Field Trips

Steven Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport is the companion facility to the Museum on the National Mall. The building opened in December, 2003, and provides enough space for the Smithsonian to display the thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited on the National Mall. The two sites together showcase the largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world.

Virginia Department of Transportation Central Office

Students from Virginia State University will tour the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) special interest operations including: the Emergency Operations Center which is responsible for tracking roadway conditions and hazards; the photogrammertry section of the Location & Design Division that provides an overview of aerial photography techniques; the reproduction lab in Administrative Services, where aerial photographs and plans are printed and the photo and video lab of the VDOT Public Affairs Division.

Virginia Department of Transportation / Sandston Material Lab

A tour of physical labs and bridge testing activities to expose students to principles and technology used for evaluating materials that will be utilized in the construction and maintenance of state highways.

City of Norfolk Spirit of Norfolk

This is an educational tour of the different ports along the Chesapeake Bay. Students will depart from Norfolk's exciting downtown waterfront and step aboard the Spirit of Norfolk for an afternoon of cruising on the historic Elizabeth River. In addition, they will be able to enjoy exciting skyline views including the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet.

Virginia Port Authority (Port of Richmond)

The Port of Richmond is Central Virginia's domestic and international multi-modal freight and distribution gateway on the James River serving waterborne, rail and truck shippers throughout the mid-Atlantic states. The Port is owned by the City of Richmond and is leased to the Virginia Port Authority and is Operated by PCI of Virginia, LLC a private company. PCI, the operator, provides stevedoring services on a full range of Supply Chain services including export packaging and transfer, and warehouse and inland distribution services. The Port handles containers, temperature-controlled containers, breakbulk, bulk, and neo-bulk cargo.