NASA

[Hornbeliever 712]

Some folks with an 8 year old coming into town and want to take son to NASA.  Haven't been in 35 years.  Is it worth it to go with a family?  If so, any recs?I

 

[Hagbard Celine 10901]

Johnson or Canaveral?

yes, and yes

[RamjetFDO 10577]

Agreed - if the 8-year-old has an interest in space ... or really, any imagination at all, both JSC and KSC are ideal for that age.  

(works for adults, too, with the same caveats)

[Hornbeliever 712]

18 minutes ago, Hagbard Celine said:

Johnson or Canaveral?

yes, and yes

Sorry, Johnson.  Htown baby!

[Hornbeliever 712]

6 minutes ago, RamjetFDO said:

Agreed - if the 8-year-old has an interest in space ... or really, any imagination at all, both JSC and KSC are ideal for that age.  

(works for adults, too, with the same caveats)

Thanks.  Dumb question….do you just buy tickets and walk around like a museum or is it more like Disney in that you have to have a plan?  Like this specific area is interesting for adults but not kids so avoid it because it is a 8 minute walk in miserable heat type thing.

[Hagbard Celine 10901]

johnson - show up

canaveral - you don't just need a plan, you need a CUNNING PLAN

[RamjetFDO 10577]

56 minutes ago, Hornbeliever said:

Thanks.  Dumb question….do you just buy tickets and walk around like a museum or is it more like Disney in that you have to have a plan?  Like this specific area is interesting for adults but not kids so avoid it because it is a 8 minute walk in miserable heat type thing.

As Haggy said, JSC - just show up.

But it's not a museum in the stuffy sense ... it's *definitely* targeted towards the entertainment side of "edutainment".  Lots of hands-on stuff and when walking through several of the exhibits, it's VERY visually appealing.

Don't miss out on at least the Saturn V display.  If your littles can take it, do the full ride over to Mission Control (my old stomping grounds) as well.  It's well-presented, too.

[Pato del Muerto 52539]

At jsc it’s worth it for people of any age to look at the Saturn v.  For kids, they can touch a moon rock and explore a space shuttle cockpit. 
 

We took the one tour that goes to the viewing room of the old Mission Control but not the more comprehensive one that I presume hits NBL and other things. 

[conVINCEd 21469]

It’s badass.  Go.

[YChang 3455]

Always worth a visit to JSC. 

[Updawg 2282]

I think you can make reservations for the shuttle/747

[Hagbard Celine 10901]

there is a "complete" saturn V at ksc indoors at the visitor center

the bummer about ksc is that they have again suspended the "then and now" tour of canaveral

the mercury blockhouse is fricking civilization grail stuff but it's off at the moment

[Hagbard Celine 10901]

Cape Canaveral Early Space Tour Stops

Board an air-conditioned motor coach at the visitor complex and meet the tour escort and communicator, responsible for transporting and guiding visitors on this history tour. Enter the gates of Kennedy Space Center and cruise past NASA's headquarters in the center’s industrial area on your way to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Connected by NASA Causeway, the space center and the USAF station occupy Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island, located between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean.

• Stop #1 Air Force Space & Missile Museum
At Launch Complex 26, visitors participate in a 45 minute docent-led tour of the museum exhibits, housed in the original blockhouse on the launch site of America's first satellite. Exhibits include an actual V-2 rocket engine and the Gemini 2 crew capsule.

• Stop #2 Launch Complex 5/6
Tour the blockhouse where Alan Shepard became the first American astronaut to travel to space on a Redstone rocket. Listen to the story of that fateful day when America's space program took flight. On the way to the next stop, see the history and future of space travel in the form of blockhouse test buildings, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and German rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun's former office building. The tour then passes by LC-36 where Blue Origin will launch the New Glenn rocket and former LC-13 now known as LZ-1, the landing zone for SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable rockets.

• Stop #3 Launch Complex 14 Entrance and Mercury 7 Monument
The Mercury 7 astronauts are commemorated with a monument of the Mercury 7 symbol and a plaque for John Glenn's orbital flight, presenting a perfect photo opportunity.

• Stop #4 Launch Complex 19 Entrance
From the bus, view the commemorative sign with the long list of accomplishments at LC-19, site of many of Project Mercury's historic flights.

• Stop #5 Launch Complex 34
The launch platform of LC-39 remains abandoned in place as a memorial to honor the crew of Apollo 1,  who lost their lives in a capsule fire here in 1967. Built in 1960, Saturn 1 and Saturn 1 B rockets were tested at LC-34 for Project Apollo. Used also for the launch of Apollo 7 in 1968, LC-34 was decommissioned soon after. Visitors disembark to see the platform and memorial plaque honoring Apollo 1. As the tour returns from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the way to Apollo/Saturn V Center, the route passes historic Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center, including the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building.

[Hagbard Celine 10901]

the above was replaced with this:

https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/blog/attraction-spotlight-sneak-peek-cape-canaverals-rise-to-space-tour

but "this tour is currently unavailable"