Donald D. Engen Observation Tower, Observation tower at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Fairfax County, United States
The Donald D. Engen Observation Tower is a tower at the National Air and Space Museum annex next to Washington Dulles International Airport. From the top, visitors see aircraft moving on runways and taxiways from every direction, plus the Virginia landscape beyond.
The tower was built in the early 2000s as an addition to the National Air and Space Museum's education mission. It was named after Donald D. Engen, a longtime museum director who championed aviation education.
The observation deck shows how people experience and understand airport operations through exhibits about air traffic control. Visitors get a sense of the coordination required to manage busy airspace.
The tower is accessible daily via elevator, and visitors can easily move between the observation deck and museum exhibits below. Stroller parking is available on the ground floor, and the area is flat and easy to walk around.
Visitors can hear actual radio communications between pilots and air traffic controllers while watching aircraft take off and land from the observation deck. This creates a direct connection between what you see and the real-time decision-making happening on the ground.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
