Udvar-Hazy Center Celebrated 15th Anniversary

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center celebrated its 15^th anniversary on December 15 at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. Concerts, film screenings and talks by curators regarding different artifacts kept in the museum were held throughout the day. The 760,000 square-foot Udvar-Hazy Center is a partner facility to the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall. Since its opening on December 15, 2003, Udvar-Hazy Center has remained an attractive destination for the northern Virginia community, having welcomed around 20 million visitors. The center has been thronged by aviation enthusiasts who want to see its aircraft and space shuttles on display. Curator Roger Connor delivered a speech titled “Explore the World’s Best Helicopter Collection”. The Archives of the Museum presented their “Collection Highlights from the Past 15 Years”. Among other events was Museum Explainer Beth Devine‘s interview with Steven F. Udvar-Hazy. Along with musical performances by Loudoun Jazz Ensemble, kid-friendly activities such as “Button making” and “Story Time” also took place. Visitors were able to buy books written by museum curators and get them signed by the authors.

20 million visitors later, the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Center celebrates its 15th anniversary. https://t.co/VZhWZtAYvm pic.twitter.com/2zR6THJeyL

— DCist (@DCist) December 13, 2018

The center is named after Steven F. Udvar-Házy, the former CEO of Air Lease Corporation. Born in Hungary, Udvar-Házy moved to the United States with his family at an early age. He went on to become a billionaire after successfully founding a business of leasing aircrafts. He is also known for giving a generous donation of $65 million to the Smithsonian Institution for the center.