Direct movement
Drag the scene
Press and hold anywhere in the panorama, then drag left, right, up, or down. On a trackpad or touch screen, swipe directly across the view.
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Your visit, at your pace
Explore the museum from every angle.
Move through panoramic scenes, open featured aircraft and spacecraft, and use the museum map to see where you are. Start with these three gestures; everything else builds from them.
360° panorama
Click and drag anywhere to look around
1
Look
Drag the panorama in any direction.
2
Move
Select a ring or use the scene controls.
3
Discover
Open labels, flags, and stars for more.
02
Look around and get closer
The panorama is your main viewing surface. Use the gesture that feels most natural, or use the controls along the bottom edge.
Zoom
See the details
Use the plus and minus controls, your mouse wheel, or a trackpad pinch. Zoom out whenever you want a wider sense of the hangar.
Let the scene settle
High-resolution detail sharpens as each part of the panorama loads.
03
Move through the museum
Animated floor rings connect nearby viewpoints. Select one to step naturally into the next panoramic scene.
Walkway — Look Up!
Select the ring
Three ways to travel
Choose the route that suits you
- Floor rings: move to a nearby viewpoint visible in the scene.
- Previous and next: step through the ordered scene sequence using the end arrows on the bottom bar.
- Menu or map: jump directly to a named area, object, exhibit, or scene.
Scene changes are animated
A short transition helps preserve your sense of direction as you move.
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Discover exhibits and objects
Three marker families organize the experience. Their counters show how much you have opened during your visit.
Exhibit areas
Flags lead to subject-area introductions and exhibit stations.
19 areas
Featured objects
Stars identify aircraft, spacecraft, and other highlighted objects.
44 objects
Scenes and stops
Pins identify panoramic viewpoints and points of interest.
136 scenesPitts S-1C “Little Stinker”
Object panels pair photographs and museum interpretation with next/previous controls, so you can continue through the collection.
Smithsonian resource link ↗
Two-state object labels
Open, read, then return
- Select an object label in the panorama to open its full information card.
- Use Previous and Next inside the card to browse the object collection alphabetically.
- Close the card to return to the same panoramic view.
- Many cards include links to deeper Smithsonian collection resources.
Your progress updates automatically
Opening an exhibit or object marks it as visited and updates the corresponding counter.
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Find your way with the menu and map
Use the menu when you know a name. Use the map when you want to understand location, nearby content, and your progress at a glance.
The menu is organized by destination
Open a category, then select a named entry to go there directly. The Scenes list follows your location; subtly accented rows are selected highlights.
Drag the map to pan. Drag the radar cone to rotate the panorama.
The map is an interactive window
Drag to pan, use the vertical slider to zoom, filter marker families, recenter, and use the lower-left handle to resize it.
06
Controls, progress, and sharing
The remaining controls help you change how you explore, track what is left, and send someone directly to a view you found.
MenuBrowse destinations by area, object, or scene.
MapOpen, move, resize, filter, zoom, or recenter the museum map.
AccessibilityOpen the structured text-based version of the tour.
GuideReturn to these instructions at any time.
Full screenExpand the panorama to fill your display.
Hide controlsTemporarily collapse the bottom toolbar for an unobstructed view.
0 / 19
Exhibit areas opened
0 / 44
Featured objects opened
0 / 136
Scenes visited
Share your view
Copy the address bar
After moving to a scene and rotating to the view you want, copy the page URL. The link carries the scene and viewing direction so another visitor can begin there. Exact zoom may vary in some browsers, but the intended scene and viewpoint are retained.
Remaining lists
See what is left
Select any of the three counters on the map to open a scrollable list of the exhibits, objects, or scenes you have not yet visited. Select an entry to go there directly.
Prefer a structured, text-based experience?
Open accessible tour
The accessibility tour provides keyboard-friendly navigation and the museum content in a linear format.