Space Center Houston — Attraction in Houston

Space Center Houston was overall a great experience that we'd recommend to others but having been to Kennedy Space Center in Florida a few times, we can't give 5 stars here. It felt like it was older, but it's also not as well organized. In all fairness, we did visit the day before the recent solar eclipse so it was likely busier than usual but it did not feel crowded either (until we got to Independence Plaza).

Their parking lot needs to be redone - spaces are way too small for all the SUVs and trucks in Houston. We were in a large SUV and could barely open our doors when parked next to other vehicles.

As first-time visitors who had done some reading online, we had no idea where to begin. We didn't realize that the building we entered WAS the Space Center (for the most part). This could be a PRO (no worries about heat or rain) and a CON (gets loud and kind of overwhelming) in there.

Buy your tickets online to SAVE SOME MONEY!

There were several interactive/hands-on displays for kids (and adults) that our group really enjoyed throughout the Center. Our teens/tweens were disappointed that the Virtual Reality attractions were not running the day of our visit.

The Food Lab - While it seemed like we'd have plenty of options, when we went in there, most of the places were closed. It was just grab and go stuff which wasn't worth it. In theory, you're supposed to be able to order and pay from an app which said these different food options should have been open (based on time of day) but we weren't able to order as they were marked closed in the app (and in person).

We ended up going to Customer Service shortly after entering to get a map and ask for clarity so we could plan out our day and not miss anything major seeing as it does close early at 5pm - that didn't really work out for us. If you're the type who likes to dive really deep into every display, you may actually want to plan to be there open to close or even more than one day. While our group normally likes to dive deep, we had to keep it more surface level in order to get through most of the center. We didn't get to see the live show (New Perspectives), any of the films, only visited Independence Plaza from the ground as the line took up the entire staircase (this was upsetting), the Astronaut Training Facility Tour (not available the day of our visit - BIG disappointment), or the Mission Control Tour (additional cost and sold out). Regarding the tours, we were really confused with the talk of a boarding pass which it turns out wasn't necessary for the Rocket Park but would have been necessary for the others - and that's where scheduling your day starts to get tricky so if you're doing everything, you have to watch the clock. They need to open for more hours in a day so you don't feel rushed.

There was an inflatable eclipse display in the center and while that was a highlight of the day, we easily lost an hour or more waiting to do that.

We didn't get to do it all but did enjoy the time we had there. We would like to visit again in the future to see the rest. It's a great place to spend a day for children and...

The visit felt underwhelming, not because of outdated exhibits, but because of a complete lack of engagement and excitement in how the content is presented.

The main pavilion is modern in appearance, but almost entirely uninspiring. Instead of truly immersive, interactive exhibits that could spark curiosity about space and science, it mostly consists of VR games with long lines, static displays, walls covered in photographs, and random showcases with artifacts. There’s little here that feels like a cutting-edge science museum designed to captivate visitors of any age. Maybe this worked 10 or 20 years ago, but in today’s world, where museums have evolved into highly interactive and dynamic experiences, Space Center Houston feels outdated despite the renovations. Only a handful of exhibits manage to stand out, but overall, there’s little to leave a lasting impression.

The Rocket Park tour, which requires a shuttle ride, is equally unimpressive. Essentially, it’s just one large rocket in a hangar with minimal interactive elements. There’s little to explore beyond a basic display, and the experience lacks depth or engagement.

To make things worse, the organizational issues were glaring. When we took the shuttle to Rocket Park, the return trip turned into a logistical disaster. The gates didn’t open, causing a long delay. One of the vehicles in the back of the line attempted to turn around and got stuck, adding to the chaos. Instead of efficiently handling the situation, a security guard arrived, seemingly doing more to hinder progress than help. The shuttle drivers were left to figure it out on their own, but the entire ordeal wasted over an hour, with no communication from management or staff. Visitors were left stranded without updates, while security focused more on policing the crowd than resolving the situation.

The only positive note was that the guest services desk handled the issue professionally and, without hesitation, agreed to a partial refund. This slightly softened the frustration, showing that at least the administration and front-desk staff understand customer support. However, the organization at the level of drivers, security, and technical personnel was simply awful.

Overall, Space Center Houston feels like a missed opportunity. It lacks the excitement and innovation one would expect from a center dedicated to space exploration. The exhibits fail to engage, the Rocket Park tour is lackluster, and the poor organization only adds to the frustration. This could have been an inspiring experience, but instead, it left little more than...

Absolutely amazing and worth every penny. It was about $170 for our family of 6 (3 adults, 3 kids). Worth every penny. I only wish we had gone earlier. We arrived at 11am and left at 6:20pm. It closed at 6pm but they didn't kick us out of the gift shop!

But we could have easily spent another 3 hours there to see more things. There are areas we hardly got to and we did only one off-site tour and had wanted to do at least the two free ones. Also with the off-site free tours, some you can just go gr get in the bus line and others you need to book the second you arrive. As I mentioned we arrived at 11am and we got the LAST tickets available for the day for the mockup station. So do that immediately upon arrival.

They take photos of you upon arrival. If course that is a money grab but it's a 4 fun one and I think it was worth it. I think it was $35 for a load of digital pics of your crew with a bunch of great backgrounds.

But yeah, we missed several things. I would totally go here again if we're ever in the area and recommend it to all. Such a great hands-on learning experience for our kids (and the adults).

Very cool food court! High tech as I guess you would expect. You order everything on computers and wait for your number to come up. A bit like Costco I guess! 😂. But you can order from various places. We got pizza in the food court and bbq (pulled pork and beef) from the food truck outside. I cannot express just how good that bbq was. Wow! I want it now! But the food court was VERY pricey. Worth bringing your own picnic (except I can't remember if you're allowed to bring outside food. i think I saw people eating their own food there).

We also enjoyed buying some freeze-dried astronaut ice cream from the gift shops! (among many other things)

Overall a fantastic day. Every staff member we met was incredibly helpful and friendly.

Tips: -Go early -no selfie sticks allowed -There are water fill stations -get tickets for the off-site tours immediately -get your pictures at the end of the day. They won't kick you out. Ours were somehow done wrong in the computer and we were given someone else's! So they did new photos for us end of day no problem. parking lot is paid via phone. I don't know what you do if you don't have a phone. We are from Canada and you can only pay if you give your phone number and it texts you. But our numbers were switched off for our journey so we could not pay so we just didn't and received no ticket thankfully!

Have fun! It's an...