Museum of Flight Celebrates 50 Years

9/19/15 inks, colored pencils, Zig marker

The last time I visited the Museum of Flight in March (and all the times prior to that, even on a Saturday), people were everywhere, but the facility is so huge that I never felt overwhelmed by the crowds.

Not so today.

Several hours after opening time, a long line of people still flowed
steadily into the museum.

To celebrate its 50^th birthday, the museum rolled its usual $20 admission price back to its 1965 ticket price: 50 cents! That – not to mention the fact that the Astronauts on the Town Instagram contest winner would be announced – brought in an astounding number of visitors. A huge line of people was waiting at the door when I arrived about 10 minutes before opening, and a line was still flowing down the walkway when I left a few hours later.

Needless to say, the already-substantial challenge of sketching in the museum was compounded by crowds everywhere. I went up to the third floor to sketch the Great Gallery, where all 25 Astronauts on the Town surrounded a couple of the aircraft on the floor.

Dressed in '60s garb, Kate poses with her fave astronaut!

Speaking of the Astronauts on the Town, while I got around to sketching only three of them (at Fran’s Chocolates, Salty’s on Alki and Third Place Books), Kate Buike sketched all 25! The Museum of Flight, where Kate is a volunteer, was so impressed that her sketches were used in the promotional placards about each astronaut.