Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Access to the Space Center is east across the NASA Parkway causeway on SR 405. There
is no public transportation. Parking costs $10.
WORTH A TRIP
VALIANT AIR COMMAND WARBIRD MUSEUM
What started off as a hobby for 12 combat veterans has grown into a 1500-member-
Tico Rd, Titusville; adult/military/child $18/15/5; 9am-5pm; ) that celebrates the region's
aviation heritage with an impressive stock of 40 classic planes.
A hall of memorabilia kicks off the tour, then you're free to roam through three hangars,
one a restoration workshop and the other two housing vintage aircraft from WWII, Viet-
nam and the Korean War. The VAC's flagship, the Tico Belle,a 1942 C-47A that dropped
paratroopers at the D-Day landings sits combat ready next to a restored Top Gun-style
Grumman Wildcat that took over 30,000 hours to restore.
In March the museum hosts a family-friendly
Air Show
when combat veterans put on a
three-hour aerial display and offer the next generation of ace pilots a chance to fly in a
unique piece of history. Alternatively, drop by on the second Saturday of the month and
enjoy a
fly-in breakfast
($8; available 8am till 11am).
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Sharing a boundary with the Kennedy Space Center, the
Merritt Island National Wildlife
most diverse natural habitats in America. The 140,000-acre wilderness ranges from saltwa-
ter marshes and estuaries to hardwood hammocks, pine flatwoods, scrub and coastal dunes
that support more than 500 species of wildlife, 14 of which are listed as threatened or en-
dangered. Between October and May the refuge is also filled with migrating and wintering
birds; the best viewing is on Black Point Wildlife Dr during the early morning and after
4pm.
Be aware that the refuge closes for three days preceding a launch.
