Kennedy Space Center (aka why I love museums)

When I was 14 years old, I survived a month traveling in an RV with my mother and sister. Don’t get me wrong, it was an incredible experience and we saw so much, but that much quality time with my mom and sis, with no real alone time, nearly killed my introverted self. After that I swore I would never do another RV trip again. Clearly, I have eaten my words (and learned the word never is a very dangerous one). A few stops from that trip really stuck in my memory, one of those was the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Because of this vivid memory, I decided to return there as I headed up the Atlantic Coast of Florida.

I almost didn’t go after seeing how much it would set me back. Between the ticket and parking the day was going to cost me almost $80! However, I’m so glad that my cheapskate German nature didn’t win out.

Full disclosure? I started my day with absolutely no plan (so unlike me!) and just wandered, not knowing where to even begin. I meandered towards the back and found myself in a line, not sure what it was for or if it was included in my ticket (and there was no way I was paying for anything extra!).

Once I got to the front of the line I learned that I was catching the first bus of the day headed to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. This was the place I recalled from last time at KSC but it was so much more than I remember. Before I saw my first artifact or read my first sign, we were funneled into a theatre giving us front row seats to Mission Control; they were exact same computers that ground command used to launch the early missions. The lights dimmed and we found ourselves immersed in the experience those men and women had as they launched a rocket into space. It was riveting and set the stage for everything we were going to see, hear, touch, and experience in the museum itself.

We were then released into the 100,000-square-foot facility and I found myself standing below a restored Saturn V launch vehicle; my breath caught and I felt the thrill of space exploration start to build within me. That feeling only grew as the day progressed. If I had been a kid I think I would have left with stars in my eyes (pun intended) and dreams of one day working for NASA.

Museum developers could learn a lot from the people who designed the entire KSC complex. The mix of interactive and learning experiences, historic artifacts and personal accounts, put together in a way that could make even the most lackluster visitor feel drawn in, made the entire place magical.

In general, I had impeccable timing and was able to pack in a full day. One of my favorite buildings was new since I was there in the 90s and houses the space shuttle Atlantis.

As with the Apollo/Saturn V experience they don’t just let you enter unprepared, we were gathered in a entry room and watched a reenactment of the birth of the vision for a shuttle that could be used again and again, the struggle to make it a reality, and the triumph when the dream became a reality. When the screen rose, revealing the Atlantis, suspended from the ceiling before us, I think I may have gasped.

In this state-of-the-art building they also have their most thrilling exhibit: a launch simulator! It was super cool to get a taste for what it feels to be blasted into space.

While it wasn’t as adrenaline pumping as I’d expected it, it was still exciting to get strapped in, feel the rumble as the engines roared to life, and on the “one” get pressed back into my seat as we got propelled into space. My personal favorite part was once we were launched and they “opened the bay doors” above us and we got to see the Earth, moon, and stars shining as if we were amidst them.

They also have a beautifully curated area for those who died in the Challenger and Columbia disasters. The collection of personal artifacts drew me in not because of the tragedy of their deaths but because it showed how they lived. It was a moving tribute to those who have given everything in their pursuit of a dream.

While exhibits and interactive experiences are great, there is something really special about learning about history from someone who lived it. KSC didn’t disappoint on this front either. My exceptional (and accidental) timing provided me the chance to get a talk about the shuttle Atlantis as well as the rocket garden. The gentleman at the shuttle building had been a real astronaut! He not only provided fascinating pieces of information about the shuttle and its missions, but shared personal experiences from his time working for NASA. To hear about history from the mouth of someone who experienced it took the whole thing to a new level of incredible.

While I made it to every exhibit in the complex during my very full day, I feel like a only scratched the surface. I was actually glad that the newest building hadn’t opened yet as the day had been packed with the exhibits that had been available! Next time, and I hope there is a next time, I go to Kennedy Space Center, I plan on spending the extra money for a two day pass!