Having 3 weeks in Florida, we thought we had all the time in the world to cover every place we wanted to see. In reality, we struggled, and missed out on a lot of places.
One place we didn’t miss though was the Kennedy Space Center. Located on the Atlantic Coast on Merritt Island, it took ... Read review
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Reviews of Cap Canaveral - Kennedy Space Centre (Florida) »
1-5 of 14 reviews of Cap Canaveral - Kennedy Space Centre (Florida)
Show all reviews
Intergalactic Space Travel?
Advantages: A leisurely day Disadvantages: repetative, boring for young children
Having 3 weeks in Florida, we thought we had all the time in the world to cover every place we wanted to see. In reality, we struggled, and missed out on a lot of places.
One place we didn’t miss though was the Kennedy Space Center. Located on the Atlantic Coast on Merritt Island, it took about an hour to reach in our 12 seater minibus from Kissimmee along the Beeline Expressway. The Space Center is well signposted, and you ... ...Space Center is set in a rural area, and we played spot the alligator with the kids as they were getting bored. The alligators can be seen in the water at the side of the road as you drive on the Island.
Parking was free, and spaces plentiful, although we did pick the last week in December to visit. The tickets cost us $27 for the adults, and $18 for the children, but we bought them from one of the discount ticket web sites. Normal ... more
Having 3 weeks in Florida, we thought we had all the time in the world to cover every place we wanted to see. In reality, we struggled, and missed out on a lot of places.
One place we didn’t miss though was the Kennedy Space Center. Located on the Atlantic Coast on Merritt Island, it took about an hour to reach in our 12 seater minibus from Kissimmee along the Beeline Expressway. The Space Center is well signposted, and you shouldn’t have any problem finding it.
The Space Center is set in a rural area, and we played spot the alligator with the kids as they were getting bored. The alligators can be seen in the water at the side of the road as you drive on the Island.
Parking was free, and spaces plentiful, although we did pick the last week in December to visit. The tickets cost us $27 for the adults, and $18 for the children, but we bought them from one of the discount ticket web sites. Normal admission prices are $30 for adults, and $20 for children aged 3-11. For maximum admission, the cost goes up to $37 and $27. With the exchange rate we got, this worked out at about £18 for a standard adult ticket, but remember to add your tax – the Americans don’t add tax to anything until you come to pay!!
Lunch with an astronaut can be booked for another $19.99 for adults and $12.99 for children.
As we had pre-booked tickets, so we just went straight past the ticket booth queues, and were held up only to have our bags checked, and wander through a metal detector. We even had to turn on our cameras to show them that the cameras were real I assume, and not hiding anything within. Security is tight, and has to be so. Kennedy Space Centre is a working government facility.
We didn’t know anything about the Space Center when we arrived, and I hadn’t researched it, so the first thing we did was head for the busses to go on a tour.
We boarded one of the big coaches, naively thinking we were going on some sort of guided tour around the base, with a view to arriving back at the centre in about ½ hour. How wrong was I?
What we had done was jumped on the KSC Tour, lasting about 4 hours! First stop was the 60-foot-tall Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry. The ride there took a while, and there was a video commentary which was interrupted occasionally by the driver to tell you about places we were passing.
As we disembarked, we headed for the gantry. There is a lift available for those who should need it, and also steps climbing to each platform. From the top, there is a 360 degree view of the 2 shuttle launch pads, the crawler transporter and the launch control centre and the enormous vehicle assembly building. It’s the sort of view you could look at all day, with a flat plain between you and the sites, it was amazing. This is about as close as you will get to a launch pad. As you come down to the lower platforms, there is a shuttle engine mounted in the centre.
We were really lucky the day we went. There was a booster retrieval ship coming in. It is amazing how slowly these things move.
Once you’ve taken in the views, there is a little café selling a limited selection of food and drink, but be warned, they really cash in on the fact that you are miles from anywhere.
After this we went into the theatre presentation which gives you a behind the scenes look at what it takes to launch a Space Shuttle. Afterwards, you come out into an interactive area, with models of the Space Shuttle on its launch pad, and a short video presentation.
Having had enough, we headed back to the bus. Next stop Apollo/Saturn V center. This was quite bizarre. The bus dropped us off outside a building with closed doors, and left. There we waited for the doors to open. We walked into another presentation. The Apollo/Saturn V Center is a tribute to the Apollo Astronauts, and coming out of the presentation, it takes you into a massive hall, where a real Saturn V rocket is mounted above you. A fitting tribute. This really brings home the sheer scale of these massive beasts.
In another presentation, you will get to see the actual control centre where the mission was launched from, and feel the windows rattle as a virtual take off happens in front of your eyes, giving you a feel for the tension just before lift off.
Within this hall is a café, a piece of moon rock you can touch (about the size of a penny – bit of a disappointment), the capsule the astronauts used to return to earth in, and there is another presentation, this time with a difference. By this point, I felt like all the presentations were blurring into one, and some of the information was repeated, but out of all the presentations, this was the best, with actual moon buggy etc lit up when appropriate to the story rather than just a piece of film.
We did have some lunch in the café here, and although it was priced over the odds, I wouldn’t say it was any worse than any of the theme parks, and the food was OK. The plastic cups they serve your soft drinks in are yours to keep as a souvenir.
We were here for quite some time, and I felt the day was almost over, so we headed back to the bus once more.
Last stop, the Visitor Center.
This is where we came in. Within the complex itself, there is a lot to do, and I don’t think we even broke the ice here.
Early Space Exploration is a museum type exhibit, which we didn’t manage to see, but to be honest, I’d pretty much had my fill at this point, due to all the shows/presentations.
The Rocket Garden is amazing, and you can see Titan, Atlas and Redstone, and even climb onboard Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. My husband deduced that he is too tall to be an astronaut.
The Space Walk of Honour was another area we missed due to lack of time. It is basically as walk around a lake with recognition given to supporters and pioneers of the US space program.
The Astronaut Memorial is a huge mirrored monument to those who died in the name of space exploration.
There are 2 IMAX theatres, and details of these shows can be found on the web site. This is something else we didn’t get to see.
Exploration in the new millennium is an area where you can learn what is planned for future space travel, and what they planned with regards to Mars.
Astronaut Encounter is an area where you can meet a real astronaut. There is a daily briefing, and then you can have your photo taken with them. The kids had their photo taken with Sam Gemar.
Mad Mission to Mars is another thing we missed. This is a show which puts the audience in the position of astronaut trainees. With 3D animation, artificial winds, and water effects, it takes you on a journey through space.
Robot Scouts is another show where the Robots talk to each other, and I wasn’t too impressed with this. It is basically the probes talking about their interplanetary adventures.
The NASA store is the largest in the world for NASA memorabilia, and I could see why. Part of the reason why we didn’t see everything was the amount of time everyone took in the shop. Pin badges, sweatshirts, light up necklaces, freeze dried space food (ice cream in our case) and other gifts were carefully chosen to take home. Last but not least is the Space Shuttle Plaza. Here is a full sized Space Shuttle Explorer replica. You can go into the shuttle and see inside the living areas which are extremely cramped. Also in the same area is the huge fuel tank and rocket boosters used to launch the shuttle. Although we missed several areas in the Visitor Complex, I don’t think we’ll be going back. I was REALLY fed up by about 4.30pm, and felt that a lot of the shows repeated themselves.
The children were not kept entertained enough, and at 9 and 5, maybe they were a little young for this sort of attraction.
Well, having reviewed the centre, and gone along there with an open mind, I have to say that they haven’t fully convinced me it is all real. The replica of the shuttle looked to me like it would have fallen apart coming back through the atmosphere, and I cannot see how those suits the astronauts wear can possibly protect them from the radiation. Hmmm……I’m still sceptical.
Kennedy Space Centre is open all year round except for Christmas Day, and also certain launch days (so check the internet before you leave home!)
Testarossa 02.02.2005 (02.02.2005)
Ciao members have rated this review on average:
very helpful
Review of Cap Canaveral - Kennedy Space Centre (Florida)
Advantages: entertaining day out, interesting, playgrounds to keep children entertained, plenty of restaurants and places to buy a drink, spread out, different museums on different things to do with space, reasonable entrance fee Disadvantages: none
We didn't think that going to the Kennedy Space centre would be that interesting but we thought we had to go there whilst we were in Florida just to say that we had been there. On monday 1st July we set off from Kissimee to NASA for the day.
My mum had a brochure telling you the cost of all the parks if we pre booked our tickets in the UK and it said that it was £60 to get into the Kennedy Space centre and myself and my 24 year old brother refused ... ...But we found a voucher which entitled us to $5 off the entrance fee, but we still were not prepared to pay £55 so we went up to buy the tickets and it only cost us $22.50 each, which is about £16 - £17 so that was ok.
We went in and we first went on the bus tour which took us to different parts of the Space Centre such as the launch pads, the viewing point, the hangar where they build and maintain the rockets, then we had an opportunity to watch ...
coolchanty 27.07.2002
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Cap Canaveral - Kennedy Space Centre (Florida)
Advantages: Fun for all the family Disadvantages: none
When the subject of visiting the Kennedy Space Centre was broached I was a bit dubious but as the men in the family were all keen I went along for the ride.
You enter the complex through Spaceport Central where you can pick up information, wheelchairs, buggies and can buy tickets. Kennedy itself is free but to enjoy it to the full a bus tour to the NASA Space Shuttle facility and a tour to the launch pad and the Apollo/Saturn V centre are well worth ... ...children up to 11 under 3s are free, a Mission Pass costing $19 for adults $12 for kids includes the bus tour and a visit to the wonderful IMAX theatre where 3 films are shown each one runs for approx 30 mins and are well worth it. We visited in July when the temperature was extremely hot and the air conditioning of the IMAX was very welcome. As we strolled through the rocket garden an assortment of space crafts and memorabilia were on display and ...
elspeth334 25.01.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Cap Canaveral - Kennedy Space Centre (Florida)
Advantages: best value tour in Florida Disadvantages: not enough hours in the day
Whatever you do in Orlando or Wherever you are in Florida, this place is without any shadow of a doubt is a ....'must see' ..it should be on top of your Day Out list...forget Disney, Universal and Seaworld as interesting as they are this is your target, this is living History...
Steeped in recent history, see the original bits and pieces of Space travel on display at the space centre, rocks from the moon, discarded space junk, old rockets, film ... ...designed buses, see launch pads 39a and 39b where the shuttle takes of from... Kennedy Space Centre has to be one of the best Value attractions in Florida, don't panic if you dont have a car there are plenty of bus excursions from Orlando, take the kids, take Granny & Grandad they will all love this place, take the Mother in law if you like and put her truly in the driving seat..on the Shuttle !! (..'er only joking, most Floridians have a soft spot ...
Dalesman 24.08.2000 (29.07.2001)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Cap Canaveral - Kennedy Space Centre (Florida)
Advantages: Great day for all family, Guided tours, Clean and Well set out Disadvantages: None
This is a must for all would be Astronauts and anyone interested in space travel.
During April 2001 I had my first visit to Florida and it was a necessity that I went to this site, as I have always been interested in space travel. The Apollo 11 mission of 1969 was a great experience to watch on tv, especially the lunar landing in The Sea Of Tranquility. On purchasing the ticket you get a colour tour-guide magazine worth $5.95. Included with this ... ...complex and a typed schedule of Alan Shepard's ride in a spaceship. You can also buy tour tickets. One takes you on a guided coach tour of Cape Canaveral:Then and Now. The other is the Space Shuttle tour. I went on the Cape Tour, which was exhilirating. The site is split up into various areas for you to visit. These include: **EXHIBITS** - Early space exploration, rocket garden, children's play dome, robot scouts (for kids). **IMAX THEATRES** - 2 ...
ray52 11.08.2001 (17.12.2001)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Cap Canaveral - Kennedy Space Centre (Florida)
Advantages: Wide variety of thing to see and do Disadvantages: none
Cape Canaveral is a magical place it melds both the ultra modern with the unspoilt beauty of the Florida coastline with its clean beaches, fabulous fishing and great golfing. You are in easy driving range of Florida's biggest attractions including Kennedy Space Centre’s Spaceport USA, where they have exhibitions ranging from the early rockets of the '60s to the space shuttles of the '90s. The best thing about it is that there is no admission fee ... ...bus tours and IMAX productions. If you want to see wildlife visit the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which amazingly enough, exists on the same land that hosts Kennedy Space Centre. Here, alligators soak in the sun at the edge of inland waterways and manatees (sea cows) swim in the waters of the Indian River. You can also see a whole host of other animals including racoons, bobcats, and armadillos. Other attractions in the area include ...
sacook 24.07.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Cap Canaveral - Kennedy Space Centre (Florida)
Similar products and search queries by other users »
Cap Florida, Cap Canaveral Florida, Cap Kennedy Florida, Cap Space Florida, Cap Centre Florida, Cap Canaveral Kennedy Florida, Cap Canaveral Space Florida, Cap Canaveral Centre Florida, Cap Kennedy Space Florida, Cap Kennedy Centre Florida, Cap Space Centre Florida, Cap Canaveral Kennedy Space Florida, Cap Canaveral Kennedy Centre Florida, Cap Canaveral Space Centre Florida, Cap Kennedy Space Centre Florida
Are you the manufacturer / provider of Cap Canaveral - Kennedy Space Centre (Florida)? Click here
