USA Guide
Florida
The Kennedy Space Center
The Kennedy Space Center is the nucleus of the US space program: it's here that space vehicles are developed, tested, and blasted into orbit. Merritt Island has been the center of NASA's activity since 1964, when the launch pads at Cape Canaveral US Air Force base, across the water, proved too small to cope with the giant new Saturn V rockets used to launch the Apollo missions.
To reach the Visitor Complex, take exit 212 off I-95 to Hwy-405, and follow the signs; you can also get here by connecting with Hwy-3 off Hwy-A1A. The best times to visit are on weekends and in May and September, when crowds are thinner – but at any time, you should still allow an entire day for everything the Space Center has to offer and try to arrive early in the morning. Check the weather, too, as thunderstorms may force some attractions to close.
The various exhibits in the Visitor Complex – mission capsules, space suits, lunar modules, a mock-up Space Shuttle flight deck – will keep anyone with the slightest interest in space exploration interested for a couple of hours. Afterwards, be sure to watch the two impressive IMAX movies dealing with some space theme or other and take a stroll around the open-air Rocket Garden, full of deceptively simple rockets from the 1950s, cleverly illuminated to show how they looked at blast- off. The newest attraction is the Shuttle Launch Experience, a simulation ride, where passengers get to see what it's like to be an astronaut, vertically "launching" into space and orbiting Earth aboard the Space Shuttle. The remainder of the visit is comprised of a two-hour guided bus tour. The bus passes the 52-storey Vehicle Assembly Building (where Space Shuttles are prepared for launch), stops to view the launch pad, and winds up with an opportunity to inspect a Saturn V rocket and witness a simulated Apollo countdown. For the dates and times of real-life launches, call 321/449-4444 or check the website.
Near the Space Center, on Hwy-405 in Titusville, the Astronaut Hall of Fame (included with regular $38 admission) is one of Florida's most entertaining interactive museums, where exhibits allow you to experience G-force and a bumpy ride along the surface of Mars.
Opening time: Daily 9am–6pm
Price: $38 adults, $28 children
Telephone: 321/449-4444
Website: www.kennedyspacecenter.com