The Washington, D.C. Tourmobile Service operates transportation shuttles around the tourist areas of Washington. The Visitor Center itself contains exhibits designed to educate the public about the value of wildlife research, management and understanding. Open daily from 9 AM - 4 PM, the Visitor Center provides interactive exhibits and computer displays that provide a history of NASA missions and an overview of space science research from the 1959 Explorer 6 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronomical findings, such as those of the Cosmic Background Explorer launched in 1977 to detect evidence of the big bang, are also presented. A NASA gift shop is located adjacent to the building.
Parking is free.
The museum, adjacent to National Security Agency headquarters at Fort Meade, offers a vantage point on the history of official intelligence gathering. On the Capitol Mall on Constitution Avenue, N.W., between 3rd and 7th Streets. Currently famous for the Van Gogh exhibit, this museum also houses permanent exhibits of paintings by European and American artists, sculptures, tapestries and ceramics, among others. Timed tickets are free but limited. It includes Lindburgh s Spirit of St. Louis, the Bell X-1, the Wright s 1903 flyer, an Apollo 11 capsule.