Kennedy Space Center Cape Canaveral: Saturn V & Shuttle Atlantis

Walk Under a Saturn V Rocket & Sit in a Shuttle Simulator

You spend the day moving between exhibits, IMAX theaters, and a bus tour through active NASA grounds. You walk under the Saturn V, sit in a shuttle simulator, meet a veteran astronaut, and touch moon rock. Entry, the bus tour, and all exhibits are included, so you don't arrange transport or buy tickets separately. Just show up and move through the day at your own speed.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Kennedy Space Center exhibits

• Visit Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
• Watch IMAX films and Science on a Sphere
• Play at Children’s Play Dome playground
• See Space Shuttle Atlantis and exhibits
• Experience Shuttle Launch simulator
• Shop at space-themed gift store
• Take bus tour to Apollo/Saturn V Center
• Walk under Saturn V rocket
• Touch moon rock and see exhibits
• Meet astronaut at Astronaut Encounter Show
• Visit Rocket Garden and Heroes and Legends
• Learn about Mars exploration at Journey to Mars

The experience

The IMAX screen goes dark and nothing happens for a second longer than it should. You're waiting for the Hubble footage to start, and instead there's this small silence. The kind that makes you realize you're about to see something that was actually taken in space. That's the Kennedy Space Center in a nutshell: the moment before the big thing lands. It's 45 minutes from Orlando, and once you're through the gates, the day splits into pieces that don't quite fit together until you're standing under the Saturn V in the Apollo/Saturn V Center, and suddenly it all makes sense.

The bus tour takes you onto restricted NASA property, past the actual launch pads where shuttles used to sit before they flew. Your guide points out the things that photographs don't capture: the scale, the wear, the fact that people built this and then sent other people up in it. You'll stop at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where the rocket hangs above you like something that shouldn't be allowed indoors. You can touch a piece of moon rock. Kids climb the moon rock wall in the Children's Play Dome. Adults stand still under 363 feet of rocket and think about 1969. The Shuttle Launch Experience simulator comes later. You buckle into a crew cabin and feel the vibration and sound of an actual launch, which is close enough to the real thing that your hands grip the armrest.

Space Shuttle Atlantis sits in its own theater with more than 60 interactive exhibits around it. The Heroes and Legends exhibit honors NASA's astronauts, and the Astronaut Encounter Show brings in a veteran astronaut who answers questions and signs things. The Rocket Garden shows you the first rockets that broke free from gravity. The shop is enormous and sells everything from freeze-dried ice cream to lithographs. Most afternoons an astronaut is there signing autographs on the second level. The whole day moves at its own pace. There's no rushing through Kennedy Space Center because the place doesn't let you.

What’s included

• Your day includes Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour through restricted NASA property, Space Shuttle Atlantis with 60+ interactive exhibits, Apollo/Saturn V Center with the Saturn V rocket and moon rock, Shuttle Launch Experience Simulator, Astronaut Encounter with a veteran NASA astronaut, Heroes and Legends exhibit featuring the U.S.
• Astronaut Hall of Fame, IMAX theater films, Rocket Garden, Children's Play Dome, and access to the gift shop.
• All entry fees and taxes are included.
• Strollers and wheelchairs are available for rental at the Space Shop.

Options for this experience

3 options

Standard AdmissionNo fixed timeGrants one day of access on any date within 14 days of the listed date, except for special launch dates; subject to change.

1-Day Admission TicketNo fixed time

2-Day Admission TicketNo fixed timeLength: 2 days. Explore Kennedy Space Center over two days! The second day's admission must be used within 6 months of the first entry.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 6h–10h, runs every day with no fixed time and from US$ 82.39 per person.

Days and timesEvery day

Audio guideSpanish, French, German and ItalianOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.1 with pickup ›

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Gray Line of Orlando

Is this one for you?Right for families and space enthusiasts who want the main Kennedy Space Center attractions in one day without arranging separate transport or buying tickets at the gate: the 45-minute drive from Orlando and full-day admission mean you show up and move through the exhibits at your own pace.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.

How far is Kennedy Space Center from Orlando?

45 minutes by car from Orlando hotels.

What's included in the admission?

Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Apollo/Saturn V Center, Shuttle Launch Experience Simulator, Astronaut Encounter, Heroes and Legends exhibit, IMAX theaters, and all fees and taxes.

Can I touch the moon rock?

Yes, at the Apollo/Saturn V Center you can touch and feel an actual piece of moon rock.

Is there a shuttle simulator?

Yes, the Shuttle Launch Experience Simulator lets you experience the sights, sounds, and feelings of a real Space Shuttle launch in a custom-designed crew cabin.

Are wheelchairs available?

Yes, wheelchairs are available for rental at $10 plus tax at the Space Shop. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible.

Can I meet an astronaut?

Yes, the Astronaut Encounter Show features a veteran NASA astronaut. Most afternoons an astronaut also signs autographs on the second level of the gift shop.

How long does the day take?

A full day. The itinerary includes multiple exhibits, IMAX films, a bus tour, and simulator experiences, so plan for several hours to move through everything at a comfortable pace.