Kennedy Space Center is a forgotten gem!

Rebecca Jones1.2.20The Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex is a gem among Florida attractions. I don’t say that lightly, as someone who loves Walt Disney World, Discovery Cove, and Universal Orlando Resort. I always kind of skipped over the Kennedy Space Center as something my family wouldn’t necessarily enjoy. My goodness, was I wrong!We arrived around noon on a Wednesday in July, and the parking lot wasn’t nearly as full as I anticipated. We were able to quickly purchase tickets and chose to head straight to the Bus Tour. The bus tour takes you into a secured area, and allows you to be up close and personal with the actual launch pads used in the Apollo program, one of which is now used for the SpaceX program.It is amazing to see just how large these structures are. The Vehicle Assembly Building is the tallest single-story building in the U.S. In fact, you could fit the Statue of Liberty inside and still have room on top! They assemble the actual shuttles in this building, then use another vehicle to move the shuttles across the property to the launch pad.After seeing the launch pads from the bus, we went to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where the Saturn V rocket is displayed. The exhibits feature remembrances of the Apollo 1 crew, who perished in the testing phase, up to Apollo 11, the first mission to land on the lunar surface. There is also a lunch spot here, called the Moon Rock Cafe, which features burgers, chicken strips, and pizza, along with salads and sandwiches. We ate lunch here, before boarding the bus back to the main Visitor Complex.Next, we visited the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, which was pretty amazing. This is the time of the space program that I remember best, so it was exciting to see the shuttle up close, to see how big it actually is. There were several hands-on exhibits where guests could see how their skills stacked up to the skills needed to be a successful astronaut.The activity we enjoyed the most was the Shuttle Launch Experience, though. After storing our items in a free locker, we were shown to a room with a video of an astronaut explaining the different stages of the launch sequence, and how it feels for the astronauts. We then went into a simulator ride, strapped in, and experienced the closest thing to an actual shuttle launch we will ever have. Our faces were jiggling, the simulator felt like it was rotating, and the astronaut was on the screen to tell us what was happening each step of the way. Once we “returned to Earth,” the kids enjoyed a slide down to the displays on the main floor of the building, and we moved on to our last exhibit of the day, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. We watched a short video highlighting a few of the more famous astronauts - Jim Lovell, Neil Armstrong, and Alan Shepard, among others. Upon exiting the film, the exhibits were all centered around different characteristics of the astronauts. Some that stood out are confident, disciplined, passionate, and selfless. Each exhibit had a video of an astronaut telling a story that demonstrated that trait, and included memorabilia from the astronauts. We saw Jim Lovell’s Boy Scout handbook, Gus Grissom’s varsity sweater from high school, and Neil Armstrong’s flight goggles and gloves.There were a couple of buildings we didn’t even get to before the visitor complex closed at 7:00pm. We missed out on the Astronaut Training Experience and the Universe Theater. I’d love to go back sometime and finish the experience.If you are in the central Florida area, I highly recommend spending a day at Kennedy Space Center. There are activities for the whole family, and it makes a great way to spend a day pre- or post-cruise, as well. I’d love to answer any questions you have. You can reach me at (325) 733-8399 or rebecca@wishesfamilytravel.com.