OVERVIEW

Each year, more than 1 million guests from around the world experience their very own space adventure by exploring the exciting past, present and future of America's space program at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Built in 1967, today the Visitor Complex is one of Central Florida's most popular tourist destinations.

Since 1995, when Delaware North began managing the Visitor Complex, every aspect of this 70-acre facility has been entirely redeveloped and enhanced. From Space Shuttle AtlantisSM, live astronaut encounters and larger-than-life IMAX® space films to live shows, hands-on activities and up close tours, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers guests an educational, entertaining and interactive space experience. 

DIRECTIONS

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is located east of Orlando on State Road 405, six miles inside the KennedySpaceCenter entrance. From Orlando, take State Road 528 east and follow the signs to Kennedy Space Center.  From Interstate 95, take exit 212 northbound or exit 215 southbound.  From Merritt Island or CocoaBeach, take State Road 3. 

GUEST INFORMATION

877-313-2610 or www.KennedySpaceCenter.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

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  OPERATING HOURS

The Visitor Complex opens daily at 9:00 a.m. Closing times vary by season. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame opens daily at 12:00 p.m. Closing times vary by season. The Visitor Complex is a full day experience.

  ADMISSION

Admission is $50 + tax for adults and $40 + tax for children ages 3-11. Includes the KSC Tour, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Shuttle Launch Experience, Apollo/Saturn V Center, 3Dspace films, U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame® andall attractions and exhibits. For group reservations of 15 or more, call 877-313-2610.

ANNUAL PASS

Annual Passholders have year-round passage (except launch days) to KennedySpaceCenter

Visitor Complex, along with additional benefits. The two-tiered Annual Pass offers expanded value and the ability for guests to select the level that best fits their needs and expectations, beginning at $89 for adults and $71 for children ages 3-11. A Multiday Discovery pass is also available at $75 for adults and $60 for children ages 3-11. Annual passes and the Multiday Discovery pass can be purchased at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, by telephone at 877-313-2610 or on the web at www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.

SERVICES

Wheelchairs and strollers are available for rental inside the main entrance, and all exhibits and tours are wheelchair accessible. The Visitor Complex offers the use of pet kennels.  First aid, automated teller machine and bus parking are available.

SHOPPING

The Space Shop is the largest retail store in the world devoted to space-themed merchandise with more than 3,000 items. Guests may also order items by telephone at 800-621-9826 or on the web at www.TheSpaceShop.com.

DINING

Guests may choose from numerous self-service restaurants and specialty food locations with a wide variety of menu options. Lunch With An Astronaut is available daily at 12 p.m. and includes a delicious lunch, briefing, Q & A and photo opportunity with a NASA astronaut.

MEETINGS, EVENTS AND CATERING

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the perfect place to launch your function. From the finest catering to astronaut appearances, find out why your next meeting should be at America's headquarters for space exploration. For more information, call 877-313-2610.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Several youth education programs are offered including Camp Kennedy Space Center®, Overnight Adventure, annual programs for homeschoolers, Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts, field trips and performance group opportunities. For more information, call 877-313-2610.

 EDUCATOR STUDY PASS

Full-time Florida and Georgia educators are eligible for a complimentary Annual Pass. Passes are available at the Will Call Booth by presenting valid state teaching ID and photo ID. 

SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTISSM

The world's most comprehensive attraction devoted to the space shuttle, the new Space Shuttle Atlantis, brings visitors nose-to-nose with Atlantis as only astronauts have seen it before – with payload bay doors open as if it were floating in space.

More than 60 exciting, educational touch-screen experiences and high-tech simulators invite guests of all ages to “be the astronaut,” bringing to life the people, passion and patriotsm behind NASA's 30-year Space Shuttle Program as well as the complexity of the engineering marvel that launched the Hubble Space Telescope and built the International Space Station (ISS). Visitors can spend their vacations making memories such as conducting a virtual spacewalk, docking to the ISS, creating sonic booms and gliding down the Re-entry Slide, experiencing the sensation of floating in space, and strapping in to the sights, sounds, and sensations of a shuttle launch, among many other interactive experiences.  

• Shuttle Launch Experience®, part of Space Shuttle Atlantis, is an incredible journey of vertically launching into space and orbiting Earth aboard the space shuttle.  Guest “crew members” strap in for this all-too-real simulation, which immerses visitors in the sights, sounds and feelings of a space shuttle launch.  The five minute launch experience in the one-of-a-kind custom-designed crew cabin culminates with a breath-taking view of Earth from space. Included with admission.

TOURS

Kennedy Space Center Tour (included in daily admission):  A must-see experience, this tour takes guests on a narrated, video supplemented bus tour of Kennedy Space Center. Visitors pass the launch pads where Apollo astronauts first lifted off for the moon. They'll also see iconic space program images such as the countdown clock at NASA's Press Site, the 525-foot-high Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) where rockets and the space shuttles were stacked in preparation for launch and one of the crawler transporters used to move Apollo moon rockets and space shuttles to the launch pad. 

The tour culminates at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where dramatic multi-media shows and numerous hands-on displays provide visitors with an inspirational look into America's quest for the moon. Guests relive the historic launch of Apollo 8 at the Firing Room Theater, then marvel at a monstrous 363-foot long Saturn V moon rocket, the most powerful rocket ever built and one of three Saturn V rockets in existence. The Apollo Treasures Gallery showcases treasures from the Apollo moon missions, including Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard's spacesuit and Command Module, Kitty Hawk. The Lunar Theater provides a rare look at the harrowing final moments before man landed on the moon.  The Apollo/Saturn V Center is also home to the Moon Rock Café, the only place in the world where guests can dine next to a genuine moon rock.

KSC Up-Close Tours

• The KSC Up-Close Explore Tour offers visitors an insider's view of the U.S. Space Program, from the launch sites of today at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to the past and future of space exploration at Kennedy Space Center. See the massive, 525-foot-high Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the Shuttle Landing Facility's nearly 3-mile-long runway and rocket launch pads supporting launches by NASA, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance. Price is $25 for adults and $19 for children (ages 3-11) plus tax, in addition to admission. 

• The KSC Up-Close: Launch Control Center (LCC) Tour, takes visitors inside Firing Room 4, one of the LCC's four firing rooms and from which all 21 space shuttle launches since 2006 were controlled. Discover the role of the launch director and the process to make the final call on whether launch was a “Go” or “No Go.” Price is $25 for adults and $19 for children (ages 3-11) plus tax, in addition to admission. 

• KSC Up-Close Cape Canaveral: Then & Now Guided Tour:  This narrated, in-depth journey guides visitors through the Cape's 50-year history of space exploration. Highlights include Launch Complex 5/6, site of the first two Mercury launches and the birthplace of NASA's manned space program; the Air Force Space and Missile Museum, the Mercury Memorial, and Launch Complex 19, site of 10 manned missions in two years. The tour stops at Launch Complex 34, site of the 1967 Apollo 1 tragedy in which astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee perished in a fire during a launch test. The tour culminates at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Photo ID is required for guests age 18 and older. International guests must present a valid passport to participate. Price is $25 for adults and $19 for children (ages 3-11) plus tax, in addition to admission. 

3D Space Films

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is home to the only back-to-back IMAX theaters in the world, showcasing two large-format 3D motion pictures on five-and-a-half story tall screens. Included with admission.

Journey to Space captures the spirit of human exploration and describes how it is at the core of human DNA. The film showcases NASA's bold plans for the future, including landing astronauts on Mars and capturing asteroids, while recognizing the Space Shuttle Program and its many accomplishments. Narrated by film and television legend Sir Patrick Stewart, Journey to Space highlights the enormous risks associated with human spaceflight, accentuating the bravery of all space travelers.

Hubble 3D, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, brings the furthest depths of the universe to life, transporting audiences to distant galaxies to explore the mysteries of deep space. Hubble 3D offers an inspiring and unique look into the Hubble Space Telescope's legacy and its profound

impact on the way we view the universe and ourselves. Featuring footage from the final Hubble repair mission, audiences will experience a space shuttle launch sequence, intricate spacewalks and a magnificent tour of the cosmos. (43 minutes)

LAUNCHES

The noise, the vibrations – and the view! From countdown to lift off, there's nothing quite like an authentic space launch. An ongoing schedule of space launches from adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station keep eyes glued to the skies above Kennedy Space Center throughout the year. Nearly 24 launches are slated for the Space Coast in 2015.

LIVE SHOWS AND PROGRAMS

Astronaut Encounter: Come face to face with one of more than 500 people who have experienced space travel and hear first-hand how astronauts eat, sleep and live in space at Astronaut Encounter. Held daily at the Astronaut Encounter Theater, the half-hour interactive program features a question-and-answer session and an opportunity to take a picture with the astronaut. Included with admission.

Lunch With An Astronaut: Sit down to a delicious hot meal as one of NASA's veteran astronauts shares personal recollections of his or her time in space. Guests have the opportunity to ask questions and have photos taken with the astronaut. Price is $29.99 for adults and $15.99 for children (ages 3-11) plus tax, in addition to admission. 

Exploration Space®: Explorers Wanted: Discover what's next for NASA by stepping into the center of space travel and become part of the future of exciting possibilities at Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted. Be immersed in an environment of discovery and exploration beyond our home planet. Live theater, interactive experiences and large scale multimedia presentations display what the future of space travel may look like, emphasizing that space exploration is not just about the hardware, but about the people behind the technology that make it all possible. The main show, Explorers Wanted, runs twice an hour. New destinations for space travel are introduced as space pioneers of tomorrow are invited to embark on new missions and embrace the challenges of future space exploration. Included with admission.

EXHIBITS

Rocket Garden: The ever-popular Rocket Garden is a Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex hallmark.  The outdoor garden features eight authentic rockets from the past. It includes a Mercury-Atlas rocket similar to the one used to launch John Glenn into space in 1962. Elements consist of dramatic lighting, water features, “climb-in” Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsule replicas, seating and informative graphic elements.

Nature and Technology:  This exhibit showcases the unique balance between technology and nature at Kennedy Space Center, which shares a common boundary with the 140,000 acre Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Space Mirror Astronaut Memorial:  Dedicated in 1991, the Space Mirror Memorial honors the 24 U.S. astronauts who gave their lives for space exploration.  The 42.5-foot high by 50-foot wide “Space Mirror” brilliantly illuminates the names cut through the monument's black granite surface. Operated by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation.

Apollo Treasures Gallery: Located at the Apollo/Saturn V Center on the Kennedy Space Center Tour, the gallery showcases treasures from the Apollo moon missions, including Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard's spacesuit and Command Module, Kitty Hawk, along with a rare collection of spacesuits and other gear used by the Apollo moonwalkers. Other memorabilia includes Apollo 16 astronaut John Young's cuff checklist with instructions on how to deploy the American flag on the moon and Apollo 13's spacesuit repair kit.

U.S. ASTRONAUT HALL OF FAME®: 

Open daily at 12 p.m. and closing times vary by season. Located six miles west of the main Visitor Complex, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame features the world's largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia, plus a historic spacecraft, hands-on activities and astronaut training simulators.

Science On a Sphere®: Imagine looking at Earth from space! Science On a Sphere is a global display that takes visitors on a three-dimensional journey around the world and throughout the solar system via dynamic, animated images of the atmosphere, oceans and planets.

ASTRONAUT TRAINING EXPERIENCE® (ATX®):

Astronaut Training Experience (ATX) offers participants a true taste of spaceflight experience.  Developed with input from veteran NASA astronauts, the hands-on, heads-engaged half day program includes an orientation and mission briefing by a member of the U.S. astronaut corps, true-to-training simulator exercises and the culmination of training: a team-oriented space shuttle mission from launch to landing in a space shuttle mock-up and Mission Control Center.

The intensity of ATX offers a realistic look at what astronauts and mission control achieve together every time NASA launches a manned mission. The ATX package includes an ATX polo, a class photograph with an astronaut and a graduation ceremony for successfully completing the program. ATX is available for participants ages 14 and older. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Due to the program's highly interactive nature, ATX crews are small and advance reservations are required. Cost is $145 per person.

FAMILY ASTRONAUT TRAINING EXPERIENCE® (Family ATX®):

Family ATX offers a half-day program for adults and children (ages 7-13) to reach for the stars in an out-of-this-world bonding experience. Family members will be immersed in astronaut training, riding space simulators, building and launching their own rockets, and meeting a real NASA astronaut. The experience culminates as participants train and work together to perform a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station in a full scale orbiter mock-up and fully outfitted mission control. 

Family ATX includes custom gear (t-shirt and hat), a class photograph with an astronaut and a graduation ceremony for completing the program. Due to the program's highly interactive nature, ATX crews are small and advance reservations are required.  Cost is $145 per participant.

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

Children's Play Dome:  Adventures await “junior astronauts” at the Children's Play Dome. As children play among conceptual spacecraft and rockets that may travel to places beyond Earth

orbit, their imaginations will soar. They can lift-off in spacecraft, climb a moon rock wall, crawl

through rocket tunnels and slide to the surface of the moon.

Spaceperson: Guests have the opportunity to meet and take photos with the spaceperson character throughout the day.

Constellation Sphere: Guests can reach for the stars of the sleek nine-ton black granite sphere as it “floats” on a thin fountain of water. The sphere, measuring more than five feet in diameter, boasts 88 constellations and 1,100 stars.

Dr. Kurt H. Debus Conference Facility:  Named on behalf of Kennedy Space Center's first director, this state-of-the-art conference facility over looking the Rocket Garden provides impressive event and meeting space for corporate and convention groups.

NASA's EDUCATOR RESOURCE CENTER

Located at the Visitor Complex, the Center provides expertise to help educators access and use technology, science and mathematics instructional products. For details or to make an appointment, call 321-867-4090.

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Media Contacts:

Andrea Farmer, 321-449-4318, afarmer@delawarenorth.com

Nancy Glasgow, 407-375-2433, nancy@bitner.com