FREE Guide to the Kennedy Space Center
General Info
The Kennedy Space Center is a very large museum complex with several buildings to visit and shows to attend.
At least 6-7 hours are required to visit it properly. If you really have time you can also purchase a two-day ticket!
The price is usually from 80 USD for admission only, and then goes up according to the experiences you want to add to your visit.
At this link you can see the different tickets and purchase them. Everything we show in this guide can be done by purchasing the ticket from the lowest rate.
The museum opens daily at 9 a.m. with closing times varying by season but is usually at 5 p.m.
If necessary you can find at the entrance Kennedy Space Center (KSC) smartguides, strollers, electric scooters and wheelchairs.
If you are traveling with pets, bringing the latest vaccination paperwork will allow you to leave your pet in air-conditioned kennels free of charge.
HOW to reach the KSC
The Kennedy Space Center is located at Cape Canveral, about 1.30h from Orlando, and can be reached in several ways. The first way to reach the KSC is by renting a car, such as through the "Turo App".
Otherwise, if you are staying in one of the hotels near the big parks such as Universal Studios or Disney World Orlando, you can also rely on one of the many private bus companies that from very convenient points will offer round trips to the KSC.
We relied on the company Gray Lin, which offers transfers from 79 USD:
A third alternative, which we do not recommend, is to rely on Uber, Lyft or cab. Definitely expensive! It may be convienent only you are traveling in a group with other people.
The cost depends on several factors, such as the day, times, and demands. It is usually around 150 USD round trip but can be even higher. When we went, given the time, it was not as cheap. The decision of transportation is very variable and we advise you to consider all options, given the great variability in prices.
WHEN to go
Being in Florida and being a mostly outdoor museum, any time of the year is perfect!
Thanks for reading our guide! Enjoy!
The best itinary to visit the Kennedy Space Center
What we are going to explain in the next few lines is how to best visit the museum. Since it consists of many buildings and many shows, organization is essential to be able to visit it at its best without missing the best parts!
We will propose the perfect itinerary and an order to follow that we also followed and feel like sharing!
In this way, you will be able to see much of the museum while also being able to follow an itinerary that will allow you to avoid the lines and crowds. Of course, the first advice they give you is to go there when it opens!
Don't forget your map so you don't waste time looking for different buildings and services. You can easily find the map on the Kennedy Space Center website or in hard copy at the entrance.
But now it is time to get straight to the point!
Immediately at the entrance, past the rocket garden, you will come to the building called Gateway.
Usually at the entrance, people are advised to go directly to catch the bus to another building that we will show you later. For this very reason, we recommend that you start your visit differently so that you can enjoy much of the museum in quanquility while avoiding the crowds of tourists.
Once inside Gateway, go straight to the top floor and get in line for the 4D shows. It is one of the best shows but always takes so much time away because of the queues. Going early will allow you to reduce the wait and in some cases not even have a queue!
The shows are short in duration (about 10 minutes) and there are 4 different ones with different themes. The best one is absolutely the one called Red Planet, which will take you to the discovery of Mars. If you have the desire and time, we recommend doing at least one other show as well.
After the show is over, you can see what is on display on that floor and then go down and explore the rest of the building. Here you will find capsules in which astronauts travel to space, such as those of NASA, Space X, Blue Origin or the lesser-known New Shepard and Crew Dragon.
Once the tour is over, it is time to reach the second building called the Atlantis Visitor Complex.
This building is dedicated to Atlantis, a very famous space shuttle built by NASA. If you lived in the 1980s and 1990s, you have surely heard about it on TV as well!
At the entrance you will find a life-size replica that will make you realize the immensity of this shuttle. Once inside, you will be greeted by several videos that will go over the history of Atlantis and how it was built, and then you will be welcomed into the actual exhibit space. There will be a number of fun and playful activities, such as tunnels to go through and slides to do, to become a little bit of a child again.
Right here, you will also find an exhibit area called Forever Remembered, where you will find pictures and personal items of all the astronauts who died during the Atlantis missions. While visiting this part, once you get to the bottom, do not go back but turn left and right where the exhibit continues. In fact, one mistake that is often made is to miss the rest of the exhibit.
Also here, you can also experience the Shuttle Launch Experience which is a real simulation of what it feels like during a shuttle launch.
We recommend that you finish this first part of the visit between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 no later than 12:15 p.m. Doing so will allow you to go on the Bus Tour that via a free shuttle will take you to visit the Apollo/Saturn V Center, which is about a 20min ride, during which we recommend that you sit on the right!
During the ride you will be entertained by a regitration that will go over what you are going to see out the window, such as the famous Vehicle Assembly Building (image above) known as the building with the largest door in the world where rockets are assembled and the other various structures that make up NASA, which you will realize is huge.
During the journey you will be able to notice rocket launch pads in the distance. Not only NASA's but also those of Space X. After a few minutes, you will finally arrive at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The most popular and crowded building. Do not be frightened by the number of people as this part of the museum is just right for hosting so many people.
Once off the bus, head for the silver doors that resemble an elevator. There are other doors but it is the silver ones that will allow you to visit the center with more order and without missing anything.
At regular intervals, the silver doors are opened to accommodate people. Here you will be accompanied by several videos and a simulation of the Apollo 11 launch that left us speechless, making us empathize with the engineers who enabled us to reach the Moon. Finishing the videos we will enter the room where you will get a close look at the Saturn V rocket that was deployed during the Apollo plan.
As soon as you enter the very long space, do not rush to walk right away to see everything around you. Instead, we recommend that you admire the rocket nozzles while waiting for the guided tour!
In fact, you will find a friendly elderly man, who is involved in science outreach and communication by profession, taking visitors on a tour of the rocket. We therefore recommend that you see all that the building has to offer, only after you have finished the guided tour!
You definitely should not miss the moon rock to touch and the room with the astronaut suits. In addition, you can also take pictures of the launch stations in the distance from the windows on the right.
When you finish your tour, get lost in the shop as well. In fact, we recommend that you shop in the while and not at the end so that you do not end up shopping at the last. The different stores you will find around the KSC are different from each other and for space enthusiasts, you will find plenty of gift ideas for you or your loved ones. We had a lot of fun shopping and you will surely have fun too!
Once you catch the bus, you will finally be able to go back to the main complex.
The next destination is the Universe Theater, where you can wait for a show that will begin at approximately 3 p.m. To attend, it is essential to show up early to actually get in.
The penultimate or last stop is the Heroes and Legends tour that is the building near to KSC entrance. Honestly, it is the building we liked the least. It's completely focused on astronauts and their lives, particularly on American astronauts, perhaps too self-aggrandizing but still interesting.
If you still have time left, we recommend that you also make a stop at IMAX instead.
WHERE to EAT
IN BRIEF
Summarizing, this is in brief the itinerary we recommend:
1) Gateway Building and Red Planet 4D Show
2) Atlantis Visitor Complex
3) Bus Tour towards Apollo/ Saturn V Center (to be taken no later than 12:15 p.m.)
4) Visit of Apollo/Saturn V Center and guided tour
5) Back to the main museum complex to go to Universe Theater
6) Heroes and Legends
7) Eventually, if you still have time, IMAX
Regardless of the itinerary you want to follow, whether it is ours or the one you have thought of, the important thing is to follow it in order by having a nice precise plan to follow in order to fully enjoy Kennedy Space Center.
As a reminder, KSC usually opens from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. with varying hours depending on the time of year, so we always advise you to check.
The same with regard to transportation, as explained earlier. The methods to reach the KSC are as follows: cab, Uber (or equivalent), own means, private bus or car rental.
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