ArcaMax

By Bonnie and Bill Neely

On a recent trip to the Kennedy Space Center we arrived just after sunrise even though the park wouldn't open until 9. We wanted to make sure we could get it all in by closing time at 5 p.m., and there was already a long line. We picked up a daily schedule as we passed through the entrance, which enabled us to decide which experiences were most important to us and make sure we got to do them. We planned to alternate walking tours with seated events so as not to tire.

Here it is possible to learn about the wonders of more than a half-century of inventions by scientists and the men and women who pioneered the vast unknown. We began our day's adventure in the Rocket Garden, where a guide told us the history of the nine rockets now retired there. Launches by private companies occur fairly often, and it's possible to buy tickets to be present, although the weather and atmospheric conditions mean that the schedule is tentative and flights are often postponed.

In the Heroes and Legends Building we saw exhibits about the people who made space exploration possible and watched a cyclorama video presentation in the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. An IMAX film of actual footage of what astronauts have seen in space was a highlight of the day for us.

On a previous visit we had the thrill of feeling weightlessness and wearing bulky gloves to simulate being outside our spaceship and floating around while we attempted to place and tighten a screw to repair the spacecraft. It was so impossibly difficult, and we came to appreciate what astronauts are brave enough to do.

This time we had another hands-on space experience with virtual reality goggles. Once the set was placed on our heads, we felt like we were in space and watching other participants in space suits near us. Our bodies shook when our rocket was launched and the views of the moon's surface appeared.

The Matter-of-Fact Live Kids Shows and fully immersive Planet Play experiences are also fun for adults, even though the purpose is to intrigue young minds and help children determine their goals for the future while they create memorable experiences.

Next on our agenda was to take the 15-minute bus tour farther into the complex to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where we were enthralled for hours by stories about space flights. We had lunch there at a picnic table beneath a Saturn V rocket. Then holograms of past astronauts told us about their experiences in space. We could press a button to ask a question, and the hologram answered.

On the return bus trip our driver pointed out the launch pads in the distance and the large terrapin beside the road. The driver was a wildlife specialist who told us that the Delaware North Co., which now manages the Kennedy Space Center Complex for NASA, is mindful of treading gently on this land and protecting the wildlife who make their homes here.

We finally ventured into the exciting Mars area, where we learned from many exhibits the present and future of the space industry and our possible survival if we continue to devastate our planet. A large solar farm near the entrance and signs through the park keep us aware that each person is responsible for taking care of the planet.

WHEN YOU GO

kennedyspacecenter.com

========

Bonnie Neely is the author of "Real Ventures: Did We Really Do That?" which is available at www.amazon.com. She and her husband Bill are freelance writers. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Copyright 2025 Creators Syndicate, Inc.