Kennedy Space Center

Hi all, I'm going on the Escape to Florida and The Bahamas in Oct, was wondering has anyone gone to Kennedy Space Center?

Was thinking of taking my two boys there

Yes, it is a good day out. My advice is to book one of the site bus tours (ahead of time) - gets you away from the main visitor complex and closer to the pads etc. You could easily lose 2-3 hours in the visitor complex and another 1-2 doing a tour.

It's a bit of a schlep to get there but if your boys are interested in space, NASA, or even just engineering it's fascinating. :cool:

KSC is great. We've been there several times. The problem is that NCL gets in at 1 and normal hours are it closes at 5 and last buses go out to the outer areas around 3:30.

The NCL tour supposedly gets you an extra hour past normal park hours so that may be your best bet.

Hi!

Im also from LI! :)

Im planning to set this up for my husband and son (9 yo) for our cruise on the Gem this June

Im going to stay on the ship with my teenage daughter! lol

Ive been trying to see whats the best touring plan its a big complex and our ship doesn't get into PC until 1pm so Im thinking they won't be getting there until around 2

Im planning on purchasing the transfers thru NCL and buying a one day ticket for both of them

Im still trying to figure out where they should start their tour

I know they will want to see

Space shuttle Atlantis

KSC bus tour

Apollo/Saturn V center

Children play dome

Imax movie

Hopefully someone can tell us what to do first

I will be sure to post a detailed trip report when I return

Ive been watching you tube videos to help me plan

Because I won't be with them I need to give my husband a specific plan before he leaves the ship so they can maximize their time!!!

But I've heard great things about it and it beats trying to get to Disney for the day!!!

We spent the entire day there once and didn't manage to see everything. It's definitely worthwhile but I would skip the "up close" tours as you see plenty in the visitor complexes and out near the pads and old assembly buildings.

Was there at Christmas. Take the bus tour to the Saturn V center first, then the Space shuttle building. My boys said at the end of the day that it was better than Disney!

We saw the SpaceX Falcon heavy on the pad!

We spent the entire day there once and didn't manage to see everything. It's definitely worthwhile but I would skip the "up close" tours as you see plenty in the visitor complexes and out near the pads and old assembly buildings.

...but that's the point... you don't get out near the pads without taking the up close buses? Well as of a couple of years ago that was the case? They also 'used' to have a tour that went onto the AFB to see the Apollo 1 pad/memorial etc. (Needed photo ID for that particular bus). The latter tour 'may' have gone away?

Nothwithstanding... the visitor complex is uber-cool in its own right.

OP - the KSC website is very helpful/good.

i went back when i was 8 (32 years ago) and went again a couple years ago. theyve added and done so much! i enjoyed it both times. i highly recommend.

...but that's the point... you don't get out near the pads without taking the up close buses? Well as of a couple of years ago that was the case? They also 'used' to have a tour that went onto the AFB to see the Apollo 1 pad/memorial etc. (Needed photo ID for that particular bus). The latter tour 'may' have gone away?

The narrated bus tour that took you out to the Saturn V hangar (which is honestly the highlight of KSC) was included in the regular fare and brought you near the crawler-transporter and several unused launch pads.

So for 25$ more you could buy the "Up Close Tour," which I think is now called the "Explore Tour." It took you behind the scenes, into one of the actual control rooms and into the Vertical Assembly Building (VAB) if it was not being used, and much closer to the crawler. It also included a meal.

The Kennedy Space Center is absolutely awesome and imho a "don't miss" for anyone with any interest in the space program. I agree that folks should look into an NCL-sponsored tour because of the limited time; I have heard, as others have said above, that you get an extra hour after closing at KSC -- find out if this is the case.

We only had the afternoon as well (did KSC on our own). I recommend starting with the bus tour; this is a highlight of KSC. It not only takes you around the complex and out to the launch pads and past the Vehicle Assembly Building, but also to the Apollo 8 Firing Room and the Saturn V exhibit. You get off the bus for the last two. You get to sit inside the actual Apollo 8 firing room for a simulated launch of Apollo 8; it was an incredibly emotional experience. Then you get to walk around the Saturn V; the size of it is almost incomprehensible. (Photo below.)

Back at the visitor's center, the display of the Space Shuttle Atlantis is another don't-miss. We also did the Shuttle Launch Experience, which was fun. And along the way all day, we took time to look at the various exhibits we passed. (With limited time, I might skip the IMAX movies, as there are plenty of other places to see IMAX movies.)

That was about all we had time for given the half-day in Port Canaveral; it was incredible and well worth it!

(photo by turtles06)

The bus to both 39A (NASA) and 39B (spaceX) and the Saturn building was part of our $50 admission price. I was told the bus wait time later in the day can top a hour, so it is best advised to walk all the way to the back of the center and start with the bus ride first. We did see the Saturn V building fill up as the morning passed. It was a narrated tour with bus driver talking and a video. We drove passed both pads, the VAB and old shuttle launch platform. They also took us by the new ULA mobile Launch tower under construction. At the Saturn V building you could spend all day. Many things to do and see, (very well put together). Coming back they drop you right by the Atlantis building, DO NOT miss this. They show a interactive film on the shuttlehistory and the first launch. The screen then turns transparent and right in front of you at eye level is Atlantis! Almost so close you could touch it. The Memorials to both shuttle crews was very emotional and well done. It may not seem like it but you could spend all day and not see everything. Kennedy really does a good job of moving people through the buildings and gauging the flow of people entering with movies or exhibits.

Hold off on the various gift shops and stop at the main one. It has everything that is in the others plus more and is the largest.

We did KSC when we were on the Gem a few summers ago. I am a space and aviation nut, so it was the only option for our time in Port Canaveral. I rented a car, which was fast, easy, and cheap. There's a pickup van in the parking lot and it takes you right to the rental car place. We were at KSC for several hours and then we were able to pop into a store on the way back to grab some items we had forgotten to bring with us on the trip.

If you want to tour the launch pads, definitely figure out the tour bus schedule before you get lost in the visitor's center. That was our mistake- we were so overwhelmed by everything inside that we completely lost track of the time and missed the last bus tour. Next time! :)