The holidays are out of this world at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex! From December 19, 2015 through January 3, 2016, Kennedy Space Center will be alive with the sights and sounds of the season.
Celebrate the season at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, where the holidays go high-tech with the first-of-its-kind “Spirit of Exploration” show – a holiday projection mapping set against the side of a Saturn 1B rocket – as well as the Rocket Garden Light Show and plenty of holiday décor.
Don’t miss the excitement Dec. 19 through Jan. 3, when we use our 223-foot-long Saturn 1B rocket as a giant video screen for the “Spirit of Exploration” – a unique space and holiday themed projection mapping show created exclusively for the Visitor Complex. This high-energy holiday presentation uses spatial augmented reality – which projects images onto irregularly shaped objects, such as our early Apollo-era rocket – and features custom animation, awe-inspiring views of Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) and real NASA footage, accompanied by incredible sound effects and music.
You’ll marvel in amazement as the cylindrical Saturn rocket is transformed into a holiday gift, covered in colorful paper, then “torn open” to reveal some of NASA’s finest moments – from the first launches to the moon, through the 30-year Space Shuttle Program and the assembly of the ISS, and onto the surface of Mars, thanks to actual images captured by NASA’s Curiosity and Opportunity robotic exploration rovers. Watch as fiery exhaust from an Apollo launch seems to consume the length of the rocket before multiple perspectives of space shuttle and rocket launches erupt along different segments of the “screen.” See the Earth rise from the surface of the moon and travel through the cosmos and on to the Red Planet on this high-tech holiday journey. It’s a cinematic experience unlike anything else in the world!
Immerse yourself in a “garden” of colorful lights at the Rocket Garden Light Show. Each night, 80-, 90- and 100-foot-tall rockets from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo eras seem to come alive as festive LED lights dance along their guy wires in time to holiday favorites. Throughout your visit, enjoy a stunning array of decorations, including a 41-foot Christmas tree, a giant NASA “meatball” ornament, wreaths, garlands, lights, ribbons, bows and more.
All holiday activities are included with Visitor Complex admission; no advance reservations are required. Light shows begin at dusk each day. The Visitor Complex is open 365 days a year, including Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
Holiday Hours of Operation
December 26, 2015 through January 3, 2016 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Otherwise open every day 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
- Location Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
- Address SR 405 Titusville, FL 32899
- Visit Website
