We’d never been to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex before so we started with a guided tour. The tour is 3 hours and walked us through most of the attractions in the Complex. There’s an extra fee that you pay when you get your ticket, and it includes lunch. A salad was provided as a vegetarian option, which was appreciated. If you’d like this option be sure to mention it when you sign in.
Our tour guide was Nick, and he was absolutely amazing. I can’t tell you if all of the guides are as good as he is (I expect they are as everyone we met was super nice and knowledgable) but he made sure we got every penny’s worth. I like to take a tour if it’s available anytime I go somewhere like the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex because you learn things that you can’t while wandering around on your own reading the signs and interacting with the exhibits.
One part of the tour brought us into the Astronaut Training Experience, a place you can’t go into when exploring by yourself. having walked through the area I may have to sign up for it next time I go to the Kennedy Space Center Visiting Center.
One area you should be sure to visit in the Space Shuttle Atlantis building is the tribute to the crews of Challenger and Columbia. The stories of these journies are so larger than life it’s easy to forget that everyone involved is more than just a character in a story. There are personal items and information about each astronaut that really remind you that each of the crewmembers on these flights was an individual with real hopes and dreams.
To me, the greatest thing about the Visitor Center is learning about the ideas that people thought were impossible and how they became a reality. These weren’t little ideas, these were leaving our planet and going places no one had been before. It seems that next on our list of dreams is visiting Mars. I have no doubt we’ll get there.
Of course, the fact that a random spaceman may walk by is a close second.
Here’s what you need to know to play tourist:
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Space Commerce Way
Merritt Island, FL 32953
(855) 433-4210
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/