Today, with more than 8 million visitors each year, the museum continues to hold the title as the most visited museum in the world. T he museum offers an awe inspiring array of aviation and space artifacts that span the history of human flight. The visitors who enter the museum through the Milestones of Flight Gallery are greeted by such artifacts as the 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, a touchable moon rock and the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia. Highlights in the other 22 galleries span nearly a century of air and space development and exploration including commercial and military aviation, space exploration, aerospace technology and popular culture. In addition to the 23 exhibition galleries, the museum houses a number of history and research departments including the museum Archives Division , the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies , the Department of Space History , and the Department of Aeronautics .
Admission is free.