Parking at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
Parking at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is difficult, but not impossible. Your best chance to find parking at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is to arrive by 10:00 AM and look for available parking spots on Jefferson Drive. All parking on Jefferson Drive is metered. It is $2 per hour for a maximum of 3 hours. Be careful to read the signs. There are a multitude of special parking spots on Jefferson Drive. Most importantly, do not park in handicapped parking. If you do not have tags, you can count on a $250 ticket when you come out of the museum. Parking in a taxi stand, a loading zone or other special zones will usually set you back $32 for a ticket.
Your next best option is to try parking on Madison Drive, across the Mall.
On-street parking on the National Mall is no longer free of charge. Three hour parking is available at $2 per hour. Parking meters only accept credit cards.
Top 5 Washington DC Museums
Tours of the National Mall and Memorials
Once you have parked, you are free to take a pedicab tour of the National Mall and all the Memorials. Nonpartisan Pedicab offers the best private tours. We can stop at each monument and memorial, where you can get out to take pictures and walk inside. We can visit all the memorials in 2-3 hours.
Commercial Parking Garages for Parking at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
The nearest commercial parking garage for parking at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is a Colonial parking garage at the corner of 6th and C SW. Daily rates are from $20-$37. Weekends and evenings are $11. They are open 24 hours.
More info on Parking on Madison and Jefferson Drives
On weekends and holidays, it is hard to find a spot in this area unless you arrive early (before 11:00 AM).
There is a 3 hour limit to parking here. After 1:00 AM, they will tow your car. So, you cannot leave your car here overnight.
Handicapped Parking at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
There is handicapped parking on Jefferson Drive near the entrance to the museum. If you look around to the right of the main entrance, there is a ramp entrance to get around the steps to the main doors.
On-street parking on the National Mall is no longer free of charge. Three hour parking is available at $2 per hour. Parking meters only accept credit cards.
Additional Information about Parking at the Smithsonian and around the National Mall.
Some additional information can be gleaned from the National Park Service website. Another good source of information can be found on the About DC website.
Touring the National Mall
Your best bet is to take a tour with Nonpartisan Pedicab. Many people say that a pedicab tour is the highlight of their visit to Washington DC.
Taking the Metro to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
This is a much better option than driving. L’Enfant Plaza Metro is the closest station. This is much closer than the more well known Smithsonian Metro. The following lines all stop at L’Enfant Plaza Metro – Blue/Orange/Silver/Yellow/Green.
Opening Hours at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
Summer hours are usually 10:00 AM until 7:30 PM. Occasionally, there are special events and the museum will close at 5:30 PM. During the rest of the year, the hours are from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM. At busy times of the year and on some weekends, the museum will stay open extended hours until 7:30 PM.
Tickets to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
Always free. Open every day of the year except Christmas. However, inside the main hall, you can get tickets to the IMAX theaters and the Planetarium. Inside the main hall, you will also find the flight simulators, which cost $7. More information on the Smithsonian Air and Space museum can be found on their website.