We did catch a distant glimpse of the rocket on the active launch pad from our KSC Explore Tour (formerly the Launch Pad Tour), although the SpaceX rockets are so narrow it was nearly indistinguishable from the tower next to it. When we visited, a SpaceX launch was scheduled for the next day. Unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out for us though.Īnother thing you might want to look at is whether or not a launch is scheduled. My husband, a self-admitted space nerd, really wanted to splurge for a once-in-a-lifetime Astronaut Training Experience (ATX), which includes a half-day of astronaut training including riding simulators, and building our own rockets. These are all ticket enhancements for an additional cost, so you will want to plan ahead to plan enough time and budget accordingly. There are also some amazing experiences you can enroll in such as Fly with an Astronaut, Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour, and the Launch Director Tour. You might want to purchase your tickets and book tours online to avoid the lines on-site, because if you are visiting around a school holiday or for one of the rocket launches, the lines will be massive! If you are unsure of your plans, there are self-service kiosks at the entrance if you know what you want. KSC offers many different types of tours and experiences, so you will want to check out the website prior to departure to see what options are of interest to your family and fit into your timetable (and budget!) If you are visiting Kennedy Space Center with kids as a cruise ship excursion, you may want to arrange transportation in advance as my friend Kim visited recently from a cruise and had a hard time finding an Uber to get back to the ship in time.įor those staying overnight, I would recommend looking for accommodations in nearby Cocoa Beach, to combine your visit with a little beach time, a stroll on the Cocoa Beach pier, and possibly some surfing lessons.įind a place to stay near Kennedy Space Center: Visiting Kennedy Space Center with Kids: Know Before You Go It is about an hour drive from Orlando, so it is definitely possible to do as a day trip if you are visiting Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando. The Kennedy Space Center is located on Merritt Island, and approximately halfway between Jacksonville and Miami at the heart of Florida’s “Space Coast.” It is easily accessible from the Orlando area and Port Canaveral, where many cruise ships dock. How Do You Get to the Kennedy Space Center? If you aren’t staying nearby to easily spend a full day, I would recommend staying overnight and purchase a two-day admission ticket. Not true! You will easily fill at least eight hours exploring the Kennedy Space Center. How Long Should You Spend at KEnnedy Space Center?įor those that aren’t familiar with the KSC Visitor Center, they often make the mistake of assuming you can easily see everything in half a day. An included Kennedy Space Center bus tour will take you outside the Visitor Center to catch views of the legendary launch pads and to the Apollo/ Saturn V center. The main Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center is an expansive complex that resembles a modern-day theme park, especially with the recent opening of Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex. I first visited KSC in maybe 1982…so things have certainly changed a lot since those early days and it continues to evolve with the next generation of space exploration now underway. launch site that has been used for every NASA human space flight since December 1968. If you are thinking of taking kids to Kennedy Space Center, I say DO IT! And if you can’t make it to Florida, here are some other space museums and space centers to visit around the United States. While we can’t claim visiting NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with kids will set your child’s career trajectory, it can certainly instill and foster an interest in space travel, engineering, and science. Yet now, she is studying astrophysics in college and working on NASA-funded research.ĭid taking her to Kennedy Space Center as a kid make an impact? Undoubtedly. She didn’t think spinning in circles at high speeds sounded very fun. That is, until she read about the centrifuge all astronauts have to go through as part of training. Have your kids ever dreamed of being an astronaut? When our daughter was in preschool, she had her sights set on space. This post will cover the best things to do, what to know before you go, and tips for visiting on a launch day! If you are taking a family trip to Florida, visiting Kennedy Space Center with kids needs to go on your itinerary.
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