Udvar-Hazy Center to Hold Welcome Discovery Festival for Shuttle's Arrival

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum will have a series of activities happening to celebrate the arrival of the space shuttle Discovery in April.

The events begin when the shuttle comes to the Washington, D.C. area on April 17. Discovery will be transferred from NASA to the museum in a public ceremony on April 19 at the Udvar-Hazy Center, and there will be a four-day festival of space-related activities, performances, appearances, films, displays and more.

The festival, dubbed Welcome Discovery, is being presented with help from NASA and support for the shuttle’s transfer is being provided by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. All of the events are free and open to the public, though parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center is $15 per vehicle.

More than 25 special exhibits and programs will be offered during the festival, targeting every age group, from kindergarteners to adults. The history of the 30-year space shuttle program will be presented, along with Discovery space pioneers who will make special appearances.

As part of the event the festival will also discuss and focus on the future of space exploration, the International Space Station and how people are learning to live and work in space, and prepare for journeys farther into space.

"When NASA transfers Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum, the American people will gain a major icon of space history and an educational treasure to be valued now and for years to come," said Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey, director of the museum in a press release. "We invite the public to help us welcome Discovery to the collection of the Smithsonian Institution."

The Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly near the Dulles International Airport and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information visit the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum online.