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U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Science & technology museums ·Huntsville ·Closed
4.716.1K
#3Science & technology museums in the USMost reviewed in HuntsvilleTravelers' Choice 2026
  • Ideal for kids, teens
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About

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is a state-run spaceflight museum beside Huntsville Botanical Garden.

More photos 11

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U.S. Space and Rocket Center — Davidson Center glass facade glowing in the evening light Roland Arhelger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
U.S. Space and Rocket Center — Davidson Center glass facade glowing in the evening lightU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Early view of the low museum buildings across a lawnU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Museum exterior with U.S. Space and Rocket Center signageU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Roadside Space Camp sign and visitor center groundsU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Large satellite dish exhibit on a grassy lawnU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Apollo Saturn V instrument unit gyro inside the museumU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Explorer 1 launch control console with switches and metersU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Close view of Apollo Saturn V flight computer componentsU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Apollo Saturn V launch vehicle digital computer panelsU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Apollo Saturn V instrument unit electronics inside a displayU.S. Space and Rocket Center — Framed Explorer 1 launch control mission plot on display

Why go

  • Walk beneath the elevated Saturn V test vehicle, with its stages and engines exposed.
  • See the Apollo 16 command module, which orbited the Moon 64 times in 1972.
  • See an Apollo 12 Moon rock and the quarantine facility used by astronauts after their return.
  • See Pathfinder, one of two full-stack space shuttle displays worldwide.
  • Ride Space Shot for up to 4 g and 2–3 seconds of weightlessness.

Opening hours

Today09:00 – 17:00Show all
Monday09:00 – 17:00
Tuesday09:00 – 17:00
Wednesday09:00 – 17:00
Thursday09:00 – 17:00
Friday09:00 – 17:00
Saturday09:00 – 17:00
Sunday09:00 – 17:00

Don't miss

  • Gemini simulatorIllustrates conditions for two-person spaceflight, early spacewalks and rendezvous.Museum exhibits
  • Apollo command section replicaWalk-through replica of the Apollo command section.Museum exhibits
  • NERVAPrototype nuclear thermal rocket engine.Museum exhibits

Know before you go

  • The center is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
  • Tickets are available online through the center’s website.

What's inside

  • Davidson Center: the astronauts’ pre-launch service walkway and White Room, plus a lunar rover beside a lunar module mockup.
  • Main museum: an original Project Mercury training capsule and interactive science displays.
  • Outdoor displays: the landmark vertical Saturn I test vehicle and a separate full-scale Saturn V replica, nearly twice its height.
  • A restored Skylab engineering mockup shows the first U.S. space station.
  • Two Orion spacecraft models and a Bigelow Aerospace habitat model explore future missions and space tourism.
  • Rocket displays trace development from Germany’s V-1 and V-2 through American military and civilian rockets.
  • An Apollo command-module trainer is a walk-through replica.

With kids

  • Space Camp student programs serve ages 9–18, from fourth grade through high school; some family programs include children as young as seven.
  • Residential and day camps cover spaceflight and aviation, with options for adults and families too.
  • Camp activities use simulators, lectures and training exercises based on astronaut training, emphasizing teamwork and leadership.
  • Visitor simulators include Moon Shot and G-Force; the G-Force centrifuge reaches up to 3 g.

Tips for your visit

  • Aircraft exhibits include a bus tour to the Aviation Challenge campus that runs on a limited schedule.
  • Most groups check in at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration; the location can vary with arrival time.

Interesting facts4

1/4
  1. 1,500 permanent

    The collection includes more than 1,500 permanent space and rocketry artifacts, alongside changing exhibitions.

    U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Wikipedia

  2. It is the official NASA Visitor Center for Marshall Space Flight Center and a Smithsonian affiliate.

    U.S. Space & Rocket Center | U.S. Space & Rocket Center
  3. 1 engines

    Two displayed F-1 engines each produced 1,500,000 pounds-force of thrust.

    U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Wikipedia
  4. 1959

    Miss Baker, a squirrel monkey that flew on a Jupiter rocket test flight in 1959, is buried at the center.

    U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

The original exhibit building was designed by Huntsville architect David Crowe. The 1986 film SpaceCamp helped camp attendance more than double the following year, prompting an expansion.

  1. 1960Planning was underway for the museum proposed by Wernher von Braun.
  2. November 30, 1965A public vote approved funding, followed by an Army land donation for the site.
  3. June 28, 1969The Saturn V and Saturn I dynamic test vehicles arrived.
  4. March 17, 1970The museum opened with a lunar landscape, rocket exhibits and helicopters.
  5. 1982The Spacedome theater and Space Camp opened.
Show all
  1. 2018The Spacedome IMAX theater closed.
  2. 2019A digital planetarium opened in the former Spacedome theater.
  3. September 2024Space Shuttle Pathfinder returned to its external tank and boosters.
  4. October 24, 2024Pathfinder was rededicated.
  5. November 2024The Rocket Park renovation was completed.

How to get there

  • CarFrom Interstate 565, take exit 15 for One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, Alabama.

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair and stroller loans Wheelchairs and strollers can be borrowed for the day at the ticket desk by leaving photo identification.
  • Space Camp programs for trainees with disabilities Special programs serve trainees who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing.

Sources: U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Wikipedia · U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Wikipedia (part 2) · Huntsville (Alabama) - Wikivoyage (see) · Home | U.S. Space & Rocket Center · U.S. Space & Rocket Center | U.S. Space & Rocke… · General Admission Tickets | U.S. Space & Rocket… · U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Wikipedia · U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026

Where
1 Tranquility Base, AL, Huntsville

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Questions and answers

When is the U.S. Space and Rocket Center open?

It is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.

Can I buy U.S. Space and Rocket Center tickets online?

Yes. Tickets are available through the center’s website.

Can I take a bus tour of Marshall Space Flight Center from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center?

These tours were discontinued by fall 2025.

Where can I get visitor assistance at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center?

Guest Services and Information is at the ticket desk in the main museum.

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