National Air and Space Museum gets 40th birthday present (Photos)

The newly revamped Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall at the Air and Space Museum. It was finished in time to celebrate the museum's 40th birthday. (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart) — The newly revamped Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall at the National Air and Space Museum. It was finished in time to celebrate the museum’s 40th birthday. (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart)

Actual model of the Starship Enterprise that was used in the TV show on display at the Air&Space museum DC.
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewart小萝莉影视)

The actual model of the Starship Enterprise that was used in “Star Trek,” on display at the Air and Space Museum in D.C. (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart) (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart)

Other highlights in the Flight Hall include the renewed exhibit of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, which he flew on a solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris in 1927. (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart) — Other highlights in the Flight Hall include the renewed exhibit of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, which he flew on a solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris in 1927. (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart)

Another treat in the Flight Hall, the second lunar module that was made but did not fly in space. Curator Bob van der Linden says it was used for test purposes. (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart) — Another treat in the Flight Hall: the second lunar module that was made, but did not fly in space. Curator Bob van der Linden says it was used for test purposes. (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart)

Newly redone Flight Hall at Air & Space museum in DC. Finished in time to celebrate museum's 40th birthday.
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewart小萝莉影视)

Another look at the聽Flight Hall. (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart) (小萝莉影视/Kathy Stewart)

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WASHINGTON 鈥� Visitors to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in D.C. are in for a treat. The museum will show off its brand-new birthday present as it .

The Air and Space Museum is a crowd favorite with 7 to 8 million visitors per year. And for 40 years, the iconic entrance to the museum 鈥� the exhibit area where visitors can聽see planes that are suspended from the ceiling 鈥� hasn鈥檛 changed until now. Since the museum鈥檚 opening on July 1, 1976, it has looked pretty much the same.

But just in time for the museum鈥檚 40th birthday, the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall has gotten a major makeover. That’s thanks to a donation by Boeing, said the museum’s aeronautics curator .

鈥淭his has given us the opportunity to redo our lobby, because this is more than a gallery, more than a hall. It鈥檚 the first and last thing our visitors see,鈥� he said.

He says the museum is a “museum of milestones.” Besides some amazing pieces of flight history 鈥� such as the Mercury capsule in which John Glenn orbited earth back in 1962 鈥� also on display is the studio model of the USS聽Enterprise from “Star Trek.”

鈥淚t鈥檚 the original ‘StarTrek’ Enterprise from the TV show,鈥� van der Linden confirmed.

But other highlights in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall include the renewed exhibit of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, which he聽flew on a solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris in 1927, and the second lunar module that was made, but did not fly in space. Van der Linden says it was used for test purposes.

His history with the museum runs deep as he was actually a volunteer at the museum when it first opened in聽1976.

鈥淚 remember standing there in the gallery right before it opened and was wondering what was going to happen in the next 10, 20, 30 40 years, and now we know,鈥� van der Linden said.

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