Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center
The Kennedy Space Center in Florida was built as an alternate launching facility to the original one at nearby Cape Canaveral. It is located in the northern portion of Merritt Island and is adjacent to Cape Canaveral in the region most widely known as the Space Coast. Reaching for the stars has never been more thrilling than at the Kennedy Space Center where you can visit for the space adventure of a lifetime.
Here’s what you need to know about the Kennedy Space Center:
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Your encounters with all things space-related will happen at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which is 42 acres wide and is visited by almost 2 million people every year. The tours, attractions, exhibits, and artifacts are organized chronologically and are called Mission Zones.
- •Heroes & Legends
In this Mission Zone, the first attraction you’ll see is the Rocket Garden, which houses a collection of rockets actually used in previous space programs. This outdoor attraction showcases the Mercury-Atlas rockets used in NASA’s Project Mercury Program which first brought astronauts into space. You’ll also find the Thor-Delta rockets which were part of the early years of American space navigation.
Another attraction in this Mission Zone is the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. In here, you learn about how the earliest space missions evolved and see the astronauts who started it all. You’ll also know more about the people behind the Apollo space program featured at the Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo attraction.
- •Behind the Gates
Join the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour that will bring you to NASA’s historic launch sites and operating spaceflight facilities, with exclusive access to top-secret places in the space complex.
- •Race to the Moon
The Apollo Space Program was one of NASA’s most pivotal missions. The Race to the Moon attraction does a wonderful job of showing how the Apollo Program came to be and the events surrounding the first landing on the moon. The Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour will take you to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, which houses a variety of legendary artifacts and fascinating exhibits.
- •Shuttle: A Ship Like No Other
This attraction offers a closer look at the famous Space Shuttle Atlantis, an orbiter vehicle used by NASA from 1985 to 2011. In this attraction, you can learn more about the shuttle missions and the Hubble Space Telescope, play with the 60 interactive exhibits, and experience how it’s like to train as an astronaut.
- •NASA Now + Next
The last attraction in the Kennedy Space Center shows NASA’s current and upcoming space missions. Peer into NASA’s 3D space telescopes, watch space-themed films, and test your skills with thematic interactive games and simulators.
How to get to the Kennedy Space Center
The Kennedy Space Center can be accessed from Florida State Road 405. It is 20 minutes away from Cape Canaveral, 30 minutes away from Cocoa Beach, and an hour away from Orlando. The best time to go is during their offseason in the months of January, February, September, October, and November.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the Visitor’s Complex upon arrival. The Kennedy Space Center is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information, call [ai_phone href=”1.855.433.4210″]1.855.433.4210[/ai_phone] or check out their website.
The Kennedy Space Center is just one of the many amazing attractions on Merritt Island, FL. Learn more about this incredible community by calling me, Garrett Bell, at [ai_phone href=”1.321.537.6697″](321) 537-6697[/ai_phone] or sending an email to [mail_to email=”[email protected]”][email protected][/mail_to].
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