Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Museum

Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Museum

The Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Museum serves as a base for science education, patriotic education, and national defense education.

The predecessor of the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Museum was the Beijing Aviation Museum, established in 1985. It was expanded from the aircraft structure exhibition room and aircraft hangar of Beihang University, and is China’s first comprehensive science and technology museum dedicated to aerospace science and technology. After nearly four years of reconstruction on the original site and expansion of exhibits, the museum reopened in 2012 during the university’s 60th anniversary celebrations and was renamed. It integrates teaching, science communication, and cultural heritage, and is an important part of the national experimental teaching demonstration center for aerospace. It serves as a key hub for aerospace science communication and culture, the spirit of Beihang University, as well as patriotic and national defense education for young people.

The museum’s exhibition area spans 8,300 square meters and is divided into four sections: “Chasing Dreams in the Sky,” “Silver Eagles Patrolling the Air,” “Shenzhou Exploring the Heavens,” and “Aerospace Corridor.” It houses over 300 internationally recognized aerospace relics and treasures, including valuable structures, engines, and onboard equipment. Among them are more than 30 aircraft from countries such as the United States and the Soviet Union prior to the founding of the People’s Republic of China — notably, the world’s only two surviving “Black Widow” fighter planes. Most other exhibits are the only ones of their kind in China, making the collection’s quantity and quality among the best in the country’s aviation field.

The museum embodies rich scientific principles and profound historical legacy. Its exhibits also use high-tech methods to demonstrate aerospace principles and the history of human flight.

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday (closed on Sundays).

University staff (including retirees), students, and family members may enter by presenting valid identification (staff ID, retirement certificate, student ID, etc.) to collect tickets for admission.

Visiting hours: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Note: Group visits organized by various departments and faculties of the university, as well as classes scheduled in the academic timetable, are not subject to the above visiting hours. Relevant departments and course instructors must contact the museum manager one day in advance for coordinated arrangements.

External visitors

Opening hours: Tuesday mornings and Saturday mornings

Admission is free but requires advance booking. The daily quota for reservation-based entry is 200 visitors. Tickets must be collected with an online reservation number.

Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development