Astronaut Hall of Fame Reopens to Public Saturday, Dec. 14 As Newest Attraction at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
The Astronaut Hall of
Fame, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s newest attraction chronicling the
personal side of the NASA story, will open its doors to the public Saturday,
December 14, 2002. A formal grand opening celebration and unveiling of new
educational programs at the Hall of Fame will take place in Spring 2003.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex acquired the Astronaut Hall of Fame
in late September on behalf of NASA and made it an official part of the
Visitor Complex experience. Since that time, the facility, located on State
Road 405 in Titusville, has undergone more than $700,000 in improvements, from
new paint to upgraded computer systems.
“This is a proud moment for us,” said Dan LeBlanc, chief operating officer
of Delaware North Parks Services of Spaceport (DNPSS), operators of Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex for NASA. “The Astronaut Hall of Fame tells the
personal side of human space exploration history through astronaut-owned
artifacts, interactive exhibits and astronaut training simulators. It’s an
excellent addition to the Visitor Complex experience, and a fitting complement
to our existing hardware-themed exhibits, such as the Rocket Garden and
Apollo/Saturn V Center. We’re pleased to invite the public to experience this
new Visitor Complex attraction and to be inspired by the human side of the
NASA story,” he continued.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will now offer a new two-day “Maximum
Access Admission” ticket combining the Visitor Complex and the Astronaut Hall
of Fame for $31 plus tax for adults and $21 plus tax for children 3-11. The
Maximum Access Admission ticket, valid for two consecutive days, includes all
Astronaut Hall of Fame exhibits and simulators and all Visitor Complex
attractions, including Astronaut Encounter, IMAX® space films and the KSC
Tour of restricted areas, plus special values on food and merchandise.
The Astronaut Hall of Fame houses the world’s largest collection of
astronaut memorabilia, as well as displays, exhibits and tributes dedicated to
the heroes of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. The Exhibit Hall houses an historic
collection of spacecrafts, including a Mercury Sigma 7 capsule, a Gemini
training capsule and an Apollo 14 command module. In the “Simulator Station,”
realistic astronaut training simulators allow guests to feel the pressure of
four times the force of gravity, ride a rover across Mars, and land a Space
Shuttle.
“We’re currently developing in-depth, experiential programs — for
children and adults alike — that will take our educational offerings to a
whole new level,” LeBlanc said. “We’ll unveil our new educational programs to
the public during the Astronaut Hall of Fame’s formal grand opening ceremonies
next spring,” he continued. The Visitor Complex’s current educational
programs attracted more than 100,000 participants last year and include Camp
KSC spring and summer day camps; educational field trips; job shadowing
programs for students with disabilities; Overnight Adventure campouts; and
Salute to Scouts days.
Standard admission to the Visitor Complex is $26 plus tax for adults and
$16 plus tax for children 3-11 and does not include the Astronaut Hall of
Fame. Astronaut Hall of Fame-only standard admission is $13.95 plus tax for
adults and $9.95 plus tax for children 3-11.
Located 45 minutes east of Orlando, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
and the Astronaut Hall of Fame are open from 9 a.m. until approximately dusk
every day except December 25 and certain launch days. For more information,
visit http://www.KennedySpaceCenter.com or call (321) 449-4444.
