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First Jumbo Jet Now Boarding

The Museum of Flight’s Boeing 747 prototype opens to public August weekends

SEATTLE, – Visitors to The Museum of Flight during August weekends will be able to board one of the most influential aircraft in the history of commercial aviation – the Boeing 747 prototype. The historic aircraft was never used as an airliner, and has seldom been open to the public since its maiden flight in 1969. The jet will be open to the public every August Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Museum’s recent restoration efforts to the plane’s interior reflect its service as a unique, flight test aircraft. Touring the aircraft is free with admission to the Museum.

Looking aft in the main cabin of the Boeing 747 prototype, with racks of flight test equipment in the foreground and water ballast barrels in the background. Ted Huetter/The Museum of Flight.
Looking aft in the main cabin of the Boeing 747 prototype, with racks of flight test equipment in the foreground and water ballast barrels in the background. Ted Huetter/The Museum of Flight.

The Museum’s aircraft was the first 747 ever built – serial number 001. It first flew on February 9, 1969 over Western Washington. Later, this aircraft served as a testbed for 747 systems improvements and new engine developments for other Boeing commercial jets, including the state-of-the-art Boeing 777 engine program.

The independent, non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, attracting more than 500,000 visitors annually. The Museum’s collection includes more than 160 historically significant air- and spacecraft, the original manufacturing facility of The Boeing Co., 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 100,000 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.

The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 on Boeing Field half-way between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors 65 and older, $15 for active military, $10 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5. Group rates are available. Admission on the first Thursday of the month is free from 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of Wells Fargo. McCormick & Schmick’s Wings Café is on site. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org