The National Air and Space Museum
In Washington D.C. (and with free admission!) this is the ultimate place to see historic artifacts. The museum gets "first refusal" on everything that NASA discards. But, in addition to such items as Freedom 7, the Apollo 11 command module and a Viking lander, the museum also has Soviet artifacts on display, including Alexi Leonov's training space suit for the first space walk. You must go to this museum—more than once! A recent acquisition: SpaceShipOne!
And, while you're at the museum, you should take the free shuttle (an earth-bound bus...) to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center , out by the Dulles Airport. Among the extraordinary collection: NASA's first space shuttle, the Enterprise.
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