Kennedy Space Center a "Must-See" Location in Central Florida

When you mention the words "Orlando vacation" to most people they think of Disney World and the other theme parks in Central Florida. The imagination and creative effort that have been put into the theme parks is amazing and has attracted visitors from around the world. However, reality is sometimes just as exciting as imagination, and nowhere is this more evident than at the Kennedy Space Center.

If you are visiting Orlando, then you should certainly set aside some time to visit the Space Center. Let me introduce some of the attractions that have made the Kennedy Space Center a big hit with visitors to Florida.

The expeditions to the moon in the early 1970s are an historic milestone for humanity and you can get a first hand view of the technology that made these flights possible at the Saturn 5 center. Here you can look at a full scale rocket which measures more than 360 feet high and weighs in at 6.2 million pounds. You not only get a gaze at the mammoth rocket but can also take a simulated voyage to the moon and get up close to everything with a detailed exhibition.

You can even go further into the history of space travel in the Early Space history section of the Space Center. The early Mercury and Gemini space capsules are on display along with the control panel that the mission controllers used to guide the early space flights.

Almost everyone is fascinated by Earth's neighbor, the red planet Mars, and a section devoted to the Viking landings of 1976 let's you take a trip to Mars in a simulated visit that retraces the route followed by the unmanned Viking probes. You can even touch a piece of Mars because a meteorite that originated from Mars is also on display.

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be an astronaut on a shuttle flight? If so then make sure you visit the Shuttle Launch simulator. The whole room vibrates as the Shuttle takes off and when you "reach orbit" you will get an astronauts-eye view of the Earth.

Speaking of astronauts, you can meet an astronaut at the space center. Throughout the year astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and the Shuttle eras meet with the visitors.

During the 50 years of the Space Age our astronauts and space probes have taken dramatic footage of outer space. You can see the best shots in a spectacular fashion at the IMAX 3D Theater and really get a feel for what it is like to be an astronaut.

There is a lot to see at the Kennedy Space Center and the best way to make sure that you see it all is to take a guided tour of the facility on a bus ride that stops at all the major installations of the Center. The first bus leads at 9:30 AM and there are continuous throughout the day.
As you leave the center you can pick up a souvenir at the Space Shop. You can choose from over 8000 items of space memorabilia.

This is only a sampling of what you can expect at the Space Center, so be sure to visit this entertaining and educative attraction during your stay in Central Florida.