SEATTLE, April 21, 2016--The Museum celebrates the opening of its new, 3-acre Aviation Pavilion June 25-26. The grand opening weekend for the roofed outdoor gallery will include live music and entertainment within the embrace of 17 classic planes. Boasting the "Pavilion Collection" of glamorous runway designs like the Boeing 747 prototype and Concorde, the festivities will also include airline-inspired fashion shows, swag bags for the first 500 visitors each day, designer eats and brews, plus stylish performances by aerial artists dangling from the rafters. The Museum and Pavilion will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and all events are free with admission to the Museum.

The Aviation Pavilion
The Museum of Flight's Aviation Pavilion is a covered, outside gallery with 19 rare and unique commercial and military airplanes. The 3-acre display focuses on the dramatic development of large aircraft and commercial airliners from the 1930s to the present. The Pavilion also offers the first-ever exhibit about the business of air freight. The FedEx Air Cargo exhibit, built from the fuselage of a former FedEx Boeing 727 freighter, is a highly interactive, behind-the-scenes exploration into the world of air deliveries. The Pavilion also offers daily tours, a café, and a children's play area in one of Seattle's largest covered spaces.

The Aircraft in the Pavilion
For the first time, the Museum's unrivaled collection of large commercial aircraft can be seen in one place. The airliner exhibit includes the world's only presentation of the first Boeing 727, 737 and 747 jets, the first jet Air Force One, the extremely rare Boeing 247D and Douglas DC-2 airliners from the 1930s, the only Concorde on the West Coast, and the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The military line-up includes three big bombers--World War Two's B-17F Flying Fortress and B-29 Superfortress, and the Cold War's B-47 Stratojet; plus jet fighters spanning the wars from Korea to the Persian Gulf. Note: Air Force One, Boeing 727 and Boeing 247D will be exhibited outside of the Pavilion, next to the Museum entrance, until fall 2016.

747 in Aviation PavilionImages:
Top: Artist rendering of the Aviation Pavilion, located between Museum's Charles Simonyi Space Gallery and Raisbeck Aviation High School.
Bottom: The 747 prototype shines at dawn in the Aviation Pavilion. Ted Huetter/The Museum of Flight, Seattle.

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Founded in 1965, the independent, non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, serving more than 560,000 visitors annually. The Museum's collection includes more than 160 historically significant airplanes and spacecraft, from the first fighter plane (1914) to today's 787 Dreamliner. Attractions also include the original Boeing Company factory, and the world's only full-scale NASA Space Shuttle Trainer. The Museum's aviation and space library and archives are the largest on the West Coast. More than 150,000 individuals are served annually by the Museum's on-site and outreach educational programs. The Museum of Flight is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and is an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

2016 Boeing Centennial Exhibits
The Museum of Flight draws upon its unrivaled collection of Boeing aircraft, artifacts, images and documents to present The Boeing Company story during the year of its centennial, 2016. The Museum-wide Boeing recognition will be enhanced with public lectures, films and other presentations that focus on Seattle and popular culture during the past century.

The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 on Boeing Field halfway between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission for adults is $23.00 on-site and $21.00 online. Youth 5 through 17 are $14.00 on-site and $13 online, youth 4 and under are free. Seniors 65 and over $19 on-site and $18 online. Groups of ten or more: $21.00 per adult, $13.00 per youth, Thanks to Wells Fargo, on the first Thursday of every month, admission is free from 5 to 9 p.m. And parking is always free. There is a full lunch menu café in the Museum and a limited menu café in the Aviation Pavilion, both operated by McCormick & Schmick's. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org
Ted Huetter
Senior Public Relations
and Promotions Manager
206.455.5360
Rachel Dreeben
Marketing and Communications
Associate Manager
206.768.7201