Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Merritt Island, Florida, offers visitors an extraordinary window into the history and future of American space exploration. The complex sits adjacent to the active Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — meaning launches from neighboring pads can sometimes be witnessed directly from the visitor grounds. The centerpiece attraction is Space Shuttle Atlantis, displayed in a purpose-built exhibition hall at a dramatic 43.21-degree angle replicating its in-orbit orientation, with interactive exhibits surrounding it that put visitors inside the space shuttle program's story. The Apollo/Saturn V Center, reached by bus tour, contains one of the last remaining Saturn V rockets — the most powerful machine ever built at 363 feet tall — displayed horizontally in an awe-inspiring warehouse-scale building. The Journey to Mars exhibit explores NASA's next-generation missions, while the Rocket Garden outside displays a collection of historic rockets from Mercury through Titan eras. The Astronaut Encounter Theatre hosts daily presentations with active and retired NASA astronauts, and the Astronaut Training Experience offers private paid simulations of spaceflight training. Bus tours depart regularly and include access to the Apollo/Saturn V Center and historic launch control rooms. Rocket launch viewing from the visitor complex is free with paid admission when a launch coincides with a visit — the NASA public launch calendar allows advance planning, and waiting crowds can be significant for high-profile missions. An IMAX theatre screens space-related documentaries between other activities.