“One small step for man and one giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong

Who remembers hearing these words while watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldridge, taking their first steps on the moon and leading the way for mankind’s space exploration? Sadly, I’ve only ever seen it online. But that never stopped me from imagining what space travel would be like- or what it might become in my lifetime.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and I have to admit, I had kinda hoped for contact with E.T. or maybe even a starship enterprise type thing by now- but alas, we aren’t there yet. We have come so far from where we started, and to celebrate, I wanted to share a few of my favorite Space Centers across the US for you to visit. Not only are they a fantastic educational trip for the family, but this year several are throwing their own Apollo 11 celebration!

If you’ve never been to a space center, you’re totally missing out. Ok, ok, I may be a little biased since I grew up in Rocket City, USA. But, if space is your thing, there a still some fantastic can’t miss centers across the U.S. that you will want to check out!

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center – Huntsville, Alabama

Not that I think one is better than another, but I might be a little bias. Huntsville Alabama is home to the most renown space camp program currently available through NASA as well as the Space Shuttle Pathfinder and the Saturn V. I mean; Huntsville’s so passionate about space its skyline includes a rocket! How cool is that? Even if you don’t have time for space camp, the Space and Rocket Center also has daily movies and shows in its planetarium, simulators, the famous Saturn V hall guided tour, live science shows, and the Spark! Lab. For the smaller kids, there is a Mars play station and KidSpace. So long as weather permits step outside and you can ride the Moon Shot to get an idea of what a real rocket launch feels like when it shoots you 140 feet into the air in 2.5 seconds!

Hours: Open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on major holidays

Tickets: Adults 13 and up $25

               Children 5-12       $17

             Children under 4   FREE

John F. Kennedy Space Center – Merritt Island, Florida

The Kennedy Space Center is an enormous establishment located slightly south of Orlando with organized zones grouped by chronological era. It’s big enough that you will want to make sure to allow plenty of time to explore. In fact, it’s so large they have an app for the center available on IOS and Google Play. Here you can see the space shuttle Atlantis and then ride the Shuttle Launch experience for a chance to see what liftoff feels like. For those who love a bit of history, you can wander around a room filled with the equipment used to launch the first shuttle. If you’re planning to celebrate Apollos 50^th anniversary, there is no better place than the place where all moon missions have launched from the earth!

Hours: Opens at 9 a.m. with closing times varying during the year. See here for exact times.

Tickets: Adults 12 and up $57

               Children 3-11        $47

               Children under 3   FREE

           Military Discounts Available

Lyndon B Johnson Space Center – Houston, Texas

This space center is home to the replica of the Independence which sits on the original NASA 905 shuttle carrier AND the ejection suit worn by astronaut John Young on the first shuttle flight in 1981. You can also find space explorers all over the complex sharing the history of space and giving demonstrations on life on the international space station. For a more realistic experience, check out their VR and motion simulators as well as the newest exhibit Mission Mars.

Please note that simulators are not included in the cost of your entry ticket and can run anywhere between six and ten dollars per person.

Hours:  Hours of operation depend on the dates check here to see the times for your specific day.

General Admission Tickets: Adults 13 and up $29.95

                                                   Children 4-11       $24.95

                                                   Children under 4   FREE

 

Goddard Space Flight Center– Greenbelt, Maryland

Just thirty minutes from Washington D.C. and Baltimore, the Goddard Space Flight center demonstrates its innovative work in earth science, astrophysics, planetary science, and engineering with multiple labs and exhibits. Visitors can climb inside a Gemini capsule to get a feel for what astronauts worked with, or into a spacesuit! They also host a monthly model rocket launch.

Hours: Closed Most Mondays with varying hours of operation. See more here.

General Admission Tickets: According to the website, visits are free of charge.

For the complete list of NASA, Visitors centers click here.

If you happen to start out at the Kennedy Space Center head over to the visitors center and sign up for the Passport to Explore Space Program. This program is designed to encourage visitors to visit fourteen NASA visitor centers spread out across nine states in the United States. It includes an eight-page passport that you can get stamped at every space center you visit. Bonus- you can also get discounts on merchandise and entries (check each center for specific discounts).

This program gained media attention in 2018 when a then seventeen-year-old Alyssa Carson completed not only multiple space camps around the globe but also completed the passport to explore space program leading her to announce her goal of being the first kid in space. You can find more about that here.

The Apollo 11 mission may have been the first moon landing, but we as humans have so much more to explore among the stars. These space centers are a great way to inspire the next generation of future astronauts!

Have you been to any of these museums? Id love to hear your feedback, including which one is your favorite!

Happy Wandering!