Only a short 1 hour drive from Orlando is the Kennedy Space Center, near Cape Canaveral. This is a unique opportunity to see a real space launch complex.
The site is planned in such a way that it takes a minimum of one day to visit, although in fact 4 hours could be enough to see the most interesting things. The attractions are numerous, the visits very well organized, the most passionate will stay the whole day.
We particularly liked :
- APOLLO/SATURN V CENTER : a hangar which can be reached by bus to discover the real Saturn V rockets which explored the moon, one of the biggest rockets which ever flew
- SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS: after an immersive video that retraces the journey of this reusable space shuttle, the Atlantis module appears in front of your eyes in an impressive manner.
- The SHUTTLE LAUNCH EXPERIENCE will also please the most reckless, it is a simulator that reproduces the launch of a rocket. It remains family but it shakes well
Our disappointments:
- During the Bus ride that takes us to the APOLLO/SATURN V CENTER, we see the emblematic “Vehicle Assembly Building” (VAB): the largest building in the world with a single floor with a huge Flag. Unfortunately we can’t visit it 🙁
- We can also see the launch pads of NASA and Space X, but the same: it is impossible to access them 🙁
- The English/French translators in rent which work rather badly
In the evening I recommend you to choose a hotel on Cocoa Beach only 20 minutes away by car
Cocoa Beach is supposed to be one of the best surf spots in Florida, even if I found the waves very small. it’s the city where the most famous American surfer was born : Kelly Slater
You will also find there the biggest surf shop in the world : the Ron Jon Surf Shop
We stayed at the La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Cocoa Beach-Port Canaveral which was very nice and which allowed us to reach the sea by foot
14-days family roadtrip in Florida
this article details one of our stages of a 14-day family roadtrip roadtrip in Florida