posted 02-18-2022 09:09 AM               

Two New Bus Tours at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Bring Guests on a Journey Through History

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex guests have another opportunity to get closer to space and history through two new bus tours. The "Cape Canaveral Early Space Tour" offers access to the sites of the Mercury and Gemini launches, seaside launch pads and more, while the "Cape Canaveral Rise to Space Tour" offers access to restricted and historic areas of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, led by a space expert.

Cape Canaveral Early Space Tour (Available Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday):

The unwavering American spirit comes to life as participants hear stories of the early days of space exploration as they visit the very places history was made on the Cape Canaveral Early Space Tour. The journey begins at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum at Pad 26 on Cape Canaveral, famously home of the first successful launch of a manmade satellite in the US. Guests take a trip through time with visits to the site of the Mercury and Gemini launches, the launch pads along the ocean shore, John Glenn's launch pad at Pad 14 Blockhouse, and the memorial site for the Apollo 1 crew. The tour will end at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. This historical adventure is a must for all space enthusiasts.

The Early Space Tour costs $25 plus tax per adult, $19 plus tax for children ages 3-11.

Due to restricted access at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, all guests, U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens, are required to pre-register each participant's information for identity verification. Before purchasing tickets, guests will be prompted to fill out a form with each guest's (regardless of age) name, date of birth, country of birth, and passport/government-issued ID details. If a party member is a U.S. citizen under the age of 18 and does not have a government-issued ID yet, a guardian may use his/her own ID for registration. Guest are required to bring and present documentation.

Each visitor on this tour must register with visitor complex security officers between 8:45 and 10 a.m. on the day of the tour at the Information Center located at the main entrance. For U.S. citizens, a U.S. government-issued driver's license, passport, military ID or U.S. state ID card is required for tour participants age 18 and over.

International adult and child participants must present an original, valid passport to participate. Passport cards and photocopies of passports are not accepted as a valid form of ID for this tour. Please note, per Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, guests without an original ID will not be permitted by to participate in this tour.

Cape Canaveral Rise to Space Tour (Available Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday):

The Cape Canaveral Rise to Space tour offers guests the opportunity to access restricted and historic areas of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. During this Special Interest Tour, a space expert will lead guests to historic launch sites, the Sands Space History Center, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and Hangar C – the first permanent and oldest surviving structure at the Cape built and used for missile assembly. Inside Hangar C, guests will view artifacts like Atlas, America's first intercontinental ballistic missile; the only known Firebird missile still in existence; and early space artifacts like Gemini and Apollo "boiler plates" that were used during simulations for training.

The Rise to Space Tour costs $75 plus tax and does not include admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Closed toe shoes are required, and guests must be at least 14 years old. Tickets must be purchased at least five days in advance to allow for the additional security protocol. To learn more about the Rise to Space tour, visit the following link.

Tour components may vary based on operational requirements, launch schedules and availability.