Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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John F. Kennedy Space Center
Whether or not you're a space buff, you'll
appreciate the sheer grandeur of the facilities and technological achievements displayed
at NASA's primary space launch facility. Astronauts departed Earth at this site in 1969
en route to the most famous “small step” in history—the first moon walk—and today's
space shuttles still regularly lift off from here on their latest missions.
Since all roads other than Florida 405 and Florida 3 are closed to the public in the
Space Center, you must begin your visit at
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
A
bit like an amusement theme park, this privately operated complex has received a renova-
tion and expansion, so check beforehand to see if tours and exhibits have changed since
press time. Call ahead to see what's happening on the day you intend to be here, and
arrive early. You'll need at least 2 hours to see the Space Center's highlights on the bus
tour, up to 5 hours if you linger at the stops along the way, and a full day to see and do
everything here. Buy a copy of the
Official Tour Book;
it's easier to use than the rental
cassette tapes, and you can take it home as a colorful souvenir (though some readers think
you probably don't need the extra information, as the bus tours are narrated and the
exhibits have good descriptions).
The Visitor Complex has real NASA rockets and the actual Mercury Mission Control
Room from the 1960s. Exhibits portray space exploration in its early days and where it's
going in the new millennium. There are hands-on activities for kids, a daily “Encounter”
with a real astronaut, dining venues, and a shop selling space memorabilia. IMAX mov-
ies shown on five-and-a-half-story-high screens are both informative and entertaining.
Also at the Visitor Complex is the
Shuttle Launch Experience,
an incredible journey of
vertically launching into space and orbiting Earth aboard the space shuttle. Guest “crew
members” strap in for this all-too-real simulation, which immerses visitors in the sights,
sounds, and feelings of a space shuttle launch, designed under the guidance of NASA and
veteran space shuttle astronauts. The Shuttle Launch Experience is included with regular
admission to the Visitor Complex.
While you could spend an entire day at the Visitor Complex, you must take a
KSC
Tour
to see the actual Space Center where rockets and shuttles are prepared and
launched. Take the bus tour early in your visit, and be sure to hit the restrooms before
boarding—there are only two on the tour. Buses depart every 15 minutes or so, and you
can reboard as you wish. They stop at the LC-39 Observation Gantry, with a dramatic
360-degree view over launchpads where shuttles blast off; the International Space Station
Center, where scientists and engineers prepare additions to the space station now in orbit;
and the Apollo/Saturn V Center, which includes artifacts, photos, films, interactive
exhibits, and the 363-foot-tall Saturn V, the most powerful rocket ever launched by the
United States. Unfortunately, the bus tour was the low point of my recent visit. Though
the commentary on the bus was interesting, the stops were relatively dull, and waiting to
board and reboard buses was more than frustrating (though touching a moon rock at the
Apollo/Saturn V Center was pretty cool). If you're short on time, I suggest sticking
around the Visitor Complex.
Don't miss the Astronaut Memorial. Dedicated in 1991, the memorial honors the U.S.
astronauts who gave their lives for space exploration. The 43×50-foot “Space Mirror” bril-
liantly illuminates the names cut through the monument's black granite surface.
Launch days are great days to visit the Visitor Complex and watch history in the making.
You may purchase a
combined ticket
that entitles you to admission to the Visitor Complex
plus transportation to the NASA Causeway to see the liftoff. Tickets to view launches from
this viewing site are $58 per adult and $38 per child, and must be prepurchased as they are
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