Space Center

Only a short distance from Orlando's theme parks is the Kennedy Space Center. Cape Canaveral and the surrounding area is known as 'Space Coast.' Home to the Kennedy Space Center, the area has been the site of all the United States manned space launches. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the destination for millions of tourists every year and comprises of a number of attractions, museums and exhibits. The Shuttle Launch Experience allows visitors the chance to feel the exhilarating sensations of a real space shuttle launch. The facility is modeled after the real buildings nearby, with visitors taken through a pre-launch briefing and the various steps of the shuttle launch sequence.

Astronaut Encounter gives visitors the chance to meet and talk with famous astronauts. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame comprises exhibits, displays and the world's largest collection of astronaut artifacts and memorabilia. In Rocket Garden, visitors can walk among (and even climb aboard) famous rockets and capsules. The Apollo/Saturn V Center celebrates the Apollo program which put a man on the moon for the first time to absolve. Inside the International Space Station Center, visitors can see the facility which created the largest structure to be placed in orbit and get a look inside mock-ups of the station's modules. Finally, in Space Shuttle Plaza, is home to a full scale replica of the space shuttle Explorer and the chance for visitors to see how astronauts live and work in space.