The Kennedy Space Center is a great place to spend a day researching our nation’s history exploring outer space. KSC has indoor and outdoor exhibits, divided into Mission Zones, that chronologically showcase each mission into space. The exhibits detail the trials and tribulations of the space program beginning with the Mercury and Gemini programs and continuing through the Apollo missions that brought us to the moon and onward to the space shuttle era. In addition, you can learn about the public/private partnerships with Space X, Blue Origin, Boeing and others.
There is a really interesting exhibit detailing the SLS Rocket and the Rover we just sent to Mars. They detail all of the different projects that were done and will need to be done to prepare astronauts to go there in the future.
There are dozens of different exhibits to see, so don’t cut your day short. We easily spent a full day exploring all of the different areas and traveling between them. Each exhibit is visually appealing and full of information. The boys loved learning about all of the different space missions and reading about each of the astronauts. There are often astronauts at the visitor’s complex, so keep your eyes open for them.
When you arrive, be sure to get the schedule for the bus tour or head straight to the line for the bus. The 45-minute bus tour is included in your admission and will take you out to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, which you don’t want to miss. You’ll want to allow at least 2 hours to wait for the bus, take the tour, visit the Apollo/Saturn V Center and return to the main visitor’s complex.
On the tour you will see amazing exhibits such as the control room that was used for the Apollo missions, the space shuttle Atlantis as well as a Saturn V rocket which stretches about 400 feet inside a building. You will also see the gigantic crawler they brought the Saturn V rockets and space shuttle to the launchpad. It is still used to take the larger rockets to the launchpad today.
One of the coolest things to view is the newer Space X Falcon assembly building which is located next to launch pad 39A. The proximity of the building to the launch pad allows Space X to launch rockets more readily. As a result you may even see a rocket on the launch pad when you visit.
If they are not offering the regular bus tour, due to COVID, stop at a kiosk in the bus boarding area as soon as you arrive to reserve a time to take a direct bus to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. A limited number of reservations are available on a first come, first served basis each day and this is the only way you can access the Apollo/Saturn V Center. You will want to allow at least 1.5 hours to travel to and from the Center and visit it. More details on the direct bus reservations are available here.
Admission tickets can be purchased in advance on the KSC Website. Be sure to check the special offers tab and look for add on programs including a special lunch with an astronaut.
The KSC Website also lists all upcoming launches. While weather dictates when a launch will occur, it’s an amazing opportunity to see one live, so consider planning your trip to coincide with an upcoming launch.
There are lots of hotels and vacation rental properties in Cocoa Beach, which is also a great vantage point to see a launch. KSC is also only about an hour from Orlando if you’re visiting Disney or Universal Studios. If you’re visit the theme parks, I highly recommend taking a side trip to KSC – who knows, you may spark a scientific or engineering interest in your kids!
