For visitors to Houston, Space Center Houston offers an excellent source of entertainment. There are a wide range of attractions for people to enjoy, ranging from historic displays to live shows to delicious dining. Because there are so many options available for exploration, Space Center Houston is extremely popular. Among the many aspects that draw people to Space Center Houston are five major attractions: the Starship Gallery, the NASA Tram Tour, the Astronaut Gallery, the motion simulator rides, and the Zero-G Diner.
Starship Gallery
One of the main reasons why people visit Space Center Houston is to see the artifacts that are housed in the Starship Gallery. Within this gallery, people can marvel at several different aircraft that have flown in space, including the Apollo 17, the Gemini V, and the Faith 7. This gallery also includes a Lunar Vault, where people can see some of the rocks that have been collected from the moon, and even touch one of them. Other artifacts for visitors to appreciate include clothes that astronauts wore in space, test ejection seats that NASA originally included as a safety feature in its shuttles, and the famous lithium hydroxide canister from the Apollo 13 (“Visitor Information”). People love the Starship Gallery because it offers education about the history of space flight in an exciting, engaging environment. Instead of just reading about space-related artifacts, people have the chance to see them for themselves. As a result, the displays of the Starship Gallery simultaneously stimulate the mind and spark the imagination.
NASA Tram Tour
Another attraction that draws people to Space Center Houston is the NASA Tram Tour. This 90-minute tour is popular because it allows people to spend time touring the Johnson Space Center, which is where astronauts in the United States train for their missions. It is also the location of Mission Control, where American missions into space are directed and coordinated. As people view these historic sites, a tour guide offers educational and entertaining commentary about what it means to become an astronaut, how the International Space Station works, the Orion Program, and the future of space travel. There is also an option in the tour to visit Rocket Park, where visitors can see even more rockets than there are in the Starship Gallery, including some of the Saturn V rockets (“Visitor Information”). The tour is designed to appeal to visitors from all educational background, so the guides present information in an entertaining and engaging way. Thus, the tour not only provides a high-quality learning experience, but it also makes visitors laugh and leaves them feeling inspired about the future of space travel.
Astronaut Gallery
Many people also say that one of their favorite things about Space Center Houston is the Astronaut Gallery. This museum gallery is dedicated entirely to the space suits worn by the pioneering explorers who have dedicated their lives to space travel. In the gallery, people can see space suits worn by a wide range of famous astronauts, including John Young, the Mission Commander of the first shuttle mission; Pete Conrad, who was the third person to walk on the moon; and Judy Resnik, who was the second female astronaut from the United States (“Visitor Information”). As visitors view these suits, they learn about the individual features of the suits and how technology has made it possible to improve them over time. There is also a gallery wall that has photos of every single one of the astronauts from the United States (“Visitor Information”). Because the Astronaut Gallery is so closely connected to the astronauts themselves, it helps to humanize space travel. Visitors to Space Center Houston love this aspect of the experience because they feel like they can related more directly to the astronauts, and maybe even see themselves wearing a space suit one day in the future.
Motion Simulator Rides
For visitors who truly want to imagine themselves as astronauts, one of the best parts of Space Center Houston is going on one of the motion simulator rides. These simulators use a high-tech hydraulics system and a visual theater to simulate a mission through space (“Visitor Information”). In particular, children tend to love the motion simulator rides, but they can also be fun for adults. While the motion simulator rides are less educational than some of the other attractions within Space Center Houston, they are highly exhilarating, which makes them a great way to add variety to the visit. After getting off one of the rides, visitors often feel even more excited to learn about space travel.
Zero-G Diner
Finally, hungry visitors to Space Center Houston can enjoy the food at the Zero-G Diner, which is an entertaining experience in itself. The diner is decorated in a way that evokes space travel, and visitors have lots of different choices for food, ranging from sandwiches to hot dogs to pizza. Some of the cups are also space-themed (“Visitor Information”), so visitors never forget that they are visiting Space Center Houston. Therefore, visiting the Zero-G Diner for a meal is a fun way to stay energized between the exhibits, tours, shows, and rides.
Conclusion
To summarize, there is no shortage of entertainment to be found at Space Center Houston. People can walk through galleries of artifacts, go on tours and rides, and enjoy great food, so they rarely leave with complaints. Because of these features, Space Center Houston is certainly worth a visit for space enthusiasts of all ages.
- “Visitor Information.” Space Center Houston, https://spacecenter.org/visitor-information/.
