Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex facts for kids
| Previously known as Spaceport USA, Visitor Information Complex | |
 |
|
| Location | Merritt Island, Florida, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 28°31′24″N 80°40′55″W / 28.5233°N 80.6819°W |
| Opened | August 1, 1967 |
| Owner | NASA |
| Operated by | Delaware North Companies |
| Theme | NASA and space exploration |
| Operating season | open year-round |
| Attendance | 1.7 million |
| Area | 42 acres (17 ha) |
| Website | http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com |
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is a special place where you can learn all about NASA and space exploration! It's located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida.
Here, you'll find amazing exhibits, historic spacecraft, and cool shows. There are also two IMAX theaters and bus tours that take you around the spaceport. One of the most popular exhibits is the "Space Shuttle Atlantis." It features the real Atlantis orbiter and the Shuttle Launch Experience, which feels like a real trip into space!
You can even try astronaut training experiences, like a multi-axial chair or a Mars Base simulator. Plus, real NASA astronauts often give presentations. Your admission ticket includes a bus tour to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where you can see a giant Saturn V rocket. In 2016, about 1.7 million people visited this exciting complex.
Contents
- History of the Visitor Complex
- Exciting Attractions
- Special Events and Programs
- See also
History of the Visitor Complex
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex started small in 1963. Back then, NASA let people drive their cars along a special route through the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There was also a tiny trailer with simple displays. About 100,000 visitors came that first year.
As America's space program grew with the Mercury Program, many people wanted to see the launches up close. In 1965, NASA decided to build a bigger visitor center. It was called Spaceport USA and opened in 1967. In its first year, 500,000 people visited, and by 1969, that number reached one million!
Bus tours began in 1966, taking visitors to see the Vehicle Assembly Building and launch sites. These tours were very popular. Even after the Apollo missions ended, over a million guests still visited each year.
In 1995, a company called Delaware North Companies took over running the visitor center. They made many improvements, like better restaurants, shops, and new exhibits. This is when it got its current name, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The complex now pays for itself and doesn't use taxpayer money.
The Visitor Complex has become even more popular since 2010. This is partly because the Space Shuttle Atlantis is now on display. Also, more kids are interested in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
Exciting Attractions
Your admission ticket includes a bus tour to Launch Complex 39 and the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The Astronaut Hall of Fame is now part of a new exhibit called Heroes & Legends.
The Apollo/Saturn V Center is a huge museum about 6 miles north of the main complex. Its main attraction is a giant, restored Saturn V rocket, which is displayed horizontally. This rocket was used to launch astronauts to the Moon! The center also has other space exhibits, including an Apollo capsule. Two theaters let you experience parts of the Apollo program, like a simulated launch and the Apollo 11 Moon landing.
The Visitor Complex also has the Space Mirror Memorial. This large black granite monument honors all the astronauts who died while serving.
Heroes & Legends is an exhibit that replaced an older one. It now houses the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Here, you can see artifacts like the Gemini 9A spacecraft and a recreated Mercury Control room.
Space Shuttle Atlantis
In 2011, NASA announced that Space Shuttle Atlantis would come to the visitor center. This amazing exhibit opened in 2013. You can see Atlantis positioned as if it's floating in space, with its payload bay doors open. It's a nearly 360-degree view!
The exhibit also features a life-sized model of the Hubble Space Telescope. You can see the Shuttle program's astrovan and even a large slide that mimics the shuttle's landing slope. There are also simulators where you can try astronaut training.
On the ground level is the "Forever Remembered" exhibit. This special area honors the 14 astronauts lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger and Space Shuttle Columbia disasters. It includes personal items from the astronauts and pieces of the recovered shuttles.
Shuttle Launch Experience
The Shuttle Launch Experience opened in 2007. This attraction makes you feel like you're actually launching into space aboard the Space Shuttle! It's housed in a large building with four simulators. Former Shuttle commander Charles F. Bolden narrates the experience.
Heroes & Legends
The Heroes & Legends exhibit opened in 2016. It focuses on America's first astronauts and what makes them heroes. You'll see astronaut artifacts and multimedia displays. Important items include the 1966 Gemini 9A capsule and the original NASA emblem from the Mercury Control Center.
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is inside Heroes & Legends. It honors the men and women who have become astronauts. You can use an interactive screen to learn about each inductee.
U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
The United States Astronaut Hall of Fame is part of the Heroes & Legends building. It's included with your daily admission ticket. This Hall of Fame was bought by Delaware North in 2002. It now hosts educational programs like Camp Kennedy Space Center.
Rocket Garden
The Rocket Garden is right inside the main entrance. It's an outdoor display of historic rockets that launched Americans and satellites into space. You can walk right up to these huge rockets!
Most of the rockets here are real, except for the Mercury-Atlas, which is a replica. Rockets like the Mercury-Redstone and Titan II launched astronauts. Others, like the Juno I and Thor-Delta, launched satellites from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The largest rocket, a Saturn IB, is displayed on its side. Saturn IB rockets were used for Apollo missions and Skylab. In 2021, a Delta II rocket was added.
The garden also has mock-ups of capsules from the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. You can even climb inside some of them! There's also an F-1 rocket engine on display, which powered the first stage of the mighty Saturn V. Free guided tours of the garden are available every day.
Rocket Garden gallery
-
F-1 rocket engine for the Saturn V
-
Saturn IB (SA-209)
-
KSC rocket garden (l-r): Mercury-Atlas, Atlas-Agena, Mercury-Redstone, Thor-Able, Juno II, Juno I-Explorer 1
Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex
This attraction opened in 2022. It shows off future space exploration hardware. You can see a Falcon Heavy booster, the Exploration Flight Test-1 capsule, and models of other spacecraft. There are also interactive exhibits about trips beyond the Moon. This area has shows about topics like planets outside our solar system or recent discoveries in deep space.
Apollo/Saturn V Center
The Apollo/Saturn V Center is a special building that opened in 1996. It was built to hold a restored Saturn V rocket, which is huge! Before this building, the Saturn V was displayed outdoors.
Other exhibits include the Apollo 14 command module Kitty Hawk. This spacecraft carried astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell to the Moon in 1971. You can also see an unused Lunar Module (LM-9).
There's even a piece of Moon rock that visitors can touch! Other displays include a model of the Lunar Roving Vehicle and different space suits. Two theaters let you experience the Apollo program. One simulates the launch of Apollo 8, and the other shows the Apollo 11 Moon landing.
In 2017, a tribute exhibit called "Ad Astra Per Aspera – A Rough Road Leads to the Stars" opened. It honors the astronauts of Apollo 1 who lost their lives. It shows personal items from the astronauts and a special hatch from the spacecraft.
Apollo/Saturn V Center gallery
-
Center emblem
-
Apollo 14 Command Module Kitty Hawk
-
Apollo Lunar Module (LM-9)
-
Lunar Roving Vehicle test car
-
Launch control mock-up
-
Apollo astronaut van
-
"Ad Astra Per Aspera – A Rough Road Leads to the Stars"
-
Saturn V with mission seals on right
Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted
This attraction focuses on exploring Mars. It uses large video screens and interactive exhibits to show you the challenges of future space exploration. You can try out orbital docking and lunar landing simulators. There are also models of the Mars rover family, like Curiosity.
NASA Now
NASA Now is an exhibit that changes its displays. It shows spacecraft from NASA and its partners. In 2017, it featured the space-flown Orion capsule and a model of the SLS rocket. You can also see a full-scale model of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew vehicle.
Space Mirror Memorial
The Space Mirror Memorial is behind the IMAX theater. It honors NASA astronauts and other space explorers who have died while serving.
Planet Play
Planet Play is a fun, multi-story play area for children aged 2-12. It opened in 2021. It has climbing structures, slides, and interactive games. It's designed to teach kids about space exploration technologies.
Step. Power. Launch.
In this attraction, you jump on pressure pads to power up a rocket on a screen. There are three sections: Earth, Moon, and Mars. Once the rocket is fully fueled, smoke appears, and a launch sequence is shown!
3D IMAX Theater (Planet Play building)
This IMAX theater is inside the Planet Play building. It shows two films: Journey to Space and Asteroid Hunters.
Special Events and Programs
The Visitor Complex also hosts special events. You can watch rocket launches from the complex, getting a close view of the launch pads. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame has a yearly induction ceremony for new members.
The Astronaut Training Experience Center offers programs where you can train like an astronaut. The complex also runs week-long day camps for children. Throughout the year, there are special events like astronaut presentations and anniversary celebrations.
The music video for "Walking on the Moon" by The Police was filmed at the Kennedy Space Center in 1979. The band members performed among the spacecraft displays. The music video for the 1992 song "Rhythm is a Dancer" by Snap! was also filmed in the Rocket Garden.
See also
