Living in Orlando, I have always wanted to visit Kennedy Space Center! I finally made the time to visit this awesome place in January!  There is so much to see and do here and gives you a big appreciation for our space program! They are also doing a great job with their covid protocols and safety, and while everything is still not fully available and open, you can still spend a great day here.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is organized into “Mission Zones” where attractions and tours are grouped by chronological era.

Heroes & Legends

This building and rockets celebrate the pioneers of NASA’s early space programs. Heroes & Legends, presented by Boeing, also features the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

You can also visit the Rocket Garden where you can walk among these giants to see rockets from NASA’s Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs in the Rocket Garden. Guided tours are available daily, but you can also walk around freely on your own.

Behind the Gates

The Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour is currently unavailable due to covid restrictions. When this does open back up, it is a MUST DO to get up close to the launch pads. Direct bus transportation reservations are available to the Apollo/Saturn V Center on a limited basis. Reservations must be made upon arrival.

You can get exclusive access to the launch sites and operational spaceflight facilities on the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour, which is included with your daily admission. On the tour, you will be able to go behind NASA’s gates to see the past, present, and future of America’s multi-user spaceport before making a stop at the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

You can get an even closer look with an added Special Interest Tour! These tours offer exclusive stops throughout Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Each bus tour is different, but  it is not recommended to take more than one bus tour per day. Special Interest Tours are available to book in addition to daily admission.

Race to the Moon

See the size and scale of the Saturn V moon rocket, and learn about the Apollo era. See the Saturn V, which is the largest rocket ever flown. You’ll see interactive exhibits with this one-of-a-kind attraction. Step outside to reflect in the Moon Tree Garden or view the launchpads across the Banana Creek.  Complimentary transportation reservations can be made at the visitor complex on the day of your visit on a first-come, first-serve basis. Reservations are limited.

Atlantis Space Shuttle

See how amazing the Atlantis Space Shuttle is at the permanent home of the actual space shuttle Atlantis. You can learn all about the history and thirty years of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. This is not to be missed!

The Atlantis Space launched like a rocket and landed like a glider while transporting astronauts to space and back for thirty years. You can explore shuttle missions that helped the future of the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. Learn how to dock and land the shuttle with training simulators. Discover the legacy of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program.

NASA

Here is your opportunity to learn about NASA missions, from where we are now to where we’re going next!

You can learn about the science of current missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and upcoming missions to explore deep space. Travel to the Red Planet in Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted. See the spacecraft today’s astronauts will use to travel.

While You’re Visiting

If you’re hungry, there are tons of restaurants and food carts to get snacks and meals including the Orbit Cafe, IMAX Snax, Milky Way (for ice cream!), Red Rock Grill, Planet Play Lounge, and Space Dots.

Kennedy Space Center has the world’s largest space shop, where you can purchase awesome souvenirs and check out the latest NASA gear.

Covid Safety Protocols & Guidelines

Explore safely at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. As part of their commitment to creating a Trusted Space for their guests and employees, these measures and procedures are in place:

Operating with limited admission and encouraging advance daily admission purchases

Requiring face coverings for employees and guests, per federal mandate.

Accommodating social distancing in queues, restaurants, and other facilities throughout the visitor complex.

All theaters and pre-shows are open in a limited capacity to promote social distancing. Learn more about the available attractions and services.

Requiring temperature screenings of all employees and guests prior to entry. 

Implementing increased frequency of sanitization and disinfection.

Changing operating hours to 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. to allow more time for cleaning and sanitizing.

While Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is implementing new measures and procedures, please remember that there is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any public place where people are present.

 

Looking to add a day to your vacation in Florida? Be sure to consider visiting Kennedy Space Center! I’d love to help make your next vacation a memorable one!

Love and Pixie Dust,

Molly