Kennedy Space Center

2026 kicked off with my first stop at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida – a place I’ve admired and dreamed of exploring since I was little. From the Hubble Space Telescope 🔭 and space shuttle launches and landings 🚀🌎, to the legendary Apollo moon missions 🌕, the wonders of space have always captured my imagination. Now, I finally had the chance to visit it myself! The visitor area is called the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex – just take a taxi or drive there. A taxi costs around $70-80 one way. I got my ticket for about RMB 200 through a trusted reseller; buying directly from the self-service kiosks on-site can be nearly double the price 🎫. After scanning the QR code to enter, you’re immediately greeted by massive rockets and space shuttle boosters standing tall in the complex. 📸 Pro tip: After entering, head straight to the Bus Tour line to join the free guided tour. The bus makes three stops (more details below). Along the way, you’ll pass NASA’s current moon mission facilities 🌕, office buildings, and the world’s largest rocket transporter. A video onboard introduces the center’s history, the Apollo missions, space shuttle missions, and NASA’s future plans. 🚌 Bus Tour Stops Breakdown: 1️⃣ Launch Complex 39 Observation Deck Here you can get an elevated view of the Cape Canaveral launch pads, including SpaceX’s Falcon rocket launch site 🚀. It’s quite far, though, so the experience is somewhat limited. Recommended stay: 15-20 minutes. 2️⃣ Saturn V Rocket & Apollo Exhibit The exhibit begins with two video segments. The first one (standing) covers the Apollo program – decent but not mind-blowing. The second is where the magic happens! You enter a small 4D theater designed to look like a mission control center. During the simulation of the Saturn V rocket launch, the whole room shakes – absolutely epic! 🎬💥 As the video ends, the door opens to reveal the real Saturn V rocket. Let’s just say even an iPhone 17 Pro Max 0.5x wide-angle lens can’t fully capture its enormity! 🌌 3️⃣ Space Shuttle Atlantis Pavilion This stop also starts with two videos explaining the history and purpose of the space shuttle program. At the end of the last video, the screen slowly lifts… and there it is – the Space Shuttle Atlantis, unveiled right before your eyes! 🛸✨ This reveal is brilliantly executed and gave me chills. I was completely in awe! 😍 From childhood dreams to now standing here in person, the Kennedy Space Center doesn’t just showcase the milestones of space exploration – it reignites that eternal curiosity about the unknown. If you’ve ever looked up at the stars and wondered, this place is 100% worth the trip! ✨🚀 #US #Florida