Kennedy Space Center

With the shuttle program winding down to its second to last mission—Endeavor is scheduled to launch on May 16 at 8:56 a.m. and Atlantis will have its final mission later this summer--now is the perfect time to experience Kennedy Space Center, which is less than an hour east of Orlando. Admission to KSC also includes admission to the nearby Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is where the past, present and future of space exploration come together, with exhibits on the original Mercury 7 astronauts, an IMAX movie featuring the Hubble telescope, an opportunity to have lunch with an astronaut, and a rocket garden displaying some of the most powerful rockets ever invented.

Although an additional fee is involved, separate bus tours are well worth the trip. The Discover KSC tour brings visitors as close as a civilian can get to the shuttle launch pad and Vehicle Assembly Building (pictured), as well as the Apollo/Saturn V exhibit. The three stage Saturn V rocket takes up the length of the entire building, and there are special displays that recreate mission control during the Apollo 8 mission (the first manned mission to go around the moon) and the moment that the Apollo 11 astronauts touched the surface of the moon.

For more information, visit the Kennedy Space Center website.