If you have a kid who has a fascination for machines that fly, Future of Flight Aviation Center in Mukilteo (a few miles north of Seattle – Washington ) will be an interesting and informative place to visit.
Aircraft enthusiasts will find a lot of displays, some of them interactive, here at the Future of Flight Aviation Center. Exhibited here are Airplanes suspended from the ceilings, and airplanes on the floor. There are models of fuselages and engines, a flight deck, models of different kinds of business class seats and even a couple of flight simulators.
If you are planning your trip much ahead of your visit, you should consider making bookings for a visit to the Boeing Factory that is situated near this museum. In fact the Future of Flight Aviation Center was set up in partnership with the aircraft-building-giant and has some Boeing Factory Tours that start right here. We didn’t get to doing it, as ours was a quickly planned trip — the last minute kind that you do when you are looking for a couple of dry days in the middle of the long rainy season that characterizes the Pacific Northwest. Also, our littlest one was too young for the tour.
As such, for us it was just a visit to the Future of Flight Aviation Center, this time. After we walked around and looked at the exhibits, we went to the top of this building to an observation deck where you can watch airplanes land, taxi and take off at Paine Field which is an international airport (also called Snohomish County Airport).
This trip to the Aviation Center in Washington, was a ‘cool’ place for your older kid. What he enjoyed the most — I believe — is the chance to sit in a real cockpit. (Daddy sure enjoyed it, too.)
Now if we had gotten to to a tour of the Boeing Factory to watch the processes in assembling Boeing 747s, 767s, 777s and even the 787 Dreamliners, it would have been the cherry on the top of that trip. Maybe we’ll do it when we are in the Seattle area sometime.
If you would like to visit this place, here is a sneak peek. [Note: Book your tickets for the Boeing factory tour much in advance]. If this place is too far for you to get to, here’s a quick tour of Future of Flight Aviation Center.
Exhibits at Future of Flight Aviation Center
Linking to —
While you are in Seattle you might also want to see:
The Space Needle
The oldest Starbucks Store
And if you enjoy murals, let me show you this one from the Emerald City – Found in Seattle
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Wow, we went to Seattle about five years ago for vacation. It might be time to go back.
I’m sure it is. And I hope you get to do the Boeing Factory tour, Yogi. 🙂
I would like to go that side again to do the Boeing Tour and see Skagit Valley’s Tulips.
Wonderful place for people interested in aviation.
It sure is. 🙂
It’d be really exciting to sit in a real cockpit. Thanks, Divya, for the virtual tour of Future of Flight Aviation Center.
Right? 🙂
You are so welcome, Ravish. Thank you for coming along on the tour. 🙂
Why just kids, even I want to visit this awesome place. Even after taking so many flights I have never properly seen the inside of a cockpit 🙁
I’m sure. I remember the first time I saw a real cockpit. It was on one of those small mountain planes and wasn’t it fascinating! 🙂
I hope you get to see one soon, Prasad.
Omg!! This is mindblowingly amazing!! Just Wow!!
🙂
Welcome to his space, Neha.
When I was working for an aviation industry , I had opportunity to experience the simulator. I shall make my son experience this. Thanks for sharing Dee.
You were? Cool. 🙂
I’m sure that was quite an experience. Airplane simulators are something that kids and adults would enjoy, right? 🙂
Thank YOU, Ranjana. 🙂
Like the one they have in Washington that we visited few years back. I would have liked to visit the Boeing factory too…maybe next time for you.
Thanks for the tour…my pictures are still sitting somewhere in the laptop.
Oh, I see. 🙂
I know — I really have to try to fit Boeing in, when I go that side next. I hope you get to do that tour too.
Thank you for tripping with me, Alok. 🙂
Interesting. Hope to visit some day
And make sure you make the bookings for that Boeing Tour, Shrinidhi. 🙂
I saw our Tricolor there :)it gives a moment of pride .Wonderful place for people interested in future aspects of aviation
🙂
When I saw all those flags, my eyes made a quick search for that tricolour flag, too. And I guess we tend to find it soon, too. 🙂
It’s a pretty interesting place.
Amazing place.Thanks for sharing.
Thank YOU, Rupam. 🙂
Am sure it must have been a rewarding experience! Have spent a good part of my life with Naval aviators so easy to relate the feeling!
I’m sure you would like this place.
And imagine what that Boeing Tour might be like! 🙂
What a great way to learn something new and also have fun along the way. This is indeed a perfect place to take your kids. Thanks for sharing.
Oh yeah. My little one was too little for this but the older one seems to have liked taking a look at all these exhibits, and sitting in the cockpit and even the other seats he was allowed to sit on. 🙂
Designing a plane was something he particularly enjoyed. That was a joint project with daddy. 🙂
I am putting this one in my small bucket list, Divya! Thanks for rekindling the childhood fascination with flying. Those are well thought out images.
How did I miss this comment!
So sorry, USP.
Nice to know that. 🙂
And thank you. 🙂