The Kennedy Space Center is a great excursion option for cruises that either depart Port Canaveral or have a port day at Port Canaveral. This post will be a review with our experience and photos from our visit to the Kennedy Space Center.
Kennedy Space Center Location
The Kennedy Space Center is located at Cape Canaveral. More specifically, the Visitor Complex is located on Merritt Island. Cruise ships dock at several terminals in Port Canaveral. Just how far is Port Canaveral to Kennedy Space Center? It is about 15.4 miles away, or a 20 minute drive.
Orlando International Airport to Kennedy Space Center is about 44 miles, a 45 minute drive….totally dependent on traffic.
You can actually see beyond the Visitor Complex to the very large Vehicle Assembly Building from the cruise ship! The building is so big that it can be seen for miles all around. Many people think that is “Kennedy Space Center” but KSC is actually a little south of it, but you can drive by it on an optional free tour…more on that later.
During our May 2011 cruise, we were fortunate to see Space Shuttle Endeavor on the launchpad. We departed on May 15 and Endeavor launched May 16. This was the final mission for Endeavor before retiring and the 2nd to last mission of the entire Shuttle program.
Kennedy Space Center Tickets
They offer a variety of ticket options and add-on enhancements. They offer 1-day and 2-day tickets, with discounts for Seniors and Military, as well as an Annual Pass and Family Annual Pass.
Additionally, they offer special discounts throughout the year. I looked while writing this post and they have 2 special offers…a 1-day meal bundle discount and a discount for Brevard County Residents.
When we visited, we planned it during their Mercury Offer, which offered an amazing discount for residents of Orange, Volusia, Seminole, and Osceola County. $19 for adults and $14 for children 3-11. Score!
I say all of that basically as a tip for you to check their website for current prices and special offers when planning your visit. They may have a deal that is better than what the cruise ship is offering, but just be sure to factor in transportation to and from your location.
They also offer enhancement experiences for an additional cost, such as Lunch with an Astronaut and Astronaut Training Activities.
Kennedy Space Center Hotels
While there is no hotel right at the Kennedy Space Center (how cool would that be, though?!) they do partner with several local hotels to offer discounted hotel rates.
Kennedy Space Center Experience
Now that we’ve talked about where it is and how to get in, let’s talk about what to do at Kennedy Space Center! First, I’ll admit that we did not visit in relation to a cruise. We live about 50 minutes away, so we took advantage of a special offer during a day the kids were not in school. We did not spend the entire day, hence why this is often offered as a shore excursion, but you could make a full day out of it if your time allows.
Entering Kennedy Space Center is like entering a theme park! You have the turnstiles for you to present your ticket and then Guest Services to the side. To get our special offer, we had to go through Guest Services so that we could present our drivers license as proof of residency. But after that, we were in!
We started at the Rocket Garden, where you can walk among actual rockets of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs.
It is amazing to stand next to them and even climb inside a capsule.
There are several shows to watch, including an IMAX. Be sure to check the park information for that day to see showtimes and plan accordingly.
Next, our timing lined up to take the free bus out to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. KSC offers free shuttle busses every 15-20 minutes and travel time is 20 minutes. Be sure to check when the last shuttle departs the Visitor Complex and when the last shuttle leaves the Center to return, as it can be well before park closing to allow ample time. We didn’t want to miss out on this, so we made sure to do it early in our visit.
During the bus ride, you pass by the Vehicle Assembly Building. We see this building all the time when going on cruises or even taking day trips to the coast…it’s huge!
The bus also drove around the area surrounding the building and the narrator talked about operations in the area, including showing us the crawler that transports the rockets to their launch pad.
Once you enter the Apollo/Saturn V Center, you are met with the ginormous Saturn V Rocket. According to the KSC website: Every human who stepped foot on the Moon launched from Kennedy Space Center atop a Saturn V rocket.
During our visit, we were so lucky to see Artemis I on the launchpad! Artemis I was the first uncrewed mission of the Artemis program, intended to establish human presence on the moon for the first time since 1972! It was a historic launch and we got to see it beforehand.
The Apollo/Saturn V Center contains several demos, shows and walk-through exhibits. There is also a cafe with food & drinks for purchase.
After we were done exploring the Apollo/Saturn V Center, we took the bus back to the main KSC Visitor Center. The kids played with Legos while waiting for the next IMAX show to start…a mini rocket!!
In the Atlantis building, there is the actual Atlantis Rocket that you can see inside of.
There are lots of interactive games and simulations.
There is a tube crawl high in the air at the second floor level…
…and a slide to come back down!
Speaking of play areas, in the IMAX building, there is a huge multi-story play zone called Planet Play. There was a short wait to enter, but once in, the kids could run around freely and there were spots for the adults to sit and relax.
Is the Kennedy Space Center for Kids?
Yes, absolutely! I think the Kennedy Space Center if for all ages. There’s play places for the youngest kids, history, games, interactive experiences, shows and just a good variety of activities to entertain the entire family.
Kennedy Space Center Tips
Be sure to use the guide, map and check the current attractions, as some of them can change for your visit.
Time out your activities…the shows only play a few times a day and are each different lengths and then the trip out to the Apollo/Saturn V Center will take up some time and is a must. Taking a few minutes at the start of your day to plan out those time-sensitive items will help you maximize the fun!
Take lots of photos!
