NASA Langley Visitor Center — Attraction in Hampton

If you decide to go here you better call ahead and make sure they’re not hosting a private event. They were setting up for a wedding when we got there at 3 o’clock and they were at least 10 things we couldn’t see because of a wet bar, a buffet table, or caterers in the way. These workers seemed annoyed at us like we were intruding on them even though we were just trying to enjoy the exhibits.

We paid nearly $80 to get in and half the attractions didn’t work, weren’t running (or weren’t weren’t turned on) didn’t have any workers there to show anything or explain anything. We asked the manager for passes so we could come back another time when there wasn’t a wedding going on and she said that that would be hard because “there’s always weddings and stuff.” I asked for a partial refund. She gave us a hard time because well we had “already gotten a military discount.” We would’ve rather paid full price and just been able to enjoy the exhibits. We did end up getting a refund for one child ticket. At no point did she apologize or even seem empathetic about our experience.

The whole visit felt awkward like we were uninvited guest to a party. We tried taking pictures of exhibits and there were wedding props in the background which kind of ruins the experience of that. Look! There’s an awesome F-18 fighter jet; don’t mind wedding tables and flowers in the background...fail.

Just before close we stopped off at the gift shop to pick up a trinket and right at 5 o’clock we were asked hey are you finished because there’s a private party going on (yeah no kidding) and my son was finishing up his purchase and the lady in the store said “uh you need to get out of here right now there’s a private party going on.” The least they could do was give us an extra two minutes to buy an overpriced keepsake!

It’s clear that the center is really just for private parties and big events and not for visitors. I wish I could leave negative stars. Thanks for ruining...

Absolutely beautiful place. When you first walk in, seeing all of those incredible planes hanging from the air is simply breathtaking. You can’t help but pause for a moment and just take it all in — the size, the craftsmanship, the sheer history suspended above your head. It’s like stepping into a living piece of aviation’s greatest hits.

They have incredible and well-written information panels all over the walls, and it’s the type that actually pulls you in instead of feeling like filler text. You end up reading every bit because the way it’s written makes the history feel alive. It really gives you an appreciation for the sheer amount of work, problem-solving, and dedication that goes into these machines — both in the past and now.

The wind tunnel section was especially fascinating. Having done work in the TDT tunnel myself, I got a kick out of seeing it from a visitor’s perspective. It was cool to learn even more about how it operates and to get a sense of the massive scale of these wind tunnels! The fact that they can make an entire wind tunnel test in R134 is absolutely mind blowing. Very well done! Also another shout out to all the interactive exhibits they had!!

The IMAX movie was also top-tier — beautifully filmed, awe-inspiring, and the perfect cap to the day. I left feeling not just impressed, but genuinely proud to be part of the aerospace world. It’s the kind of place that sticks with you long...

It was pretty neat and had some cool displays. It was amazing to walk amongst the scale displays and artifacts. The museum has great information, including info that applied to how the Langley NASA itself contributed to modern and historic efforts. I think the price could be a little cheaper (1 adult ticket for me, no kids) for the size and the level of interest/displays that are actually for adults, as opposed to children learning new concepts it could be cheaper for adults. That being said the IMAX movie was included in the ticket, but frankly it too was geared as being child oriented and less interesting/informative as a result. If I'd purchased the imax ticket separately I would've been annoyed, is what I'm saying. Snacks were expensive, as one would expect, so be prepared. Parking is across the street in the garage and is free which is a nice bonus. Gift shop was a little odd, most of it wasn't even related to the Langley NASA center, it was just random space...