Start your next vacation on earth with a trip to the moon: Kennedy Space Center

Allison Flynn10.16.18Our family took a small step that felt like a giant leap this year during our summer vacation – we left Orlando to head to the coast to visit the Kennedy Space Center!My husband and I are quintessential kids of the 80s. We love watching “The Breakfast Club,” and can remember when “The Simpsons” was a new TV series. As such, one of the common shared memories we have is that of watching NASA and the space shuttle launches.At first blush, the admission to the Kennedy Space Center seemed pricy to me (approximately $50/person for adults and $40/person for children.) But once we were there and had begun to tour exhibits my opinion changed to that of I didn’t think we’d paid ENOUGH!Our admission to Kennedy Space Center included almost 30 different exhibits. The park maps we received when we entered gave approximate touring times for each. Once I added them up, I realized we could easily spend a 12-hour day there! However, with kids, we spent closer to 6.5.Our first stop was the Race to the Moon exhibit, where we saw the actual control room used during the Apollo 8 launch. While we were comfortably seated, we were taken step by step through that day’s launch. TV screens at the back of the room recreated the look and feel of what took place that day, making it feel as though we were really there. (This can be a little loud, so if you have children who are sensitive to noise, you might want to cover their ears or bring headphones.)Following that, we took a bus tour that allowed us an up-close look at operational facilities for past and current spaceflight. My oldest son and husband were excited to catch a glimpse of a Falcon Heavy rocket being assembled for an upcoming SpaceX launch.This tour concludes at the Saturn V Rocket exhibit. The rocket is suspended in the building into its different sections, allowing you to walk beneath it. Also included are other smaller exhibits, including the Apollo Treasures Gallery. My husband geeked out at seeing the Apollo 14 crew capsule, and my children were amazed at the various styles of spacesuits.I mentioned we were there almost a full day – and if you opt to do the same you’ll be happy to know that there are locations that sell food for lunch. We ate lunch at the Moon Rock Café, which served hamburgers, chicken tenders, and other sandwiches.Once we’d toured all we wanted of Saturn V and the exhibits therein, we hopped back on the bus to go back to the main campus. We’d purposely saved what we felt was the best exhibit for the very last. And it did not disappoint.We entered the Shuttle “mission zone” beneath the boosters that would’ve been used to launch a shuttle into space. I never expected them to be so big, although I’m not really sure why not. We were confused, though, once inside because we had to stand in a queue to wait to enter the building. A countdown clock let us know how much longer it would be until “launch.”When our time counted down, we entered a large room that served as a second waiting area. My children weren’t very patient during this time, and I have to admit, I wasn’t either! After viewing a short film that explained how the shuttle program originated – did you know it took more than a decade to design the shuttles? – we entered yet another room. This time, the screens were almost 360 degrees around us, and showed footage of Shuttle Atlantis during its flights.At the end, the room began to open up and I realized that through the opaque screen I was seeing the actual Atlantis. I immediately went to my husband’s side, and together we viewed a space shuttle beyond a television for the first time.It was amazing. Humbling. Awe-inspiring. Being able to be almost close enough to touch the shuttle… it was honestly my favorite part of our entire vacation. We waited until the first wave of people went past, and then just stood and stared.This exhibit also included several play areas for children (which turned out to be another good reason to save it for last!) First there was an ISS climbing area that both of my boys enjoyed. Then there was a slide that simulates the shuttle’s landing when it returned to earth. (This is a steep slide, and my youngest son did not enjoy it.)The Forever Remembered area honors the memories of astronauts who lost their lives on the Challenger and Columbia. This was another area that left a lump in both my throat and my husband’s as we both can recall watching the Challenger tragedy unfold. Personal effects from each astronaut are included, as well as pieces of the ships that were recovered.Kennedy Space Center is only an hour away from Orlando, so it could easily be a day off from the regular theme parks. Or, it could be combined with a few days at the beach during your overall stay (which is what we did.)I am looking forward to visiting again, and next time, we’ll plan our vacation around a time when we can watch a rocket launch, too!If you’d like to include Kennedy Space Center as part of your vacation, I’ll be happy to share more information and tips with you! Feel free to reach out to me via email at allisonf@wishesfamilytravel.com!