Visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Visit the U.S. Space & Rocket Center

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is a space education center and the largest space museum in the world, and it is the best place in the world to learn about the history of rockets. It is located right next to the NASA facility that designs and tests rockets.
It is the most visited attraction in Huntsville and one of the top attractions in Alabama.

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is divided into three main areas: the Davidson Center for Space Exploration, which serves as the space exploration area; the main exhibit area; and the outdoor Rocket Park, along with the Shuttle Park.

The Davidson Center for Space Exploration is the museum's newest addition, and its main attraction is the display of Saturn V rockets, three in all. The Saturn V is the tallest, heaviest and most powerful rocket ever to have flown on a mission.

You can walk underneath this giant rocket as you explore many other attractions and exhibits, including training equipment, astronaut artifacts, an Apollo 16 capsule and moon rock from the Apollo 12 mission.

The main exhibit area in the Atrium presents information about the local history of space flight, a collection of space memorabilia and special temporary exhibitions. There is also a model of an International Space Station module that you can walk through to understand what it is like to live and work on the ISS.

Outside, you will find many rockets and space shuttles, including 27 missiles and rockets. The outdoor Saturn V is a full-scale replica (the real one is inside), but we believe all the rest are originals. There are also outdoor rides and several simulators, including the G-Force Simulator, Moon Shot and a Mars climbing wall.



In addition, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center has a gift shop, an on-site cafeteria, and a dome theater and planetarium that show space-themed films every day.

General admission to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center lets you visit the historic Shuttle Park, Rocket Park and all of the indoor exhibit areas, including the main museum and the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. You can book tickets in advance or buy them on site. Please note that there is an extra charge for films and planetarium shows.

If you have more time, you can also book a bus tour of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, where visitors get a look behind the scenes at parts of the NASA campus.

Marshall Space Flight Center is NASA's lead center for developing rocket propulsion systems and technology. For example, NASA Marshall was responsible for developing the Apollo launch vehicle that sent the first astronauts to the Moon, and it was the site for some of the modules for the International Space Station. The center also remains heavily involved in spacecraft development and scientific research for all the major space missions.

Tours vary depending on operations, but usually they take you to the Historic Test Stand, including the Redstone Test Stand, where static tests of the Juno I and Mercury Redstone Launch Vehicles were carried out from 1953 to 1961. Tours also usually include a visit to the Propulsion Research and Development Laboratory and the Payload Operations Integration Center.

There is also a tour of the Marshall Space Flight Center, but because of security measures it is open only to U.S. citizens with valid photo ID. It costs an additional 20 dollars and takes 2 to 2.5 hours. You can book the tour in advance by phone or at the ticket desk at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. You can find more information about the tours here.

If you love space and NASA, you could easily spend the whole day here! For more information, please see our visitor guide to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

The unmissable U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
Saturn V Docent tour, Saturn V Hall, U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Visiting Space Camp

For those who want a more hands-on space experience, a visit to Space Camp will be a perfect fit. Space Camp
is run by the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (and is in the same location). Space Camp is a fully interactive camp, with many different types of camps ranging from one day to one week.

Space Camp offers space-related educational experiences and simulations that, besides being fun, emphasize teamwork, critical thinking, and learning in math and science. It shares experiences similar to the training that NASA astronauts do or have done in the past. So far, 7 Space Camp graduates have gone on to become real astronauts!

Space Camp is the main camp here, but there are also programs focused on robotics, cyber and aviation, and sometimes other themes as well. There is also on-site accommodation for campers.

Space Camp is very popular with school-age children in the United States, but it is also open to adults and families, as well as international schools and general visitors. You will have a great deal of fun, and it is an experience well worth joining if you have the time.

If you are interested in joining Space Camp, you must book in advance. If you don't want to miss out on things to do in Huntsville, you will need to plan your trip around your Space Camp dates. You can see current and upcoming programs here.