Kennedy Space Center: What to Expect |

Are you planning a trip to Kennedy Space Center in Florida and are wondering what to expect once you get there?

My family visited the Kennedy Space Center when my kids were 9 and 10, along with my nieces, who were 10 and 11. Though I had been to the Kennedy Space Center as a teenager, I did not remember it at all. I had no idea what to expect.

Though I did not do much research before our trip, I did find it difficult to know what to expect at Kennedy Space Center. Of course, I knew there would be rocket ships and interactive areas, but I could not figure out what to see or how long we would want to spend once we were there.

My mom took us to the Kennedy Space Center as a gift to my kids. We were spending time with her in Clearwater, but spent the night on Florida’s east coast so we didn’t have to drive far that day.

Still, we arrived about an hour after opening and wish we had been there on time! There are so many fun things to see at Kennedy Space Center.

If you are planning a trip and want to know what to expect once you are at Kennedy Space Center, or you are trying to plan out your visit to make sure you hit all the best attractions, keep reading!

Purchasing Tickets

You can purchase a 1-day pass, a 2-day pass, or an annual pass online before your visit, or at the gates upon arrival.

The 2-day pass isn’t much more than the 1-day pass and is a great option if you are in the area for more than a day and don’t want to rush through everything.

Annual passes are available for those who will be back more than twice. They are the same as buying 2 regular day passes.

Prepurchase Your Tickets to Kennedy Space Center

Arriving at Kennedy Space Center

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex is about an hour’s drive from Orlando, a 3.5-hour drive from Miami, and a 2-hour drive from Tampa.

Once you drive over the NASA Causeway Bridge, there is a paid parking lot. Once you park, you can walk into the center.

There are ticket booths out front, electronic booths to order tickets, and an information center.

Maps are available, and there is also an app you can download to see the map on your phone.

Need a ride?  Book a tour from Orlando or Miami.

Visitor’s Center

As we hadn’t planned out our day, our first stop was to the information center.

We were lucky, and the man working behind the counter was extremely helpful in telling us exactly what to do. He took the guesswork out of it for us, which is what we needed as a group of 7.

If you have any questions, make sure to stop by the visitor’s center before your visit. It is also a small shop, and it stays open after the attractions close.

Heroes and Legends

Our first stop was at Heroes and Legends, where we learned about brave astronauts and walked through the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

This area is a walk-through at your-own-pace section of the center. They let you in in groups, and after watching a movie, you are free to wander.

There aren’t any seats for the movie. It is in a round room, and everyone stands. Then, you go into another theatre where again, there aren’t seats.

Rocket Garden

Outside Heroes and Legends is a Rocket Garden, which is basically a bunch of rocket ships. There is a small splash pad at the rocket garden.

Some rockets are photo opportunities where the kids can climb inside them.

There are daily guided tours in the Rocket Garden, but we just walked through at our own pace.

Behind the Gates Bus Tour to the Apollo/Saturn V Center

At this point, we decided to take the bus to the Apollo/Saturn V Center to see what was over there. You are welcome to stay in the main area and continue seeing the exhibits, but we wanted to ensure that we would see as much as possible.

The bus ride is about 15 minutes long, and there is a video with information on the way over. Stroller parking is available.

Buses leave every 15 minutes from both sides.

Apollo/Saturn V Center

Once you get off the bus, the group goes into a large room with screens where a movie about the story of NASA’s Apollo is shown.

Then, the doors open up, and there are bench seats to sit on and a space station set up. Another movie is playing.

Apollo/Saturn V Center Self-Guided Tour

After the movies that everyone from the bus watches, you are free to wander around the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

Wait a few minutes for the crowds to finish taking photos of the largest rocket ship ever flown. It is best to head to the end of the building and make your way back, if possible.

You head back to the bus through the shop in the middle.

This area has lots to look at. Most of it is set up like a museum.

You can even touch a space rock.

Race to the Moon in the Lunar Theatre

At the far end of the building is another movie. This one is in the Lunar Theatre, and a clock with the time to the next showing is shown in the lobby.

Race to the Moon, shown at Lunar Theatre, shows the last few minutes before the astronauts landed on the moon, as well as their first words on the moon.

Dining in the Apollo/Saturn V Center

Restaurants are located on both sides of the Kennedy Space Center. If you are hungry at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, you can eat at the Moon Rock Cafe. They serve salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and other meals and snacks.

Seating is available both inside and outside.

Rocket Launch Viewing

Walk outside to see the benches that crowds sit on to watch a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center.

If you miss these, you will see more on your bus ride back to the main area.

The Right Stuff

To get back to the bus, you need to leave through The Right Stuff Shop, which sells NASA souvenirs and specializes in the Apollo mission.

Bus Ride to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex

Even the buses are themed at Kennedy Space Center.

From the Apollo/Saturn V center, buses leave every 15 minutes and take about 15 minutes to get back to the main section of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

On the way, a video about local animals is played on the screens above.

Atlantis

The Atlantis building was probably our favorite place at Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex, as it is very hands-on and interactive.

After a movie, where some sit on a bench but most stand up or sit on the ground, the doors open to another room with a large screen.

The screen opens to a rocket and a self-guided museum, complete with slides.

While there is an indoor playground at Kennedy Space Center, we visited the Atlantis building first, so the kids wanted to slide again and again. The slides are large enough for adults to ride as well.

Shuttle Launch Experience

Anyone 44 inches or taller can ride on the shuttle launch experience.

I was a little nervous as I get motion sick easily, but I did not want to miss out. In the end, I was glad to have ridden on the spaceship simulator, but I did not want to ride on it again.

On the way out, there are a bunch of interactive machines, games, and simulators.

Are you looking for more fun things to do in Central Florida?  Check out Bok Tower Gardens, Westgate River Ranch, and Clearwater Beach.

Astronaut of the Day

If you are interested in meeting an astronaut, daily meet-and-greets are available. Just be sure to note the times and location.

Milky Way Ice Cream

Our group opted to skip a building to get ice cream from the Milky Way ice cream shop. Another place to get treats at Kennedy Space Center is Space Dots.

Journey to Mars

While everyone was enjoying their ice cream, I had a quick walk through Journey to Mars.

A talk was going on, and there were a few cool exhibits about Mars. I also checked out the Mars Rover next door.

The kids decided they also wanted a quick run through Journey to Mars. It is worth a quick look if you don’t have time to experience the whole thing.

IMAX

Though we had already seen so many movies during our day at Kennedy Space Center, the kids insisted that we go to the IMAX show.

It is set up like a movie theatre, with a concession booth. We got some popcorn and enjoyed the show before heading over to the indoor playground.

Check out the daily schedule as multiple films are shown throughout the day.

Planet Play

As the staff member at the visitor’s center suggested, we saved Planet Play for the end of the day. Otherwise, we may not have seen anything else!

Planet Play is lots of fun and is suggested for kids ages 2-12.

As our kids are older, we let them wander around while we sat down after a long day walking around Kennedy Space Center.

Gateway

We ran out of time and missed Gateway, which focuses on what is happening now in space travel and features an immersive ride.

I do not know how we missed it!

Yes, we arrived an hour after opening, but stayed until the park closed. I can now see how people spend 2 days at Kennedy Space Center.

Dining at Kennedy Space Center

Starbucks: coffee, drinks, treats
Space Bowl Bistro: build your own savory bowls + acai bowls
Orbit Cafe: salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizza
Red Rock Grill: hot dog + fry stand
Moon Rock Cafe: salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizza
Milky Way: ice cream
Space Dots: Dip n Dots
Planet Play Lounge: coffee, beer, and wine
IMAX Snax: popcorn, candy, soda

Kennedy Space Center Add-Ons

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex may have add-on options, including the following:

Fly with an Astronaut
Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour
Chat with an Astronaut
Land and Drive on Mars Training Stage
Walk on Mars Training Stage
Microgravity Training Stage
Astronaut Training Experience
Mars Base 1
Astropass Photo Pass
Camp Kennedy Space Center
After Hours Adventures
OverNight Adventures

Shop at Kennedy Space Center

As you can imagine, in a theme park, there are shops.

We opted to wait until the end of the day to shop, as not only did we not want to carry our souvenirs around, but the stores stayed open later than the attractions.

The Space Shop is the largest store at Kennedy Space Center. It is a 2-story store filled with space-themed souvenirs.

My kids picked out a NASA t-shirt and a rocket ship LEGO set while I took home a mug that said, “I need my space.”

What to Expect at Kennedy Space Center Wrap-Up

My number one recommendation for visiting Kennedy Space Center is to get there when they open. You can leave early if you see all the things you want to see, but chances are, you will be there all day, as there are so many fun and interesting things to do at Kennedy Space Center.

It helps to have an idea of what is offered at Kennedy Space Center, so you know what your must-dos are.

I appreciated the tip of not visiting Planet Play until the end of the day. That way, we knew exactly how much time we had there. We did have to cut our list of things to do short because the kids were interested in seeing every single movie the Kennedy Space Center has to offer.

Note that the stores stay open after the attractions close. Wait to get your souvenirs at the end of your visit.