Kennedy Space Center: how to do the day
The order to see things, one day or two, and what to do on a launch day.
Kennedy Space Center is an hour east of Orlando and is the day out most families nearly skip and then rate as a highlight. Here is how to do it properly.
Getting there
Take the 528 Beachline toll road east from the Orlando area; it is a straight run of about fifty miles. Parking at the Visitor Complex is charged. Ticket packages with coach transport exist for families without a car. Aim to arrive at opening, which is 9am most of the year.
The order to do things
- Bus tour first. The tour runs from the Visitor Complex out through the working space centre to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Queues build by late morning, so go straight there.
- Apollo/Saturn V Center. A full Saturn V rocket lying on its side, the Apollo 14 capsule, a moon rock you can touch, and a launch-simulation show. Allow ninety minutes.
- Back at the complex, Space Shuttle Atlantis. The reveal of the shuttle is theatrical and the exhibit around it is the best in the complex. The Shuttle Launch Experience simulator is included.
- Rocket Garden and the Heroes and Legends exhibit for the early space programme.
- An astronaut talk if the schedule fits. They happen daily and are worth planning around.
One day or two
A long single day covers the above. The two-day ticket costs little more and suits families who want to add the astronaut training experience, or who would rather split the bus tour and the exhibits across two mornings and spend the afternoons at Cocoa Beach.
Launch days
Launches happen frequently now, and if one falls in your dates the complex sells separate viewing tickets for the best spots. On a launch day the complex is very busy and the bus tour may be curtailed. Check the schedule before you choose your day.
Food and practical notes
Food is basic; eat well before you go. It is walkable but large, and mostly outdoors between buildings, so bring hats and sun cream. Children under three are free. The gift shop is enormous and the astronaut ice cream is exactly as odd as it sounds.
