People are surprised that I have lived in Florida for 16 years and had never taken a Kennedy Space Center Tour. I live about three hours from Cape Canaveral, and had always wanted to see the historic launch complex. We’ve even seen the shuttle take off from Orlando, but we had never experienced the day tour.
Finally, as part of an excursion on Oceania Cruises, we were able to see this incredible piece of history, where rockets are developed, tested, and blasted into space. From the Rocket Garden to the Space Shuttle Atlantis to the Astronaut Training Experience, this tour is a must when visiting the Cape Canaveral area of Florida.
I had no idea TripAdvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best Things to Do named the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex the #1 attraction in the United States and #3 in the world! You really do have to experience it to realize how much there is to see and do at this complex.
Visit the Kennedy Space Center website to design the perfect itinerary for you. Based on your situation, you can maximize the amount of time you have by prioritizing what to see. We were on a cruise excursion, but managed to see just about everything!
The best way to fit it all in is to grab the Kennedy Space Center app ahead of time, look around, and check out any special events. The day you arrive, check times for every scheduled event you’d like to see and plan ahead.
The Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour
The bus tour is a must at Kennedy Space Center. This is where you’re able to view areas of NASA that are otherwise restricted. The coach was comfortable and air-conditioned, and our driver told us about what we would see.
We viewed the working spaceflight facility. This is where the United States launched to the moon and where every space shuttle was sent into orbit. In the future, NASA has plans to send astronauts into deep space from this same area.
When we visited, there was only one stop at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. In June, The Gantry at LC-39 opened, so you will be able to visit that area first. It’s on our list for a return visit!
You’re able to spend as much time exploring as you’d like. Just be aware that the last bus tour runs 2 1/2 hours before the closing of the complex.
We had lunch at the Orbit Cafe, which was surprisingly good. You’ll have other choices, too, so don’t worry about finding lunch (or ice cream!)
Rocket Garden
Once you arrive at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the first area you’ll visit is the Rocket Garden. Unless you are on a guided tour, you can explore on your own in any order. I say this as it’s common to get summer showers in Central Florida, so if it’s raining, you can easily get a closer look at the Rocket Garden on your way out.
You will also sometimes find small groups touring together, so skip a crowded exhibit and come back later. We often found we were the only people at a particular exhibit. It’s a big place and there’s a lot to see.
In the Rocket Garden, you’ll see the real machines that led America’s space exploration. Though most of these machines were never in space, they are real rockets.
In the beginning of space exploration, retrieving the rockets was not part of the program. In fact, many of the early rockets either burned up in the atmosphere, crashed into the ocean, or stayed in space. They were really designed for one-time use.
Touring the Rocket Garden only takes about 20 minutes, but it’s super cool and the most photographed part of the entire complex. It’s easy to see why!
Apollo Saturn Center
Before going inside the Apollo Saturn Center, see what it was like to be in the Firing Room at the launch of Apollo 8.
Inside the Lunar Theater, you can watch a recreation of man stepping on the moon in 1969. This show was so well done. You really shouldn’t miss it!
We enjoyed this area so much. My husband had always wanted to see the Kennedy Space Center, so he was pretty enthralled.
Space Shuttle Atlantis
Seeing Atlantis was fascinating. There are all kinds of interactive exhibits, so plan to be there for about an hour for the full experience.
A must-do for space buffs is the Shuttle Launch Experience. It was so much fun! Afterwards, take a walk around and look at the exhibits.
Before leaving this area, take a few minutes to walk through the Forever Remembered display honoring the astronauts lost on the Challenger and Columbia.
Universe Theater
Check times on the app as soon as you arrive so you can see who is speaking and what’s going on in the theater that day. Hear from a real astronaut or a space expert, and see science experiments with the S.T.E.A.M. team. You may even see pop-up experiments throughout the Complex.
IMAX Theater
Deep Sky and Space: The New Frontier are the movies currently playing at the IMAX Theater. Tickets are included with your admission, and you can grab snacks in the lobby before the show begins.
Heroes and Legends
See artifacts from the earliest space flights and visit the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Hyperdeck VR
This virtual reality experience is included but you must make a reservation the day of your visit. It’s easy to do on the app, but it does fill up, so do it first thing!
Meet An Astronaut
Each day there is an opportunity to meet a veteran NASA astronaut. Take a look at the website to see the Astronaut of the Day schedule over the next few months, and view the options for included and premium experiences.
The Gantry at LC-39
Though we didn’t get to see this area, it’s not to be missed. It’s all about educating us about NASA’s symbiotic relationship between nature and technology, and how the goal is to protect our Earth through exploring space.
A gantry is a type of structure built to support equipment that moves or operates overhead. It’s like a big frame that allows a crane, camera, or even a rocket to move horizontally along a track while being supported from above.
This full-scale model allows visitors to see what a rocket take-off might be like, simulated from the launch pad. This area is also used for viewing real rocket launches. I’m looking forward to our next visit to see this for myself.
Premium Experiences
There is so much to do at Kennedy Space Center, and even more if you have time for extra add-on experiences, like ATX Training Stages, KSC Explore Tour, or Fly with an Astronaut, which includes lunch. Check out all the extras and book in advance.
We had such a fun day exploring. An unexpected surprise was our bus driver on the way back to the ship, which was part of our excursion with Oceania Cruises. He was so knowledgeable and blew our minds with stories about how much space travel is going to change our lives in the future. His passion for the space program made our experience even better.
We arrived back at the ship in time to chill for a while before heading to dinner and a show. The next day was our final day on the cruise, spent in Nassau in the Bahamas before heading back to Miami.
Port Canaveral was just one of six port stops on the Oceania Cruises Atlantic Seafarer itinerary. We began in Miami and visited ports in Key West, Freeport in the Bahamas (where you can swim with pigs!), Bermuda, Charleston, Port Canaveral, and back to the Bahamas to Nassau before ending in Miami.
This is such a fun itinerary, and the ship is beautiful with so much to do. As you’ll have two full days at sea, check out how to spend a day at sea on Oceania Vista.
Thinking about exploring Europe on a cruise? Take a look at my Oceania Cruises Marina review for their Northern Islands and Gems itinerary. We visited the Shetland and Orkney Islands, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and England, all on one cruise. It was epic! My favorite stop was Belgium. See what to do in Bruges in one day!
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