Happy Holidays from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex! If you are treating yourself to sun, sand and space this holiday season, we’ve got a few tips to make the most of your visit to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
- Arrive Early!
In order to make the most out of your visit, plan to spend the entire day with us. The visitor complex opens at 9 am every day and the parking lot opens at 8:30 am. We welcome a larger amount of visitors between December 25 and January 1, so plan to arrive early during this week to get ahead of the lines.
Must See Attractions: Space Shuttle Atlantis®, the KSC Bus Tour featuring a stop at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, Heroes & Legends Featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, Astronaut Encounter and NASA Now. All of these are included with admission too!
- Have a Game Plan
Upon arrival, consult the Daily Schedule for show times and important information. Plan your day by visiting Explore Attractions on our website before your visit to see how long we recommend you stay in each attraction. Please note that wait times are not included in these tour times. If you find you did not have time to do all you wanted in one day, visit Guest Services and ask about 2-Day Tickets or Annual Passes so you can return all year!
- Eat Lunch Early or Late
If you can, enjoy lunch either earlier or later than the typical 12:00 noon lunchtime to avoid longer wait times. Consider purchasing Chat with an Astronaut as well! With a reservation, enjoy not only a sit-down buffet meal, but also first-hand accounts of living and working in space from a real veteran NASA astronaut. Reserve early to ensure your spot. You are also welcome to bring your lunch to the visitor complex. Please remember to bring your items in soft-sided coolers only and leave any glass containers or alcoholic beverages at home.
- Be Prepared for Some Waiting
As we mentioned, the week between December 25 and January 1 is especially busy at the visitor complex. You will probably wait in lines for security screening, bus tours, and other main attractions. We move the lines along as smoothly as possible, and as quickly as we are able to safely settle visitors on buses. Also, remember that many of the attractions have pre-shows that allow in dozens or even hundreds of guests at a time on a fixed schedule. They are well worth the watch (especially in Atlantis!), and we allow large amounts of people to enter at a time.
- Purchase Tickets Online
You can help minimize the entrance lanes by pre-purchasing your tickets online. You may either print them or have them on your phone for entry (look for a barcode to know you are on the right page). This will ensure you bypass the Tickets and Will Call lines. We are unable to scan a photo of your ticket, so please use the original ticket received by email.
There are so many things to do at the visitor complex! In addition to the attractions included with daily admission, jump in to some of the brand-new Training Stages of the Astronaut Training Experience®. As a preview, try out two of the components: the Mars Exploration Simulators and Spacewalk Training. Stages open to visitors on December 18, 2017. Each is available as an add-on enhancement in addition to daily admission.
Finally, wrap up your visit with Holidays in Space featuring Fighting Gravity that takes place every evening (except December 25) in the Rocket Garden December 20 – 31 beginning at 7 pm. Thank you for spending some of your holiday season with us, we look forward to seeing you!