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Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex b526332 Ch05.qxd 7/18/03 9:50 AM Page 77 Part Five Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex You may be old enough to remember the excitement and antic- ipation of the early days of space exploration. If not, you’ve probably seen the movies. Regardless, the pioneer spirit of the space program—sparked when President John F. Kennedy promised to land a man on the moon—is contagious. Kennedy Space Center has been the training area and launch site for most major U.S. space programs, including Project Mercury’s manned orbital missions, Project Apollo’s voyages to the moon, and the Space Shuttle program. In addition, weather and communications satellites are regularly put into orbit from here. After a $100 million expansion in 1999, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is thoroughly modern and offers all the attractions and amenities of a contemporary theme park. The complex does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of adven- ture—and the uncertainty—of the early days of America’s space program. It also offers an unique glimpse into the latest NASA advancements, and some funky visions of where the future of space exploration may lead. Aware of the sometimes wide gulf of interests between the average tourist and the hardcore space junkie, the Visitor Complex is much more engaging and kid- friendly than in the past. Serious space cadets can still visit all the authentic installations and buildings they like, while others can marvel at gee-whiz exhibits, IMAX movies, and really giant rockets. Even so, be sensitive to your group’s likes and dislikes, especially when it comes to the specialty tours—some of which are hours long and involve lengthy bus rides. 77 b526332 Ch05.qxd 7/18/03 9:50 AM Page 78 78 Part Five Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex 9 10 Imax 2 3 6 Snackport 7 5 4 8 Feature Exhibits 1. Robot Scouts 8. Early Space Exploration 2. Astronaut Encounter 9. Center for Space 3. Exploration in the New Education Millennium 10. Space Walk 4. Universe Theater 11. Astronaut Memorial 5. Nature and Technology 12. Launch Status Center 6. Children’s Play Dome 13. Shuttle Plaza 7. Rocket Garden After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, security at Kennedy Space Center was increased dramatically. Some of the tours have been drastically altered, with visits to various secure areas reduced or eliminated entirely. If you’re considering a tour, we advise you to find out exactly what sights you’ll be seeing, and from how far away. Check out the individual tour profiles below for guidance, but be advised that all of this can change if security conditions dictate. b526332 Ch05.qxd 7/18/03 9:50 AM Page 79 Kennedy Space Center 79 11 12 13 Mila’s Roadhouse Grill Restaurants Imax 1 Restricted Area Space 2 Shop Bus Boarding Area Restaurants Restricted Area Main Entrance 1 and Exit Pet First Kennel Aid Guest Parking Ticket Plaza We can’t stress enough that the tours at Kennedy Space Cen- ter are most enjoyable for those with a serious interest in the space program and a high tolerance for “touring at a dis- tance”—and even then, you may not be happy. With stars quite literally in their eyes, visitors can be disappointed by security restrictions and the less-than-thrilling visual impact of bunker- style buildings seen from a mile away (or more). As a reader from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, writes: b526332 Ch05.qxd 7/18/03 9:50 AM Page 80 80 Part Five Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex The tours are a waste of time (and money). In particular, the NASA Up Close tour is anything but. [Like our tour guide said,] “There’s a space shuttle inside that building, over there . but you can’t see it . and there’s another shuttle on the launch pad over yon- der . but you can’t see that either.” If you really want to stay up close with the space stuff, it takes less time, money, and hassle to just explore the Visitor Complex proper. This is especially true for visitors with children, who would likely have little tolerance for a few hours on a bus. Getting There Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is an easy day trip from most central Florida attractions. From Orlando, visitors can take FL 528 (Beeline Highway toll road) east. (A round-trip on the Beeline will cost about $5 in tolls, so have some cash handy.) Turn onto FL 407 north, then FL 405 east, and follow to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. You can also take Colo- nial Drive (FL 50), and travel east to Route 405, but the Beeline is definitely the quickest and easiest route. Parking is free. Admission Prices Visitor Complex Admission Badge Adults: $33 + tax Children ages 3–11: $23; Children under age 3: Free The Admission Badge includes the Kennedy Space Center Tour, both IMAX films, and all attractions and exhibits. The special interest tours are an extra $43–$63 per person. Twelve-month passes are $46 for adults and $30 for children. Arriving Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Unlike other area attractions, the Space Center is closed on Christmas Day and may close for certain shuttle launches. Call ahead before making the drive. Also note that even though the Visitor Complex may be open during shuttle launches, the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry may be closed to tourists when there’s “a bird on the pad.” Bus tour guides will try to make it up with some other sights around the Space Center, but if you can’t see LC 39, you’re missing one of the highlights of the tour. b526332 Ch05.qxd 7/18/03 9:50 AM Page 81 Attractions 81 Each of the IMAX movies is about 40 minutes long, and the bus tour alone can take more than three hours. If this leaves you feeling overwhelmed, you’re right—there’s a lot of ground to cover here. The wrong approach is to race from attraction to attraction in one day. Instead, take it slow and soak in some of the better attractions, leaving the others behind. Most visitors should start their day with some of the exhibits at the hub, which provide an informative background on space history. Then—if you’ve found one that really meets your inter- ests—head for the bus tour. Buses come frequently (every 10 minutes), but if your timing is off, you can stand a full 15 min- utes before boarding, then sit on the bus for a few minutes before taking off. Buses visit LC 39, the Apollo/Saturn V Center, and other locales as the tour’s emphasis (or security restrictions) demand. Each of the stops involves movies and displays that are very text-heavy but usually interesting. The movies are wonder- ful and are of documentary quality, but after a while some may begin to grow tired of the movie-bus-movie-bus shuffle. After the bus tour, see at least one of the IMAX movies. The five-and-a-half-story screens provide amazing views, and the sound systems are excellent. You can choose from peeking at the future in 3-D or witnessing the thrilling sensation of space flight. Contacting Kennedy Space Center For more information about Kennedy Space Center, call (321) 449-4444. You can also try (800) KSC-INFO, but this is a quick recorded message of basic information that doesn’t allow you to transfer to an actual person. The Space Center will mail you a brochure about tours, as well as launch schedule information.You can also visit www.kennedyspacecenter.com, which has a page just for kids. Attractions Visitor Center Complex Hub Robot Scouts What It Is Walk-through exhibit featuring robots Scope & Scale Minor attraction When to Go At the end of the day, if there’s time Author’s Rating Somewhat hokey; ★★ b526332 Ch05.qxd 7/18/03 9:50 AM Page 82 82 Part Five Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Overall Appeal by Age Group Pre-school ★★ | Teens ★★ | Over 30 ★★ Grade school ★★★ | Young adults ★★ | Seniors ★★ Description & Comments Robot “Starquester 2000” will take you through this exhibition of NASA’s past, present, and future robotic space explorers. Starquester 2000 interacts with other space probes, like Viking Mars Lander and the Hubble Telescope, in order to explain how robotic space exploration aids human exploration. Touring Tips You can hit this exhibit up on entering the Cen- ter, before the bus tours. Astronaut Encounter What It Is Talk with a real live astronaut Scope & Scale Diversion When to Go Anytime Author’s Rating Somewhat forced; ★½ Overall Appeal by Age Group Pre-school ★ | Teens ★½ | Over 30 ★★★ Grade school ★★ | Young adults ★★H | Seniors ★★★½ Description & Comments At scheduled times throughout the day, a NASA astronaut appears in the central food court area for a meet-and-greet. The astronaut’s “opening act” is a Vis- itor Complex emcee who warms up the crowd with some fun space facts and nutty science tomfoolery, assisted by a kid vol- unteer from the audience. Then the astronaut is introduced, talks for awhile, and takes questions. It’s kind of interesting, but once the slight thrill of seeing an astronaut wears off, the whole thing feels like one of those desperate attempts by a school- teacher to make science Fun and Exciting. “OK, kids! Do you know how cold the vacuum of space is? Brrrr! Well, it’s so cold that.
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