Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum facts for kids
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| Former name | Air Force Space and Missile Museum |
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| Established | 1966 |
| Location | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Brevard County, near Cape Canaveral, Florida (main center) 100 Space Port Way Port Canaveral, Brevard County (History Center) |
| Type | Aerospace museum |
The Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum is in Florida, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It used to be called the Air Force Space and Missile Museum. This museum shows off amazing things from the early days of America's space program. Outside, you can see real rockets, missiles, and other cool space gear. It tells the story of space and missile history for the US Air Force, the US Space Force, and other military groups.
You can visit the museum as part of the "Cape Canaveral Early Space Tour." This tour is offered by the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex four days a week.
The Sands Space History Center is a special part of the museum. It is open to everyone six days a week. This history center is located just outside the south gate of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. In 2023, a part of a Titan rocket was moved to the museum.
Contents
What Can You See at the Museum?
Sands Space History Center: Explore Space History!
The Sands Space History Center is an extra part of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. It opened on August 14, 2010. This center is outside the main gate of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It's a large building, about 3,200 square feet (300 square meters). Here, you can learn all about the progress and history of the space program.
The museum has displays that tell the story of each launch pad. These pads were first set up in 1949. You can see old items from the 1950s, like parts of launch vehicles and control systems. The best part is that visiting the Sands Space History Center is free! You don't need special tickets or tours. It's open to everyone six days a week.
Hangar C: Home of Giant Rockets!
Hangar C is a very old building at Cape Canaveral. It used to be where missiles were put together for almost all launches. For a long time, many of the museum's rockets were outside in a place called the "Rocket Garden." But the hot, humid weather and ocean air started to damage them.
So, the rockets were taken down and fixed up. They were then stored safely until a good indoor display area could be found. That's when historic Hangar C was chosen! The hangar was completely renovated to make it safe and fun for visitors.
Since early 2020, public tours from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex have started stopping at Hangar C. This is part of a new tour called "Rise to Space." You can now see many of the museum's large rockets and artifacts inside this amazing hangar. In 2021, a Navaho missile from the collection was put back on display at the south gate of the station.
Gallery
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Rocket garden before artifact relocation
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Gemini 2 spacecraft
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Boilerplate version of Gemini spacecraft (now on display in Hangar C)
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EMD SW8 switching locomotive from the U.S. Air Force Titan program; LC-19 white room at right (interior not accessible)
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Delta launch as seen from rocket garden
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GPS ground monitor station
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LC-26 blockhouse, now housing part of the museum
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Thor-Able (now on display in Hangar C)
See also
- Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 26 - contains more photos
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
- Titan Missile Museum
