I received complimentary tickets to visit Kennedy Space Center. All opinions are my own.
I mentioned to my mom that we went to Kennedy Space Center, and she said, “We took you there when you were a kid.” I remember going to Kennedy Space Center when I was younger, but the place I took my kids to is so much different than the one I went to when I was younger.
The entire KSC experience has changed, and I loved it! I am telling everyone I know about it. Almost all of the displays revolve around stories, and that is exactly how it should be. We went to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hubble Telescope, but we experienced the history of the United States Space Program and where it is heading in the future.
My Favorite Things About the Kennedy Space Center
1. Atlantis Exhibit: as you watch the story of how the space shuttle program came into existence, you are drawn into the story. You move into another room and experience the first lift off in an immersive theater, and by the the dramatic reveal of the actual space shuttle, you either have goosebumps or tears running down your face. Then you get to see it up close and experience so much of what the astronauts experienced aboard the space shuttle.
Don’t miss: the launch experience. You will feel the force of launch that the astronauts felt aboard the space shuttle.
2. Rocket Garden: this is an oldie but a goodie as you get to see the rockets that went into space. It’s awe inspiring to say the least. You can even climb into some of the capsules and take tons of pictures of American history.
3. The Apollo Exhibit: at the end of the bus tour you get out and see a real Apollo rocket that was in production when it was scrapped to start the Space Shuttle program. This enormous rocket gives you a true sense of how incredibly powerful (and risky) early space exploration was.
Don’t miss: the Apollo story progresses through the space race as the USA tried to land a man on the moon.
There are other things to do like meet an astronaut and watch some IMAX movies in the great theater they have built on site. Our kids don’t like 3D movies too much, so we skipped that part. There is also a great playground to keep the kids entertained when the adults need a break.
The Kennedy Space Center is a great place to visit to learn about American history and space exploration. Make sure you plan to spend the whole day so you can enjoy everything. You can also pack some drinks and snacks to bring into the park with you.
It is only going to get better as they begin to revamp operations and more manned space programs in the near future.