The Space Coast - Florida - page 699

( 866-737-5235; www.kennedyspacecenter.com ; NASA Parkway, Merritt Island; adult/child 3-11yr
$50/40; 9am-7pm Apr-Aug, to 5pm Sep-Mar)
Whether you're mildly interested in space or a die-hard sci-fi fan, a visit to the Space
Center is awe inspiring. To get a good overview, start at the Early Space Exploration ex-
hibit, progress to the 90-minute bus tour to the Apollo/Saturn V Center (where you'll find
the best on-site cafe) and finish at the awesome new Atlantis exhibit, where you can walk
beneath the heat-scorched fuselage of a shuttle that travelled over 126,000,000 miles
through space on 33 missions.
Visitor Complex
The surprisingly small Visitor Complex, with several exhibits showcasing the history
and future of US space travel and research, is the heart of the Kennedy Space Center. Here
you'll find the Rocket Garden , featuring replicas of classic rockets towering over the
complex; the Early Space Exploration exhibit , which details the history of the US space
program and the first manned space flights; and the hour-long Astronaut Encounter ,
where a real, live astronaut fields questions from the audience. Two delightful IMAX
films , offering clear explanations of complicated science and cool footage of gravity-free
life in space, delight folks of all ages. Astronauts pass tortillas through the air like Fris-
bees, toss M&Ms to each other and catch bubbles of water when they're thirsty. Space Sta-
tion 3D, narrated by Tom Cruise, depicts the construction and operations of the Interna-
tional Space Station (ISS), and Leonardo DiCaprio narrates Hubble 3D, featuring truly
awesome images (such as actual star nurseries!) captured from the Hubble telescope.
The stunningly beautiful Astronaut Memorial , a shiny granite wall standing four stor-
ies high, reflects both literally and figuratively on the personal and tragic stories behind the
theme-park energy that permeates the center. Several stone panels display the photos and
names of those who died in shuttle disasters.
Kennedy Space Center Tour
This 90-minute bus tour is the only way to see beyond the Visitor Complex without pay-
ing for an add-on tour. The first stop is the LC 39 Observation Gantry , a 60ft observation
tower with views of the twin launch pads. From here, the bus winds through the launch fa-
cilities to the Apollo/Saturn V Center , where you don't want to miss the multimedia
show in the Firing Room. Video footage on three screens depicts America's first lunar mis-
sion, the 1968 launch of Apollo VIII , before ushering you through to an enormous hangar