Jando S.
Yelp
A perpetual tourist attraction and educational hub for the youngins, the Space Center will forever be etched in the fabric of Houston's identity. Through its storied history with NASA, the Space Center opened just over 30 years ago and has been one of the most popular museums ever since. Having visited multiple times over the last couple of years, it has become a home away from home especially when I have guests in town.
Some key things to note:
:: Out of towners might call this Houston, but it's really Nassau Bay, which is just outside of Clear Lake. (#1)
:: There is a McDonald's (#2) located just outside of the venue across the street along NASA Pkway with an astronaut out front. Stop by and take a picture before or after visiting the Space Center.
:: Because it is both an indoor and outdoor venue, inclement weather makes this place extremely difficult to enjoy. Avoid summer if at all possible since AC is too hard when doors are propped open.
:: Want to avoid the crowds? Go on a weekday. Enjoy the claustrophobia of people? Go on Saturday at 11am.
:: This is extremely family friendly. Unless of course, no one understands the concept of space and time. Then it's incredibly boring friendly.
:: What a lot of people may not realize is that this is more of a campus than it is a museum. As the home of Mission Control and astronaut training, there are actual employees that commute and work here daily.
:: Tours are free. Book them. One can do so on the spot near the information desk out front.
:: The cafeteria / food hall is unsurprisingly mediocre for food standards. However, it is also incredibly affordable by tourist / museum standards. Don't worry if there are oodles of people hogging the seats. Something will open up quick. Also, when in doubt, go for the quesadillas.
:: I've seen many families sneak in food and simply eat them in the cafeteria. This is kind of brilliant on many levels. The most egregious site I've seen is someone who brought an actual pot that was full of biriyani. I was somewhat horrified, but also incredibly jealous.
:: The souvenir store is fun for NASA enthusiasts, since there is a lot of exclusive merch that caters to brand devotees. If not, it's really just a souvenir shop with a variety of overpriced merch, knick-knacks, and gifts.
:: Trolleys are nice way to see the campus, leave the museum, and peep rockets, and even longhorn steers (#3). The campus tours are a bit on the boring side, but one does get to see how enormous the land really is.
:: Best photo-ops are going to be in the Saturn V Rocket facility. Size isn't everything (#4), but the enormity of the engines / launchers is really something. Most photos aren't going to capture the whole thing, unless one shoots in semi-wide angle.
:: There's lots of dining near by but for those looking for lunch nearby, I highly recommend Himalayan Taj (#5)
:: This whole process will take several hours of the day. There's multiple areas that are worth seeing, several stops along the Johnson Space Center when on tour, and a number of exhibitions that will require some fine perusing. Adults will be winded, kids will be tired, and everyone will achieve their step count goal.
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(#1) No New Yorkers, there is no such thing as public transit that takes you here. It's time to learn how to drive.
(#2) Micky 's: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mcdonalds-houston-22
(#3) Part of "The Longhorn Project"
(#4) It's not the size of the rocket that counts. It's the trajectory of the launch.
(#5) https://www.yelp.com/biz/himalayan-taj-houston