During the last several years, the Fluid Mechanics Division of the Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University has developed a unique facility with the experimental capability for measuring the flow field inside journal bearings, labyrinth seals and annular seals. The facility consists of a specially designed 3D LDA system which is capable of measuring the instantaneous velocity vector within 0.2 mm of a wall while the laser beams are aligned almost perpendicular to the wall. This capability was required to measure the flow field inside journal bearings, labyrinth seals and annular seals. A detailed description of this facility along with some representative results obtained for a whirling annular seal are presented.