Kennedy Space Center

I'm heading to Florida next weekend with my 3 year old and possibly my 6
year old.

Reading the stuff on Kennedy Space Center it seems to me that a) it's
expensive and b) there doesn't seem to be much to do for little kids.

If anyone knows the KSC and could make some recommendations on what to do
with little kids I would be very grateful.

--Kamus

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Kamus of Kadizhar ) writes:
I'm heading to Florida next weekend with my 3 year old and possibly my 6
year old.

Reading the stuff on Kennedy Space Center it seems to me that a) it's
expensive

Well, I was just there about three weeks ago, and, although the entry
price isn't cheap, its not out of line from what one would pay at a
more conventional " theme park ".

I was paying about $53 for the entry fare, with one bus tour included,
and that pass was good for two days, so we used it on a Saturday and a
Sunday, and I was very happy with the value that we got from that
visit.

and b) there doesn't seem to be much to do for little kids.

If anyone knows the KSC and could make some recommendations on what to do
with little kids I would be very grateful.

That, unfortunately, I can't help you with. None of my own... :-)

Any chance the rest of your family could hang at Disney/Universal,
or such, while you nip down to the Cape ? Something so that everyone
gets something that they most want to see...

Andre

--
" I'm a man... But, I can change... If I have to... I guess. "
The Man Prayer, Red Green.

In article ,
says...
I'm heading to Florida next weekend with my 3 year old and possibly my 6
year old.

Reading the stuff on Kennedy Space Center it seems to me that a) it's
expensive and b) there doesn't seem to be much to do for little kids.

From my experience a year ago, let the kids wander around the main
entrance area. It is at about the same level of historical accuracy and
interest as, oh, Epcot.

"Lunch with an astronaut" is worth the money, both for the kids and the
grown-ups. Don't expect great food, but the lecture is fun, and you get
to have your (and your kid's) picture taken with a real live astronaut.

The grown-ups should take the bus tours and see real history.
--
Kevin Willoughby lid

Imagine that, a FROG ON-OFF switch, hardly the work
for test pilots. -- Mike Collins

From Kevin Willoughby:

says...
I'm heading to Florida next weekend with my 3 year old and possibly my 6
year old.
snip
The grown-ups should take the bus tours and see real history.

The Mercury Memorial is at the pad where Glenn, Carpenter, Schirra and
Cooper were launched. This photo shows the famous monument:

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/Hi...c7/photo11.htm


Less known is the prominent sign that is posted at the gate by the
launch pad. It reads:

....
WELCOME
TO
COMPLEX 14

LAUNCH SITE OF
FREE WORLD'S FIRST ICBM
FREE WORLD'S FIRST MAN IN ORBIT
....


~ CT

From Andre Lieven:
Kamus of Kadizhar ) writes:
I'm heading to Florida next weekend with my 3 year old and possibly my 6
year old.

Reading the stuff on Kennedy Space Center it seems to me that a) it's
expensive

Well, I was just there about three weeks ago, and, although the entry
price isn't cheap, its not out of line from what one would pay at a
more conventional " theme park ".

I was paying about $53 for the entry fare, with one bus tour included,
and that pass was good for two days, so we used it on a Saturday and a
Sunday, and I was very happy with the value that we got from that
visit.

Places like the Smithsonian Air&Space Museum and the US Air Force
Museum offer an excellent value at an admission cost of $0. The
concept is that US taxpayers have already paid (for the same reason,
there is no admission fee to get onto a military base to see an
airshow).

Kennedy Space Center is *not* a theme park. It is a publicly funded
operation that Americans have paid for through the nose. Outrageous
admission fees (let alone non-zero admission fees) are segregating the
population to an important aspect of American history.


[Space Center Houston is another fleecing of the taxpayer that charges
a family of four ~$70 just to get a peek inside.]


and b) there doesn't seem to be much to do for little kids.

If anyone knows the KSC and could make some recommendations on what to do
with little kids I would be very grateful.

Kamus, if you can keep your kids awake for it, they will be thrilled
to see the Atlas launch scheduled for very late Friday night
(Saturday, technically). Here's the official website that lists the
launch window to be opening at 12:40am...

https://www.patrick.af.mil/launch.htm

During the day, a sure way to grab the attention of your kids at KSC
is to look for all the gators that hang out at the roadside of the
swampy areas.

No extra cost for either form of entertainment.


~ CT

From Andre Lieven:
Kamus of Kadizhar ) writes:
I'm heading to Florida next weekend with my 3 year old and possibly my 6
year old.

Reading the stuff on Kennedy Space Center it seems to me that a) it's
expensive

Well, I was just there about three weeks ago, and, although the entry
price isn't cheap, its not out of line from what one would pay at a
more conventional " theme park ".

I was paying about $53 for the entry fare, with one bus tour included,
and that pass was good for two days, so we used it on a Saturday and a
Sunday, and I was very happy with the value that we got from that
visit.

Places like the Smithsonian Air&Space Museum and the US Air Force
Museum offer an excellent value at an admission cost of $0. The
concept is that US taxpayers have already paid (for the same reason,
there is no admission fee to get onto a military base to see an
airshow).

Kennedy Space Center is *not* a theme park. It is a publicly funded
operation that Americans have paid for through the nose. Outrageous
admission fees (let alone non-zero admission fees) are segregating the
population to an important aspect of American history.


[Space Center Houston is another fleecing of the taxpayer that charges
a family of four ~$70 just to get a peek inside.]


and b) there doesn't seem to be much to do for little kids.

If anyone knows the KSC and could make some recommendations on what to do
with little kids I would be very grateful.

Kamus, if you can keep your kids awake for it, they will be thrilled
to see the Atlas launch scheduled for very late Friday night
(Saturday, technically). Here's the official website that lists the
launch window to be opening at 12:40am...

https://www.patrick.af.mil/launch.htm

During the day, a sure way to grab the attention of your kids at KSC
is to look for all the gators that hang out at the roadside of the
swampy areas.

No extra cost for either form of entertainment.


~ CT

(Stuf4) writes:
Places like the Smithsonian Air&Space Museum and the US Air Force
Museum offer an excellent value at an admission cost of $0. The
concept is that US taxpayers have already paid (for the same reason,
there is no admission fee to get onto a military base to see an
airshow).

To be fair, these places do accept donations. Last time I've been to
either, there was a place to stick donations, conveniently located
near the entrance/exit. I think it's "the right thing to do" to stick
a few bucks in there, to help cover operating expenses. It's also
"the right thing to do" to volunteer to work at such places, to help
insure that they will remain free to the public.

Very popular with the kids are the large funnel like contraptions that
you roll coins into. Every once in a while, you'll see some kids play
with that then snatch the coin back before it falls into the "donation
bucket". :-(

Kennedy Space Center is *not* a theme park. It is a publicly funded
operation that Americans have paid for through the nose. Outrageous
admission fees (let alone non-zero admission fees) are segregating the
population to an important aspect of American history.

Not anymore. It's privately operated, so the US Government could save
a few bucks and not pay for operations and upgrades. Unfortunately,
private companies care more about what makes money than what's
historically significant.

Jeff
--
Remove "no" and "spam" from email address to reply.
If it says "This is not spam!", it's surely a lie.

In article ,
says...
To be fair, these places do accept donations. Last time I've been to
either, there was a place to stick donations, conveniently located
near the entrance/exit. I think it's "the right thing to do" to stick
a few bucks in there, to help cover operating expenses.

Yep. In fact anyone who belies that "US taxpayers have already paid" is
guilty of inadequate thinking. Even if one assumes that a historical
relic like the Florida Saturn V was built at taxpayer expense that
needn't be reimbursed, the cost of restoration and upkeep wasn't part
the of the Presidential "Man/Moon/Decade" promise. Anyone who has seen
photos of, say, the Garber restoration facility knows that there are a
lot of historical relics that demand a good deal of care and attention
before they can become museum artifacts. The Cape Kennedy Saturn V
museum wasn't cheap and wasn't part of Project Apollo. The building to
house the Saturn V was a couple of million bucks. Restoring the Saturn V
and the Firing Room wasn't trivial either.

Restoring the Houston Saturn V is also a megabuck project
(http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-020400a.html). While I do belive
the government has an obligation to preserve historically important
artifacts (the "common welfare" clause of the preamble to the
Constitution), I accept the need for private funding as well.


Kennedy Space Center is *not* a theme park.

Having been there within the last year, I have to disagree. Pay the
entrance fee and walk through the gate and you are in a theme park. You
have to take a bus tour or walk into the Rocket Garden while ignoring
the "post card" signs and silly mock-ups to see real history.
--
Kevin Willoughby lid

Imagine that, a FROG ON-OFF switch, hardly the work
for test pilots. -- Mike Collins

From Kevin Willoughby:
says...
To be fair, these places do accept donations. Last time I've been to
either, there was a place to stick donations, conveniently located
near the entrance/exit. I think it's "the right thing to do" to stick
a few bucks in there, to help cover operating expenses.

Yep. In fact anyone who belies that "US taxpayers have already paid" is
guilty of inadequate thinking. Even if one assumes that a historical
relic like the Florida Saturn V was built at taxpayer expense that
needn't be reimbursed, the cost of restoration and upkeep wasn't part
the of the Presidential "Man/Moon/Decade" promise. Anyone who has seen
photos of, say, the Garber restoration facility knows that there are a
lot of historical relics that demand a good deal of care and attention
before they can become museum artifacts. The Cape Kennedy Saturn V
museum wasn't cheap and wasn't part of Project Apollo. The building to
house the Saturn V was a couple of million bucks. Restoring the Saturn V
and the Firing Room wasn't trivial either.

Restoring the Houston Saturn V is also a megabuck project
(http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-020400a.html). While I do belive
the government has an obligation to preserve historically important
artifacts (the "common welfare" clause of the preamble to the
Constitution), I accept the need for private funding as well.

Well, one could easily extend that argument to say that the
Smithsonian should charge $39.95+tax per person to see relics like the
Spirit of St Louis. I for one am glad that they don't.

$179.96 for a family of four to tour "NASA Up Close"!
(http://www.ksctickets.com/nasaupclose.html)

Remember, that's *after* such families were charged the cost of
building KSC.

And $48.99 to have lunch with an astronaut? ($29+$19.99,
http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/visitKSC/tickets.asp) This is a
person who US taxpayers have invested millions of dollars in. So long
as an astronaut is on the public payroll, it is improper to charge the
public for access to that person.


Yes, there are people out there who see such charges as fair and
reasonable. And there are people who have no problem with the concept
of paying money to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom.


Kennedy Space Center is *not* a theme park.

Having been there within the last year, I have to disagree. Pay the
entrance fee and walk through the gate and you are in a theme park. You
have to take a bus tour or walk into the Rocket Garden while ignoring
the "post card" signs and silly mock-ups to see real history.

What I meant was that KSC was never intended to be a theme park.

Sure they can turn it into one. For all I know, future plans include
stringing a monorail track around ICBM Road all the way out to the
VAB, where they will be constructing an indoor rollercoaster come Jan
2010 and it will be called "Space Mountain II".

It all depends on how America wants to preserve its history, and how
much of the population they want to restrict access to that history by
making it cost prohibitive.


~ CT

And $48.99 to have lunch with an astronaut? ($29+$19.99,
http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/visitKSC/tickets.asp) This is a
person who US taxpayers have invested millions of dollars in. So long as an
astronaut is on the public payroll, it is improper to charge the
public for access to that person.


The daily mmeet a astronaut and lunch are retired astronauts. Awhile ago Story
M was doing them.