I love Kennedy Space Center.  It is a phenomenal place to spend a day.  At the risk of sounding corney and melodramatic, KSC makes me proud to be an American.  No joke.  I wave my nerd flag proudly here. 

But,  even my husband and kids appreciate the facility.  If you are traveling to the central Florida area,  this should be on your list.  Be forewarned, it is pricey. $40 for kids.  $50 for adults.   But,  as usual,  I have the inside scoop on discount admission.  

Click here to sign up for the NASA passport to Space program. This is a FREE program that anyone can sign up for. There are 14 NASA visitors centers that participate in the program in different ways.  Fill out the form online and NASA will send you a navy blue “passport”. Take your passport with you to the various visitor’s centers.  They will stamp it with a comemorative stamp unique to each location. This makes a fun souvenir. But,  more importantly, it also gives the bearer discounts! At Kennedy,  it’s $5 off admission per person.  Plus, receive 10% off on all merchandise. This added up for my family of four. With $20 off admission and what we saved at the gift shop,  we bought snacks and drinks at the IMAX theater and bought an audio tour.

The highlights at KSC include the space shuttle Atlantis, the Saturn V rocket, and the iconic launch pad where the Mercury seven and the Apollo astronauts strapped in.

 The Atlantis was retired after 33 missions and is on display here. Walk through an immersive presentation that concludes with the shuttle being dramatically unveiled in all it’s glory. 

Be sure to check out the Atlantis launch simulator. It is fantastic. It’s the closest you can get to riding in an actual shuttle. You experience G forces and everything! 

The Saturn V is as tall as a 36 story building. It boosted Neil Armstrong into orbit and made it possible for Americans to set foot on the moon.  

The Saturn V isn’t the only rocket here.  You’ll see several from different eras of NASA history in the rocket garden. There’s also a rocket themed play area for your kids. 

Your kids will also love all the simulators. Purchase Cosmic Quest for an additional fee and they will have access to even more hands-on interactive activities. 

You could easily spend two days here.  There is a lot to see and do. 

I love Kennedy Space Center.  It is expensive.  But,  in my opinion,  it’s worth the cost.