Associated Links

Research at the Museum

Using the Museum of Flight Research Facilities

Can we help you with an aviation or space-related project? We are ready and willing to help all those interested in space and aviation, including students, historians, researchers, teachers, and visitors.

Ready Reference for Walk-In Patrons

The Ready Reference Desk and Reading Room for the Harl V. Brackin Library and the Kenneth H. Dahlberg Center for Military Aviation History is open for walk-in patrons, Monday to Friday, 1 to 5 pm. We are closed weekends and federal holidays. Research Assistants are on hand during these hours to help answer questions and to provide access to cataloged and published materials. Admission is free and open to anyone. Researchers are allowed to bring their own laptop computers but scanners & cameras are not allowed. Materials are not available for loan but the Reading Room has photocopiers and color copiers for generating copies or low-resolution pdf files for a fee. WiFi is not available at this time.

To contact the Ready Reference Desk send a message to the Curator.

206-764-5874
The Museum of Flight Research Center
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle WA 98108

Photographic & Detailed Research Requests

With over two million images and growing, The Museum of Flight’s photographic collection covers the scope of aviation history. New research collections are acquired regularly and the staff is constantly processing and cataloging new additions to the collection.

Detailed research requests, large-scale photographic requests and requests for access to specific collections should be made in writing, preferably via email. Be as specific as possible and realistic in your expectations. Two to three weeks is the average amount of time it takes to reply to a request. However, additional time will be needed for the reproduction of oversized materials or drawings since their reproduction needs to be contracted out.

More complex requests or in-depth research may require a visit to the Research Facility or if you are unable to visit please contact us for a discussion about research fees.

Access to the collections of the Dahlberg Center for Military Aviation History, the general Archives and Artifact collection is by appointment only.

The Museum of Flight Research Center offers 1,000 of its most requested images through Corbis. The images are readily available in high-resolution format and can be ordered through Corbis’ purchasing system. Use the phrase “Museum of Flight” as the search strategy to see all of the available images on the Corbis.

Directions to the Research Center

The Museum of Flight’s Research Center is located in a building immediately west from the main museum building, across East Marginal Way South. The Research Center includes: The Harl V. Brackin Library, the Dahlberg Center for Military Aviation History, the Archives and Artifact Collections. The Ready Reference facility and Reading Room is located in the Dahlberg Center for Military Aviation History.

The physical address of the building is:
9303 East Marginal Way S.
Seattle, WA, 98108

The Museum of Flight’s Research Center is very conveniently located just a minute off of Interstate 5, and only 10 minutes south of downtown Seattle. If using public transportation the Research Center is on King County Metro Transit bus route number 124.

• Take Exit 158 from Interstate-5
• Go west
• Turn right (north) at the first light (East Marginal Way South)
• Turn left (west) at South 94th Place and circle around the blue and gray Library and Archives building.
• Entrances for both the Library and Archives and the Dahlberg Center are located on the north side of the building, parking is ample and free.