Planet Play at Kennedy Space Center

Kids Get in Free this Month at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex

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Calling all future astronauts, rocket scientists, and kids who simply love space! The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is offering FREE, one-day admission to kids ages 3 – 11 during the month of September in celebration of “Future Voyagers Month”.

How to get the FREE tickets for kids at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex

All you have to do to take advantage of the free ticket for kids is purchase one adult admission for $75 starting September 1, 2024, and then you’ll get up to three complimentary children’s tickets for each adult ticket you buy.

Patel Conservatory dancers perform as baby mice in Next Generation Ballet's production of Nutcracker.

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You can book your free tickets for kids here.  

You can also call the Kennedy Space Center ticket reservations line at 855-433-4210 or visit the Will Call ticket booth at the complex.

Exploring Kennedy Space Center with the Kids

If you haven’t been to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex or haven’t visited in a while, there are so many things to do with the kids that have opened in the last couple of years.

Check out the “All Systems Are Go!” immersive puppet show featuring the beloved Snoopy character and his friends! Our kids also love Planet Play (pictured at the top) which is a three-story tall indoor solar system-inspired play area that also has a coffee, wine, and beer bar along with a relaxation area for parents to recharge.

“It’s a Matter of Fact Show” uses fun experiments to learn about S.T.E.A.M. and if you head over to the Heroes & Legends area, you may even have the chance to meet a real astronaut!

One of the first large buildings you’ll encounter after you walk through the gates of the Kennedy Space Center is the new (and beautiful) Gateway attraction.

This indoor attraction showcases more about the Artemis missions and the next era of space exploration with NASA and their commercial partners.

If you’re not sure what the big deal is with the Artemis launch, check out Six Reasons to Be Excited About the Artemis Program.

There is also an immersive ride in Gateway, Spaceport KSC. It’s pretty cool and allows you to launch into space in a ‘choose your own adventure’ type experience: Cosmic Wonders, Daring Explorers, Red Planet, and Uncharted Worlds. We chose Cosmic Wonders. Kids also LOVE the Shuttle Launch Experience where you can feel what it’s like to take off on a real space shuttle!

Our kiddos really liked it, but if you’re prone to motion sickness, you might want to close your eyes at some points during the ride since it is one of those rides that utilizes a floor-to-ceiling video screen. Overall, it wasn’t too bad, and I get really bad motion sickness.

Over at the IMAX theater complex, there’s a temporary LEGO Build to Launch exhibit that teaches kids about STEM and the technology behind the Artemis program. There are cute photo opportunities in here and of course, LEGO building!

Speaking of LEGOs, our friends at LEGOLAND Florida invited us to check out LEGO City Space play area inside the Imagination Zone. It’s an immersive build zone where your kiddos will travel to the LEGO Moonbase to help NASA build rockets and rovers. Check out our Instagram Reel to see it for yourself.

More things we love to do with the kids:

  • Book a Chat with an Astronaut Experience: You can meet real astronauts face-to-face and hear all about their experiences and even ask them questions.
  • Explore ‘Shuttle: A Ship Like No Other’ where you can learn all about the space shuttle program, see the shuttle Atlantis, climb through a replica International Space Station, slide down a giant slide, and so much more! This is a highly interactive area kids love.
  • But, that’s not all. Click here to view all of the incredible ways you and the kids can immerse yourself in the world of space exploration at the Kennedy Space Center.

More things to do with the kids on the Space Coast:

Make it more than a day trip and spend a few days on the Space Coast to explore all they have to offer! We did and here are some cool things families can enjoy together–other than the beach, of course!

Brevard Zoo:

This Melbourne zoo has a beautiful winding boardwalk and sidewalks that take you through the different habitats. We loved feeding the birds in the aviary and feeding the giraffe! You can also walk up close to kangaroos and there’s a splash pad for the kiddos if you need to cool off for a bit. They also have a zip-line but check ahead to see if they are booking. Brevardzoo.org 

Sea Turtle Walk Tour:

This is a unique summertime activity where you can book a tour to see the many sea turtle nests along the beaches and maybe even catch baby sea turtles making their journey to the sea. Visitspacecoast.com

Bioluminescence Kayaking Tour:

Another unique nighttime summer experience is a bioluminescence tour on the Indian River Lagoon. There are several companies that offer the experience like Get Up and Go Kayaking. July and August are prime-time viewing months. 

American Space Museum:

If you didn’t get your fill of space, head over to the American Space Museum in Titusville where kids can get hands-on with actual shuttle launch controllers and view pretty cool artifacts from the space program. You can get through this museum in a couple of hours, tops. Spacewalkoffame.org

Museum of Dinosaurs and Ancient Cultures: 

This is another quick indoor trip. If your kids love dinosaurs, they’ll love this place. While most of the dinosaur bones are replicas of real bones, there are real fossils on display. There is even a large store on the first floor. Dinosaurstore.com

Florida Surf Museum:

Right next door to the iconic Ron Jon Surf Shop, this museum will walk you through the history of surfing in Florida. Floridasurfmuseum.org

 

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