Celebrate 60 years of NASA at Kennedy Space Center

This year marks an important anniversary in the history of space exploration, as, in 1958, the then US president Dwight D Eisenhower established NASA in response to the USSR’s space achievements, sparking the space race and ushering in a new era of space and aerospace research.

The discoveries and technological advances made by NASA over the last 60 years are remarkable and influence our everyday life in ways that you wouldn’t imagine – did you know that the memory foam in your mattress was developed under a NASA contract?

To discover more about the history of spaceflight, and our place in the universe, take a trip to the entirely visitor-funded Kennedy Space Center and find yourself at the heart of this ongoing adventure where science-fiction is fast becoming a reality!

With mission zones grouping the different phases of NASA’s history into an easily accessible record of past achievements, you can discover all about the heroes of the space missions, see the shuttle Atlantis, and discover what is next for NASA.

Start your mission in the Heroes and Legends section, where you can take a guided tour of the Rocket Garden; a stunning outdoor display of historic rockets that have been at the forefront of space exploration. This zone makes use of a state-of the-art multisensory 4D theatre to tell the story of the emergence of the space age, as well as numerous artefacts from the era, including the Gemini 9 capsule. As you explore the exhibits here you’ll find yourself at the start of a fascinating voyage of discovery!

Walk the Astronaut Hall of Fame and discover the stories of these pioneers of space. You can even meet an astronaut at the daily Astronaut Encounter, where pilots, commanders and specialists give a live presentation with a Q&A session. Meet your heroes as you shake hands with them and grab a photo of this momentous occasion. You can also visit the Astronaut of the Day later at the Space Shop for their autograph or a keepsake photograph! To check which astronaut will be making their presentation on the day of your visit, you can check the event calendar.

In the Race to the Moon zone, discover more about the pivotal time of the moon landing, and the space race that led up to it. Get up close to the awesome 111metre-long Saturn V rocket, which is one of only three remaining in the US, and marvel at the feats of engineering that went into making this enormous moon rocket. You can even relive the launch of the first crewed mission in 1968 aboard the Saturn V in the Firing Room Theater!

Serving NASA for 30 years, the history of the space shuttle is preserved in the Shuttle: A Ship Like No Other zone. The space shuttle Atlantis stands at the centre of this exhibit, and you will learn how to land and dock it with the use of realistic training simulators, as well as blasting off in the Shuttle Launch Experience.

Look to the future of space exploration as you head to the NASA Now + Next zone, with information about missions to the International Space Station, and exciting developments in the discovery of deep space! Find yourself with a stunning 3D view of earth from an astronaut’s point of view at the IMAX cinema, then be recruited for a journey to Mars in the Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted exhibit. Here you will discover live presentations and multimedia exhibits, as well as interactive games and simulators.

Head behind the scenes with the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour, where you can tour the historic launch sites and base of spaceflight operation. This is the only way to gain a closer look at NASA's restricted areas, and is included with your entry ticket. You can even purchase an additional ticket to take the Special Interest Tour, an extended tour with exclusive stops in the complex. Standard tours last around 40 minutes with a knowledgeable guide-driver and it’s worth noting that different tours offer different views of the site; the recommendation is to pick the one that most closely suits your interests!

If you want to experience the Space Center in a whole new way, you might be interested in the exclusive tour between 9:15am and 1:30pm of the site in the company of a veteran NASA astronaut. Fly with an Astronaut is a very limited tour, with room for just 43 guests, and includes a catered lunch with the astronaut, and general admission to the visitor complex. Tickets for the astronaut experience can be purchased on the Space Center website.

If you plan to attend on a launch day, and get as close to the action as possible, then you’ll want to make sure you buy a ticket on their website as soon as you can. You will be transported from the visitor complex to viewing areas, which will offer you the seating and closest public viewing of the spectacular launch, as well as launch commentary. This is a must for the hard core space fans among you!

There are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat and a drink as you make your way around this expansive site. You should expect to do a lot of walking throughout the day, so take the opportunity to rest your legs and sit down for a bit! With four restaurants and three snack stands there is bound to be something that will tempt your taste buds. You can even have lunch with an astronaut; take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to listen to their stories during a buffet lunch, and ask them questions about their fascinating job! If you want a quick bite for breakfast or lunch, then the Rocket Garden Café might be ideal as you dine alfresco with great views of the site. After your bus tour you could grab something at the Moon Rock Café, which has both in and outdoor seating at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, or the Orbit Café offers no-fuss burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and more!

Pick up some mementos of your visit with a trip to the Shuttle Express store, which specialises in shuttle merchandise, or The Right Stuff shop which offers moon landing and Apollo mission souvenirs. The largest store however is the Space Shop, which was renovated and opened in June 2018. Here, at the world’s largest space memorabilia store, you will discover a massive collection of souvenirs and merchandise. You can even take one small step across the original Apollo 11 gantry on the second floor! Personalise your souvenirs at the Customization Station or head to the Selfie Station to take a photo of yourself as an astronaut and share it with your friends back home on social media! Don’t forget, there are outlets of the Space Center shop at Orlando International Airport, so if you forgot to get that hoodie you were eyeing up, you have another chance before you leave Florida!

There is plenty more to see and do on your visit to the Space Center; so it is recommended that you arrive early – the site opens at 9am and closes between 6pm and 8pm dependent on the time of year. To make planning your trip easier, the Kennedy Space Center Official Guide App is available for free on both Android and Apple devices, and features maps, schedules and descriptions of shows and exhibitions.

You can buy tickets for the Kennedy Space Center on our website. We’d love to see your photos and hear what the favourite part of your visit was – did you have a chat with the astronaut of the day?

Address: SR 405 Kennedy Space Center, Florida, 32899