Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: The 10 Best Out-of-This-World Things To Do
The Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, is a staggering monument to American ingenuity and achievement. Opened in 1962, it has facilitated and witnessed some of humanity’s greatest triumphs – from the 1969 Apollo 11 mission that saw mankind’s first steps on the moon to the Space Shuttle project that gave rise to the International Space Station and today’s Mars Exploration Program.
When President John F. Kennedy first announced plans for the space center, nobody could have imagined just how crucial a role it would play in our history.
In 1963, then-NASA Administrator, James Webb, launched a series of self-guided tours to take visitors through some of the center’s facilities. This boomed with the moon landings, as well as the opening of nearby Walt Disney World, and before long, it was clear that an improved and more impressive center needed to be established.
Between 1995 and 2007, it underwent a series of changes, which transformed its facilities and introduced new exhibits, eventually morphing into the sprawling Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex that we know today.
A must-visit destination for everyone, regardless of age, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is an experience that can’t be found anywhere else. It will take you through the past, present, and future of space exploration with immersive displays, informative tours, and state-of-the-art attractions.
Here are the best things to do at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Tour Historic Launch Sites And Operational Spaceflight Facilities
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Bus Tour will take you through NASA, one of the nation’s crowning glories. Get an in-depth look at the behind-the-scenes of the incredible organization, exploring the facilities that took humans to outer space. Gain access to NASA’s restricted areas, all of which are rooted in history, and will undoubtedly play a part in the future of space exploration.
Keep in mind that guests with daily admission can take the bus tour at no additional cost. These tour buses run continuously throughout the day and will culminate at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where a whole slew of phenomenal attractions await.
Pro Tip: Availing of the Special Interest Tour will take you to exclusive stops throughout the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. While each bus tour under this program is unique, the complex’s administrators don’t recommend taking more than one!
Watch History Unfold At The Apollo 8 Firing Room
The first mission of its kind, Apollo 8, managed to successfully reach the Moon, orbit it, and return safely back to Earth. Manned by a three-astronaut crew – including the famous Jim Lovell – this spacecraft made history, paving the way for the world-renowned Apollo 11 Moon landing.
During the real-life Apollo 8 mission, controllers and scientists back at the Firing Room watched with bated breath as the rocket launched and slowly made its way towards the stratosphere. And you can watch all this unfold at the Visitor Complex’s Apollo 8 and the Firing Room experience!
Here, relive the nerve-wracking yet glorious moments of the mission as you experience the countdown for the launch in front of the actual consoles used back in 1968. Take a step back in time into this important piece of world history as you see and feel the powerful rocket blast off into space.
Pro Tip: Allow 20 minutes for this attraction. Additionally, this is only accessible via the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Bus Tours.
Get Up Close And Personal With The Saturn V Rocket
The Saturn V Rocket was a feat of human engineering, allowing mankind to venture off into space and even land on the Moon. At that time, this was the most powerful rocket ever built, used extensively during the Apollo program and for the launch of the Skylab space station.
Stroll underneath this massive and powerful phenomenon, as big as a 36-story building with a weight equal to that of 400 elephants. Bigger than the Statue of Liberty, the rocket is undoubtedly a wonder in and of itself.
Even though 13 rockets were launched between 1967 and 1972, this is one of the three remaining in the United States. So to say that you’ll never get a chance like this ever again would be a total understatement!
Once you’re done marveling at the Saturn V Rocket, be sure to take a look at the exhibits surrounding it. These highlight its construction and assembly and the more than 400,000 people whose skills helped bring it to life.
Pro Tip: Don’t miss the daily guided tour that will take guests through all three stages of the rocket. Additionally, this is only accessible via the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Bus Tours.
Explore The U.S. Astronaut Hall Of Fame
From Neil Armstrong to Sally Ride and from Alan Shepard to Buzz Aldrin, there’s no shortage of American astronauts who risked themselves in a bid to go beyond the limits of human exploration. Honor their lives and achievements by exploring the fascinating displays at this Hall of Fame. Take the time to go through their preparations, their actual missions, and the legacies that they left behind.
An exhibit created by the Mercury Seven astronauts, the space heroes, included in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, was selected by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, an organization that aims to commemorate the country’s pioneering astronauts while supporting the current youth.
Pro Tip: This attraction is included with the admission and is wheelchair accessible. Allow at least 15 minutes to go through the entire exhibit.
Take A Road Trip With The Apollo Moon Missions
No trip to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is complete without experiencing the Apollo Moon Missions for yourself! The third United States program aimed to land humans safely on the Moon, Project Apollo, spanned over nine years and successfully fulfilled its goal. By furthering the boundaries of human skill and ambition, NASA’s Apollo Program changed the course of history forever.
Explore the entirety of this program by learning all about the technology that made its accomplishments possible. Take a look into a real-life command service module, check out artifacts from this legendary era, and trace the path astronauts took to get from Earth to the Moon. Without a doubt, this is a road trip like no other.
Pro Tip: Allow at least 20 minutes for the entire exhibit. Additionally, this attraction is only accessible via the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Bus Tours.
Walk Among Towering Rocket Ships
More often than not, we associate rocket ships with the astronauts who manned them. However, it’s important to acknowledge the scientists, engineers, and builders responsible for these feats of technology too. These individuals worked tirelessly behind the scenes to turn ambition and dreams into reality, allowing us to explore worlds that we had only once imagined.
Within the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the Rocket Garden, a monument to the thousands of people responsible for making space exploration possible. Walk among the incredible machines that allowed us to reach outer space and learn about the countless hours spent perfecting every single component. At this attraction, take in these towering rocket ships, which carried with them the aspirations of an entire country, as well as the lives of the astronauts lying within.
Pro Tip: Avail of the attraction’s daily guided tour where a space expert will take you through the nitty-gritty of the rocket ships, as well as the history of early rocket science. Be advised that this is an outdoor attraction included in the price of admission.
Meet A Real-Life Astronaut
Many of us grew up hearing stories about the great Neil Armstrong, the formidable Buzz Aldrin, the courageous Sally Ride, the dedicated Michael Collins, and the hundreds of other astronauts who went above and beyond to fulfill mankind’s dreams. Hollywood has even put its own spin on the role of an astronaut with blockbuster movies like The Martian, Interstellar, Gravity, and Armageddon.
But have you ever wondered what being an astronaut is really like?
At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, guests are afforded the rare opportunity to meet with veteran NASA astronauts during the daily Astronaut Encounters. Here, the world’s best commanders, pilots, and mission and payload specialists share their space and space flight engineering experiences, even taking questions from interested crowd members. Participants are also allowed to personally engage with these individuals, shaking their hands and even taking a few photos with them.
Astronaut Encounters is a once-in-a-lifetime experience unique to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex!
Pro Tip: The Astronaut of the Day will sign autographs at The Space Shop in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, so be sure to drop by before the day ends.
Learn How To Land And Dock A Space Shuttle
NASA’s Space Shuttle Era was a legendary program that spanned decades, accomplishing routine transportation from Earth to outer space between 1981 and 2011. These years saw the construction and launch of the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, as well as the interplanetary missions Galileo, Magellan, and Ulysses, which allowed us to gain a better understanding of Jupiter, Venus, and the Sun, respectively. It took spaceflight exploration to greater heights and enhanced our knowledge of the worlds beyond us.
Within the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex lies the Space Shuttle Atlantis, an American icon that safely transported astronauts to space and back for years. Take your time exploring the belly of the beast and the two massive rocket boosters affixed to its sides. More than that, training simulators situated in this exhibit give guests the chance to dock and land their very own shuttles.
The legacy of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program is unmatched; learn more about it and what it means for us at this attraction.
Pro Tip: Allocate at least 45 minutes to view the Atlantis and at least 15 minutes to try out the training simulators.
Honor Our Lost Astronauts
Space exploration has brought achievements like no other but it has sometimes resulted in great tragedy too. Disasters like the Apollo 1 mission, which took the lives of three astronauts, as well as the 1986 Space Shuttle Disaster are forever ingrained in the hearts and minds of many. These are testaments to the risk that NASA’s missions posed and encourage us to reflect on the true cost of fulfilling humankind’s drive to conquer outer space.
At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the Forever Remembered exhibit memorializes the 14 astronauts who lost their lives in pursuit of the extraordinary. These are the individuals who perished in the destruction of the orbiters Challenger and Columbia, whose deaths were mourned by an entire nation. Displayed here are several of their personal items and a few recovered hardware from both orbiters. The exhibit is an emotional journey, taking guests through the challenges NASA faced in retrieving the wreckage and the recovery of the astronauts’ loved ones.
But more importantly, Forever Remembered is a tribute to American resilience, proof that the nation will continue to rise above difficulties in a bid to achieve the impossible.
Pro Tip: Allow at least 10 minutes to properly go through the exhibit. Also, bring tissues.
Test Yourself As A Recruit For NASA’s Mars Exploration Program
Now that the Moon has been stepped on and the Sun has mainly been orbited, humankind has again pushed itself to go beyond its limits. NASA’s Mars Exploration Program is a long-term effort to learn more about the Red Planet in the hopes of someday being able to set foot on its surface despite its notoriously harsh climate. Formed in 1993, the program has successfully launched orbital spacecraft, landers, and rovers that have enhanced our understanding of the Solar System’s most minor planet. Despite recent budget cuts, the project is well and strong, with NASA’s scientists asserting that the future is bright for life on Mars.
Ready to explore the Red Planet? Then the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted is perfect for you! This immersive multimedia exhibit will take you through the inner workings of NASA right now, giving you an in-depth view of the program’s current status. There are plenty of interactive exhibits for guests to enjoy, as well as simulators that will let you man your very own Mars rover. Learn more about NASA’s future plans to explore deep space with this attraction.
Pro Tip: Be sure to check out the attraction’s daily showtimes for a more unforgettable experience.
Now that you know all that the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has to offer, which attractions are you most looking forward to trying out? And if you’ve already visited, which one did you enjoy the most? Let us know in the comments section down below – we’d love to hear from you!
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Photo: Reinhard Link via Flickr
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