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The Center closes for part of the day when a shuttle launches, but watching this, the ultimate Florida thrill ride, is a moving, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This two-hour tour visits attractions including historic launch pads and the US Air Force Space & Missile Museum.

The Center’s most sobering exhibit is this massive black granite monument to the 17 US astronauts who gave their lives for space exploration.

Meet a spaceman when astronauts from various space programs visit the Center. Expect question-and-answer periods, personal stories, video presentations, and space artifacts.

Views from this tower include the Vehicle Assembly Building and the Crawlerway Track, an eight-lane highway on which shuttles trundle to the launch pad at 1 mph (1.6 kmph).

The Center’s twin, back-to-back, 5.5-story theaters show two films. The 3-D L5: First City in Space suggests what the first space colony might be like, while The Dream Is Alive is an inspiring, past-to-present feature on the space shuttle program.

Here, visitors can explore detailed, full-scale models of the International Space Station’s compartments and see actual components being prepared for use.

One of only three Saturn V rockets in existence, footage of the first Moon mission, a lunar module model, and other exhibits here recreate the Apollo missions.

Unlike any other garden you have seen, the Kennedy Space Center’s contains eight actual rockets, including a Mercury Atlas similar to the one that was used to launch astronaut John Glenn. Special effects create the illusion of the rockets taking off.

These two adjoining exhibits offer passive peeks at the actual Mercury Mission Control consoles used for the first American manned flights, a chance to touch a real Mars rock, and the opportunity to submit your name for a future mission.