NASM Soars Into Its Second Half-Century

Five new galleries debut July 1, marking the museum’s 50th anniversary and completion of an eight-year renovation.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, January 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A digital rendering of RTX Living in the Space Age [Credit: National Air and Space Museum]

Key Takeaways:

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (NASM) is celebrating its 50th anniversary on July 1st, commemorating its opening in 1976.
As part of an eight-year, comprehensive renovation project, five new galleries will open to the public on July 1st.
These new galleries introduce 1,400 new items, relocate 5,200 artifacts, and aim to modernize the visitor experience with enhanced interactives and updated storytelling across 20 exhibition spaces.
Two additional renovated galleries are scheduled to open in the fall, complemented by year-round special programming to celebrate the anniversary.

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Fiftieth anniversaries are always cause for celebration—especially when the entity marking the occasion is the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM).

The NASM, one of the most visited galleries in the world, opened to the public on July 1, 1976, as “a gift to the nation for the U.S. bicentennial,” according to its website. On July 1, the museum will open five new galleries to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.