Taking a break from the Disney World complex, we journeyed in our rental car for a day trip at the Kennedy Space Center.

Luckily, perfect timing allowed for a rocket launch viewing later that night.

entrance kennedy space center — Getting an early start at the Kennedy Space Center is key to enjoying the experience.

saturnV rocket hall kennedy space center ceiling — The countdown clock for the rocket launch we will be watching later that night.

Bus Tour

During our research, we saw time and again, the lines for the bus tour are a major pain point for visitors. Because of this, we made sure the bus tour was our first stop when we arrived. This meant the lines would be short AND the crowds would be the lightest at the Apollo exhibits.

nasa kennedy space center — On the tour bus as we pass by the Nasa building housing their next rocket development.

space X kennedy space center — Driving past Space X.

crawler transport cockpit — Amazing to see just how big these transport crawlers are.

saturnV rocket afterburners-hall-kennedy space center ceiling — The Saturn V rocket hanging from the ceiling and Apollo displays were great!

mesh tires lunar rover — It was awesome getting an opportunity to be up-close to a lunar rover. I never realized they had mesh tires!

moonrock couple kennedy space center — We got to touch a moon rock!

apollo capsule — So awesome to imagine our astronauts in this little capsule.

Space Shuttle Exhibit

The space shuttle exhibit is pretty awesome. They have great displays demonstrating the evolution of the shuttle design and honoring past shuttle crews.

atlantis shuttle exibits kennedy space center — The size of the Shuttle’s booster rockets outside the center was awesome.

kennedy space center shuttle stars — After watching a film on the Space Shuttle, the screen lifted and revealed the actual shuttle.

shuttle cockpit window — The family enjoyed getting to experience the inside of a shuttle.

kennedy space center effect — Great photo opportunities all around the Kennedy Space Center.

kid shuttle slide — A slide for “little kids” yes we all went on it!

space shuttle atlantis — The way the shuttle is displayed within the exhibit gives you the ability to see it up close.

Rocket Launch

After wrapping up our day, we prepared for the evening event, viewing a rocket launch! Read more about it on our Kennedy Space Center Rocket Launch post.

We had an amazingly great time! The presentations, films, artifacts, and staff all brought together an unique experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list. I am so glad we chose to do this day trip while visiting Florida.

Tips:

Purchase tickets online in advance. Kennedy Space Center First, we purchased one annual pass, which gave us perks like discounts at the restaurants and gift shops. This pass also got us discounts for the other four tickets we purchased.
Bring a high quality camera for amazing photographs!
Bring sunblock and extra water.
Arrive early and go on the bus tour first to beat the crowds.
Do you see a special table set up with someone standing behind it? Check it out! It may be a retired space scientist to teach and tell stories of working for NASA and building the Space Shuttles.
Pack a lunch to eat at the picnic tables outside of the center.
Check their calendar for special events.
Book unique experiences, like eating lunch with an astronaut… make unforgettable memories.