How Things Fly gallery. Kids can enter into paper airplane contests, hands-on science demonstrations, and learn on interactive activities all over the exhibit.

For history buffs, the story of World War II is too large for a single gallery but the one that focuses on land-based fighter aviation has several fighter planes from Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.S. North American P-51 Mustang. Also on exhibit are engines, bombs, armament, ammunition, aircrew and service uniforms from several nations, and personal memorabilia.

In the Sea-Air Operations Exhibit you can watch "cat shots" and "traps" (takeoffs and landings) filmed on a U.S. Navy carrier. Also here are exhibits on carrier warfare in World War II and on modern carrier aviation.

The museum truly holds something for everyone, and with free admission, you have nothing to lose.

Photo Caption : The Apollo Lunar Module was a two-stage vehicle designed to ferry two astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back. Located on the 1st floor of the Air and Space Museum.