NASA - A Visit to the Kennedy Space Center
TRAVEL TIPS FOR THE
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
GET YOUR TICKET - Upon entering the gate, go directly to the Artemis Building on the right, beside the Mars Rover, and get your timed ticket to the Apollo/Saturn Building. This means you start your day where the space program began and insure you will have time and access as the tickets disappear quickly and last buses leave at 3:30 PM. You don’t want to miss this building!
SAVE the LEGENDS & HEROS for last - there are two reasons for this. First, nearly everyone goes here first and so it is crowded at opening, while the rest of the park is empty. Second, you might not know a lot of these astronauts yet but will by the end of the day.
SIT on the RIGHT SIDE of the bus - This way you will have a prime view of both the new Blue Origins building complex and the enormous Vehicle Assembly Building. You cannot fathom how gigantic this second building is or the ordeal of moving these rockets from assembly to the launch pad. Why didn’t I ever think about that before? No, worries, the NASA engineers did.
Don’t get sucked into the gift shop - This should be your very last stop of the day. Yes, it is more crowded near closing, but do you really want to lug that coffee mug and space Legos box all over the place?
The Shuttle Launch Experience - is open but takes 30 minutes. You can choose to do only the first part and avoid the simulation of the space shuttle's eight-and-a-half-minute ascent into orbit if you choose or skip this to save time for other attractions and exhibits.
Comfortable shoes, less gear, sunscreen, lots of fluids - to better enjoy your day be sure to travel light. Most of the exhibits are indoors in the air conditioning, but you will be walking much of the day and carrying everything your brought or bought. Plan accordingly and be sure to stay hydrated!
MY SPACE EXPERIENCES
When I was growing up, the Kennedy Space Center seemed as far away from Upstate NY as the moon. No one I knew had ever been there. But I was fed a constant stream of images from mission control for the Apollo Missions. Later, of course, I watched Major Nelson deal with his well-intended, but blundering blond genie, in I Dream of Jeanie. Those images were in color with glimpses of NASA. As a young adult I watched the space shuttle take off from Cape Canaveral. Once, I was in Daytona Beach, I watched the smoke billow from the shuttle launch. Moments later the takeoff shook the beach under my feet.
Recently, I’ve seen the International Space Station cross the sky at night. (Sign up with NASA and they will send you alerts for your location.) It briefly appears as a bright star, moving in a path, like a plane. I always wave but am unsure if the crew waves back. I’ve also watched a SpaceX launch from the opposite side of the state, the rocket clearly visible in the blue sky.
One of my hopes, when moving to Florida, was to visit many of the places that I’d seen only on television: The Everglades, our state capital museum in Tallahassee, Key West, natural springs, Disney World, St. Augustine, Universal Studios, and the Kennedy Space Center.
The pandemic delayed my trip from the western coast of the state to the northeastern quadrant. But I finally made it in August 2021. And oh, boy was it worth the trip!
We entered the gate at opening and obtained our ticket for a short bus ride to the Apollo/Saturn Center.
For my tips on your visit, see my Kennedy Space Center travel tips above.
Next, we headed back to see Atlantis, the actual space shuttle, now on display and made a stop at the memorial exhibit for the crew of the Challenger.
Leaving the air conditioning, we visited the Space Center Mirror Memorial and T-38 Talon Jet, flown by so many of the early astronauts. From there we headed to the IMAX theater for some much-needed cool air and one of three 40-minute features. Afterwards, a stop at the café proved too crowded. Both the time and the risk of COVID19 seemed too great, so we ate our energy bars and grabbed at drink at the theater.
That left only the Journey to Mars building and the Heroes and Legends exhibit. Of course we missed plenty, but mainly the extra offerings that come with a higher price and all the various interactive exhibits that are aimed at children and teens. Despite that, we left the gift shop (our last stop) eight minutes before closing and we didn’t stop for lunch!
What a wonderful, informative day.
I highly recommend you add this destination to your Florida travel plans. The center is close to Orlando, a travel and destination hub.