Among the many and varied things to see in Florida, the visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral is perhaps one of the most famous, beyond the Disney universe and the rest of the theme parks. And the NASA facilities in Cape Canaveral are one of the great attractions of the northernmost peninsula of the United States.
But of course, when you start organizing the trip, many doubts arise about how to organize this visit, what you will find there, how much it costs, or if it is really worth taking the excursion to the Kennedy Space Center.
I answer those and other questions with a lot of info and updated data after having been there in March 2022.
What is the Kennedy Space Center?
The Kennedy Space Center is the visitor center of the facilities that NASA has in Cape Canaveral. It is not a theme park as such, but a huge aerospace complex with museums, exhibitions, activities, and interactive attractions to learn up close everything related to the conquest of space, always, of course, from the proud American point of view.
The Kennedy Space Center began construction in 1962 in the middle of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, when both were struggling to be the leaders of the space race. President John F. Kennedy was determined to send man to the Moon. To achieve this, he began, within the framework of the Apollo program, by building the Saturn V rocket launch base in Cape Canaveral, the tallest and most powerful in history, which would finally manage to take man to the Moon in 1969 for the first time.
Today, this gigantic complex remains NASA’s workplace from which rockets continue to be launched into space. There is also the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building), one of the largest buildings in the world, and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Did you know you can see a rocket launch?
On September 3, 2022, the Artemis will be launched from here bound for the moon. Book the excursion to the Kennedy Space Center and if the launch is seen from the main complex you won’t have to do anything but arrive early to get a spot. But if the launch pad is in another location, buy your ticket from the official website to experience this historic milestone and the exciting countdown in person.
What do you do at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral?
There is much to see and to do at the Kennedy Space Center which is divided into zones called ‘Missions’. As you go through all of them, you will learn about the space race, the work of astronauts, the history of NASA, the arrival on the Moon, the conquest of Mars… Everything presented with the grand staging that Americans handle to perfection.
Here is a list with some of the most interesting attractions at the Kennedy Space Center. These are just the most recommended ones, but the range of things to do in Cape Canaveral is much wider:
– Heroes & Legends: is the first enclosure you will find as soon as you enter. You will learn about NASA’s history, feel what a trip to space is like in its small 3D omnidirectional theater, and in the Hall of Fame, you will see photos of the American astronauts who are honored as true heroes.
–Rocket Garden: you will feel tiny walking through this impressive outdoor rocket garden.
–Space Shuttle Atlantis: for me, an absolute must. The staging with which they present this famous space shuttle is one of the best parts of the NASA visit. Also, inside this pavilion there is much to see and do, such as learning about the Hubble Space Telescope, crawling between what would be two modules of the International Space Station suspended in the air, tinkering with the landing stations or going down a slide to feel like you are landing…
A must-try is the Shuttle Launch Experience simulator, free with admission, to feel what it’s like to be in orbit. However, children under 111 centimeters tall cannot ride. Before entering, you must leave all your belongings in lockers.
–IMAX Theater: This cinema is another of the places to see at the Kennedy Space Center. The movies change; as of July 2022, they are screening Asteroid Hunter and Journey to Space. It is also included in the admission.
–Bus tour to the Apollo/Saturn V center: Note down this mini excursion included in the ticket price because it’s another basic thing to do at the Kennedy Space Center that you cannot miss. A guide will explain many things during the tour of some of the facilities with restricted access, such as the gigantic Vehicle Assembly Building that you will see from a distance, as well as some launch pads. Watch out, as with luck you will also see an alligator. Go with time because there is usually a long queue. If you are with babies, you will have to leave the stroller parked outside. Calculate that in total you will invest about two and a half hours.
Once the bus reaches the Apollo/Saturn V Center, you can get off to be amazed by what awaits you inside. Walking under the tallest and most powerful rocket in history is an experience you won’t forget. But you will also be in the ideal place to learn about man’s arrival on the Moon, you will see Lunar Module 9 and many more very interesting things that I don’t want to reveal. You can’t go to Cape Canaveral and miss this crazy place.
-Journey to Mars: Immerse yourself in a small pavilion where you will be closer than ever to the Red Planet. Replicas of robots and vehicles designed to explore Mars and test your knowledge and skills on interactive games and screens. From my point of view, it would be one of the dispensable parts.
–Meeting an astronaut: Of course, not every day can you meet in person someone who has worked in space. This is something you can do at the Kennedy Space Center where, daily, a NASA veteran gives a small talk in the auditorium and answers a round of questions. Plus, you can also get an autograph.
If you are a fan of everything related to space, you can have a very close encounter with an astronaut. During these small-group meetings, you will have some food and drink while chatting one-on-one with a space pioneer. However, this experience is not included in the ticket; it costs $50, $35 for children from 3 to 11 years old, lasts 45 minutes, and takes place twice a day, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. I recommend that you book your appointment with an astronaut in advance on the official Kennedy Space Center website.
Practical information for visiting the Kennedy Space Center
How much is the ticket to the Kennedy Space Center?
Visiting the NASA facilities at Cape Canaveral is not cheap. I’ll tell you in detail how much it costs to visit the Kennedy Space Center, the different types of tickets, as well as what is included and what you would have to pay for separately.
As of July 2022, a 1-day ticket for the Kennedy Space Center costs $75 per adult. Please note that children 12 and older are already considered adults. You can save quite a bit if you buy the two-day ticket for $89, which is $44.50 per day.
Children ages 3 to 11 pay $65 for one day and $79 for two days.
Note that to this you have to add the cost of parking, which is not cheap either. Motorcycles pay $5, cars $10, and motorhomes or very large vehicles $15. And no, there is no other alternative place to park for free nearby.
If you’re going on your own, I recommend buying the Kennedy Space Center ticket in advance, although you can also do it there upon arrival at the vending machines installed at the entrance
Extra-cost activities you can do at NASA Cape Canaveral
If your budget allows it, the Kennedy Space Center offers many unique experiences for an additional fee on top of the general admission cost. Here are the most famous ones, but you can check and book all extra-cost activities on the website.
- Chat with an astronaut (see more info about this activity above).
- KSC Explore Tour: If the free bus tour isn’t enough for you, pay $25 plus tax to tour the NASA facilities accompanied by a space expert who will stop at the most iconic places in Cape Canaveral where, this time, you can get off to take photos.
- ATX Astronaut Training Experience: If you’ve always dreamed of being an astronaut, this is the activity for you. For $175 plus tax, you’ll have 4 hours during which you’ll undergo authentic space training and really feel what it would be like to live on Mars, how to carry out a docking, go on a zero-gravity walk…
- Microgravity training stage: If the previous experience is out of your budget, I suggest this one where for just $30 you’ll also feel weightlessness in a simulator where you’ll train to move across the surface of Mars. You’ll also have to overcome the challenges presented to you.
Hours for visiting Kennedy Space Center
These are the Kennedy Space Center hours in Cape Canaveral for the 2022 season. Please note that the last entry to the site will be one hour before closing.
April 4 to 23 and June 20 to August 14: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Rest of the year: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Where is the Kennedy Space Center?
To get your bearings quickly, you should know that the Kennedy Space Center visitor complex is in mid-eastern Florida, on the Atlantic coast, specifically on Merritt Island, next to Cape Canaveral. It helps to know that it is at the same latitude as Orlando.
Here is a map of the Kennedy Space Center with its specific location:
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d448688.0189283546!2d-81.24446110267893!3d28.528441676188528!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x88e0ae33c4ca3189%3A0xc5222ada6e3a0580!2sKennedy%20Space%20Center%20Visitor%20Complex!5e0!3m2!1ses!2ses!4v1657102471353!5m2!1ses!2ses&w=600&h=450]How to get to the Kennedy Space Center?
Unfortunately, there is no option to get to the NASA facilities in Cape Canaveral by public transport. So you either get there on your own driving a rental car or you book the Kennedy Space Center excursion with transport included.
The most common way is to go to the Kennedy Space Center from Orlando on a round-trip day visit. This is because many people traveling through Florida stay for several days in this city to visit the theme parks. If you’re wondering how long it takes from Orlando to NASA in Cape Canaveral, the answer is exactly one hour, although it could be a bit more depending on traffic. You’ll go straight via Florida State Road 528, which, heads up, is a toll road.
But if you are going to go to Cape Canaveral from Miami, the journey is longer, so doing it in just one day is more complicated. To get there you’ll have to drive about four hours along Interstate 95, which runs parallel to the Atlantic coast. Therefore, if you are coming from Miami, the best option would be to find a hotel to stay overnight near the Kennedy Space Center.
Anyway, if your time is very limited and you don’t want to miss out on such a special day, there is also the possibility of doing the Kennedy Space Center excursion from Miami
Tips for a successful Kennedy Space Center excursion
Arrive early to access the site as soon as the doors open at 9 AM. But heads up, before you set off to explore the complex, make sure to take a photo at the iconic fountain with the NASA logo located before passing through security and the turnstiles.
Plan your visit to the Kennedy Space Center in advance. I didn’t, and I regretted it. That way, you’ll avoid backtracking over and over, missing cool things you didn’t even know existed, regretting not having booked that awesome extra activity in advance, or not making it in time for the IMAX movie. I recommend checking out these proposed itineraries to maximize your Kennedy Space Center excursion.
Bring your own food to save not only money, but also time. Inside, there are up to seven different places to eat, including restaurants, cafes, and food trucks. However, prices are not cheap at all, and you will lose precious time waiting to be served. In my case, we ate our sandwiches while queuing for the bus tour and later took a rest stop in the seating area of the central plaza where we snacked on the rest of the snacks and fruit we brought.
Whatever you do, don’t forget a cap or hat and a good sunscreen. Remember that in Florida the sun will be your most faithful friend, although watch out as unexpected storms also appear from time to time.
Remember to take out a good travel insurance policy to have peace of mind during your stay in Florida. Health care in the United States is very, very expensive, so traveling without insurance can become a real nightmare if something were to happen. I travel with Mondo; I had to use it during my stay in Florida because my baby got sick. So I recommend it from experience because it saved me money and headaches by making everything easy for me and telling me where to go and how to proceed.
- Take advantage of the 5% discount on your Mondo travel insurance for being a reader of this blog.
Visiting Kennedy Space Center with children
My visit to Cape Canaveral to enjoy the Kennedy Space Center was with three very small children. The oldest ones, nearly 5 and 3 years old, really enjoyed the experience, so it is definitely a visit I recommend if you are traveling as a family.
Usually, the little ones at home are very drawn to everything related to astronauts and space. Therefore, if you motivate them even a little before going with stories, movies, and cartoons related to the subject, the visit to the Kennedy Space Center with children will be a success.
Anyway, take note of the three resources I give you below to make your day there with your children a triumph.
Planet Play, the best place for kids in Cape Canaveral
In 2021, Planet Play, the interactive playground at the Kennedy Space Center for children aged 2 to 12, was inaugurated. It is themed around space and recreates the solar system with planets, and even a black hole that the little ones can climb through.
The facilities have three levels and are very cool: supersonic slides, tubes suspended in the air to crawl through to go from one planet to another, and all kinds of games to have fun and learn at the same time.
Additionally, for the little ones there is a quieter special play area safe from falling ‘meteorites’. Parents can sit on the sofas to watch the little ones play.
But watch out, the equation is even more perfect because while the children play, parents can have a drink at the bar inside. The bar and tables, which by the way are interactive and have games like trivia, are completely open to the playground to keep an eye on the kids.
Planet Play is an indoor playground and is located in the same building as the IMAX cinema. Access is free, as it is included with the entrance ticket. Once inside, there will be shifts of between 30 minutes and an hour so that all children have a chance to play.
Plan your trip to the Kennedy Space Center well so you have enough time for the children to play at Planet Play. They will appreciate that playtime and so will you. Also, being indoors, it’s a good place to take shelter from the relentless Florida heat.
LEGO Build to Launch Exhibition
If you’re thinking about taking a trip to the Kennedy Space Center, don’t think twice and do it now so you don’t miss the new Lego space that has just opened and is temporary. LEGO Build to Launch is conceived as a digital and immersive learning space for children and teenagers centered around the Artemis I space mission. This exhibition is included in the ticket price and yes, of course, there are LEGO pieces to build with.
NASA Space Place, the perfect children’s website to learn
Even before you go, I suggest you explore this NASA website created specifically for children, which is also available in Spanish. NASA Space Place is a wonderful learning resource for your children to approach science in an enjoyable and fun way.
By browsing this website, you can prepare for your visit with children to the Kennedy Space Center. They will find interactive games, many answers to questions about the universe, the solar system, planets, Earth, various step-by-step guides for experiments and crafts, and even options to write their own space story.
NASA Space Place offers many educational resources for little brainiacs that will make them arrive at the NASA facilities in Cape Canaveral eager to experience many of the things they’ve learned.
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