Steve S.
Yelp
I'm really torn on this review... A lot of the other reviewers have (cough-cough) "commented" on the prices. I'll add my voice to that chorus: It's expensive for what it is, and I wonder where the money goes!
There were basically no discounts against the $30 adult admission, and paying the 30 bucks seems like only a down payment as there are another half-dozen or more "experiences" (Movies, Simulators, etc.) within that all cost extra. No joke, a single adult could easily drop nearly $100 on admission and all the "extras."
High prices extend to the gift shop. It's overflowing with Made in China tchotchkes at steep prices. I usually grab a couple things for the grandkids, but not this time.
And, as others have stated, it's hard to know where the money is going. When I was there the joint was crawling with Space Camp attendees, and that's pretty pricey, per-kid. So there's a steady revenue stream. But the exhibits are either Very Well Maintained (i.e., the Saturn V building) or falling into utter disrepair (everything else).
Here's an example: There's an exhibit of military rockets and missiles. Each of them is in a woeful state of neglect. Literally, I saw lichen growing on a few of them (as a convenience to the visitor for finding north, I presume). So they're really neglected. I mean, get a pressure washer, people!
Or the exhibit with the Space Shuttle "stack": There are a couple of jets and the SRBs from the shuttle, but -- again -- really in rough shape.
On a more positive note: One of the docents I met was amazing and spent more than 15 minutes with me chewing the fat and explaining many things about the Saturn V that I'd never have imagined. That education, probably, was worth the price of admission alone.
So... yeah. This was a bucket-list trip for me, and I can check it off the list. I was expecting more, but was a little more than a little bit disappointed in the total experience.
There's a restaurant; I didn't try it. The restrooms were clean. Everyone on staff demonstrated that hospitality that The South is known for. Maybe in 10-12 years I'll bring the grandkids to Space Camp. We'll see.