Space Center Houston Reviews

Space center was amazing it's a trip worthwhile for every family. Long lines to get into the space shuttle but that was worth it waitin

A lot to do, and well worth going as a big ticket item in the area. It is however expensive to get in and food and drinks are horrendous prices so take your own.

Book online as it’s going to save you money.

A nice experience for the people involved. If you come with small children, you may experience some difficulties. They can get very bored. It will be more fun if you focus on your trip without interrupting it.

As per the title, if you are here in transit you can not miss the visit. All the stories of the various launches that took place to bring man to the moon are retraced in detail.
In addition to the classic tour, you can buy an extra package to visit the control room of the famous “Houston we have a problem”.

Pretty high ticket price, but we're in the states.

Not just for enthusiasts.

As fascinating as the space exploration is, then this is mostly a Museum for the past missions. Little bit about future missions.
Maybe I just hoped for something more about space, not just the Moon. Would have loved to see the Control Center but that was sold out by 10:15 when we arrived.

Parking is too expensive. Enjoyed the displays and exhibits. Be prepared for a lot of walking but enjoyable experience.

Book your visit online early to make sure you get to everything you want to go to. The Mission Control Tour was booked out when I visited and the Astronaut Training Tour wasn't running. You can pay extra for various premium experiences, like eating with an astronaut, but the basic admission is great value for serious space nuts - I was there from opening at 10 am to closing at 5pm and still didn't see everything. The big deal is one of only 3 surviving Saturn V rockets and the Space Shuttle and 747 Transporter combination. Other shuttles are available to visit but this 747 is unique, and I always wondered what was inside, and now I know! You might get a discounted entry using the code on a leaflet from your hotel at the last minute but that might compromise the access you get.

The NASA Spacer Center is a very famous tourist attraction in the Houston area. However, I feel it is really overpriced for what it is and the system to book the different tours is not very clear either. Surcharges apply for many things and the parking lot charges outrages fees for parking. I believe the original command center as well as the Saturn rocket are well worth visiting but overall I am not entirely sure about recommending this place. If you are really, really into space stuff, then go – otherwise take your money elsewhere.

The experience was not the best regarding the logistics because of the lack of organization, but the attractions are very interesting and educational. After four hours of driving from our city, my family and I arrived to the parking lot, and no one told us to pay parking, but we figured it out because of the signs in the parking with the barcodes. Once we park we went to the line that was a 35 minutes wait. Once we were inside, there was a lot of people and after a couple of minutes we finally found an employee to ask where to start the tour by ourselves. There were two separate long lines for two of the attractions with a two and a half hour waiting time, and for one of them you have to pay an additional amount to be able to use it. Once it was 3:00 pm they close the line because it was too long and we could not even see those two attractions. We ended up just walking around and watching just one part of the exhibition. In my opinion they need to be more of organized and not to oversell the tickets, so the visitors are not overcrowded and can enjoy the exhibition.

Very interesting exhibits well done and you're going to have the opportunity to learn alot about the history of NASA and the USA space program. I will say most everything needs a refresh of paint and / or maybe a power washing. Additionally I would suggest doing your research as not everything is readily apparent on how to participate specifically the Astronaut training tram tour.

We visited Dec 30, 2023. It was crazy busy. We had booked Mission Control ahead of time and thankful we did. We had not booked the watching astronauts training and it was already booked. Bummer. We watched all the movies and enjoyed them all. The Mission Control tour informative. We did not visit Rocket Park because we had seen it in FL. If interested probably need to book that ahead of time too. It was a very enjoyable / interesting day! We spent about 6 hrs there.

We spent an entire day exploring all of the various exhibits at the space center. We learned a lot about where we've been and what's been accomplished, along with plans for the future. The exhibits were well done and easy to understand. The 3 different films added to our learning and reinforced the information included in the exhibits. The staff was very helpful and the layout was conducive to self-guided touring. The food court offered a wide variety of food and beverage options, along with ample seating. We very much enjoyed that we could explore at our own pace and didn't feel like we were rushed. Well done!

Being able to see all the spacecraft up-close was a dream come true! I regret not doing the tours they offer but being able to explore the different things up close was amazing I would say without doing the tours the length of the visit can be around 1 hour, The cost to get in wasn't horrible it varies on what you want and parking will be around $10. I feel like the value I experienced was fair. The atmosphere of the building is amazing and themed very well the only downside was the crowd size there was a lot of people! Staff were amazing! and took initiative.

This is an amazing museum and well worth a visit when in the area. There are a lot of exhibits and educational opportunities as well. We were only able to take the Ricket Park tour as the others were closed the day we were there but it is a fun short trip to the rocket displays. Admission tickets are sold for specific timeslots per day so you should purchase tickets in advance if you want to get there early. If you fail to plan ahead (of just don't know about the time restrictions) you can purchase a membership that gives you unrestricted access to the museum, free parking as well as a short cut to the Rocket Park tour line as well as other benefits. The food court is actually quite good

NASA Space Center it is a great place to spend time with teens or kid. A lot to learn and many interactive rides. We really enjoyed our time there.

I thought the Christmas decorations placed in an around the airplane/shuttle obstructed the view for taking photographs

Good family time, a lot to discover and learn. It was very interesting to learn about all that is being planned for the next few years.

Wow wow wow what an incredible day out so much information to absorb so many things for kids to get involved in . So very interesting and so well explained

What a waste of an educational opportunity, 3 tours available, but only 1 operating, ridiculous queues, boring exhibits, expensive food, very few seating areas, do not recommend this to anyone.
I must add, we have visited Kennedy NASA and it was amazing.

The views were amazing. The weather was great for the tram trip to the rocket gargen and we took so many pictures and learned so many new things. It was truly a great experience. It was so big we didn't get to see everything, so we will definitely be back.

Always wanted to come here. Got to share the experience with my family.
Was allowed to sit in history inside Mission Control.
Definitely will return to do additional Tram Tours.

I visited this place with my boyfriend, and we had a fantastic time. It was incredibly interesting, and we learned so much. My favorite part was the tram rides included with the ticket. However, be sure to make a reservation for the tram at the service desk in the entrance hall. We stayed nearly the whole day, and it never got boring.

It was such an informative and fun activity! We had three out of the 4 tours included with our ticket and we got to see the training facility aside from the rocket park and campus tour. Super fun.

It was very informative and me and my wife enjoyed the experience . Going to see the NASA site was the main reason that we went to visit Houston.

Very nice to visit if you are in the area. Also recommended for children. Interactivity, educational, in short, worth it

We drove down to visit the space center. The offer a military discount which we purchased in person since I couldn't do it online. Very nice museum and displays. Lunch area is ordering from a kiosk and then going to the counter to pick up, and there are plenty of tables. We enjoyed going through the space shuttle.

This is a great place for families with kids and for anyone who is enthusiastic about space travel. I don't fit into those categories, but I did have a good time. I think I learned quite a bit.

My husband and I have gone twice...once just the two of us and another time with a group. We stayed directly across the street. Saved on parking and gave a discount to the center. Make sure you do all the tours...enjoyed them all. Kids will enjoy the interactive exhibits.

My husband and I took out two young grandsons (eight and ten) to NASA on our trip to Houston. The oldest one said this was his favourite thing of all the things we did. It is so interesting and educational, for all ages.

I do recommend booking ahead of time as the early entry was sold out, so we came back later. (We just drove to Galveston, which we were going to do anyway,) Also, make sure to do a couple of tram tours.

The lineup to see the space shuttle was quite long, so maybe go later in the day, if possible.

I find this activity a bit overrated.
it's a nice experience and definitely a must if you've never visited something similar before but don't expect much.
Most of the exhibits are replicas, very few are the originals.
Price relevant to experience 4 /10

Read a lot about that there are especially many activities for children. Yes, it is. However, we as a couple also enjoyed ourselves!

We took advantage of the free tour to the astronaut raining facility. Nice to see. You will be driven across the site by train.

We also booked the mission control tour for $15,-. It was really worth it, in the original space the landing of the Apollo 11 is simulated. Very nice!

Visiting Space Center Houston (the visitor center for Johnson Space Center) was absolutely our favorite thing we did on our trip to Houston. We had tickets to breakfast with an astronaut and that was so much fun; we met Ken Cameron and he was gracious and funny and it was a delight to hear his stories. We loved touring the museum as they have hundreds of interesting artifacts from space exploration and we absolutely loved being able to tour the original Mission Control from the moon landing in 1969; they've restored it to how it looked then and they overlayed video and audio to allow you to experience how it felt when that event occurred (from the perspective of Mission Control). It was very well done and it's definitely worth it to experience that.

It's a great place overall!

Went on a Thursday morning in March. Bought my general admission ticket and extra tour of Mission Control a few weeks ahead due to spring break. Mission Control tour was only $25 extra.

It was amazing for me as I grew up in the 60' and 70's and we learned this stuff in school. Mission Control was my favorite as everything is original.

I struggle with mobility a little. Can walk but slow. It was okay for people with mild mobility issues but if you are wheelchair bound certain things like Mission Control tour or the Space Shuttle might not work.

I was in Houston staying by Houston Hobby airport so just took an Uber down but there's ample parking and you pay the parking fee on your phone.

So good, we stayed the whole day. Lot of fantastic experiences, entering the shuttle, the mission control room, looking at the Saturn V rocket. Just great

A must-see, much better in Cape Canaveral! You have to pay for parking with your cell phone, and the entry price remains reasonable at $35. The visit is very interesting, with lots of exhibitions and objects and details, particularly on the conquest of the Moon. Opportunity to see the huge Saturn V rocket, and to board the space shuttle. A must-do, one of the most beautiful Space Centers in the USA!

Loved the Houston Space Center (NASA)!!!

I drove out to the Space Center during my visit to Houston. It was a little far from downtown and can be exacerbated with copious amounts of traffic but I think it was worth it. The parking lot is massive and they tracking your time there via your plate number. You pay for parking when you leave by scanning the QR codes around the lot and entering in your plate number. Parking is $10 for all day

Around the space center there are plenty of places to eat and drink.
There is a lot to do and see here. Staff were very friendly educating people all around the buildings. There are three separate sections to check out including indoor and outdoors. They have a few tours that you can take and they were very informative. Lots of opportunity to get up close with many of NASA's and its partners hardware. I really enjoyed seeing the Saturn V, Space X, and the Independence shuttle. It's a lot of fun for the whole family!

Exploring Space Center Houston was a fascinating journey into the world of space exploration and scientific discovery. The center’s location in Clear Lake provided a captivating setting, with iconic space shuttles and rockets on display. The exhibits offered a comprehensive look at NASA’s history, space missions, and the wonders of the universe. Walking through the astronaut training center and viewing artifacts from space missions was an awe-inspiring experience. The interactive displays and hands-on activities allowed visitors of all ages to engage with the subject matter. Space Center Houston also offers tram tours to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, providing a behind-the-scenes look at space exploration. It’s a must-visit for space enthusiasts, science lovers, and anyone looking to be inspired by humanity’s journey beyond our planet.

Just a money grab. Pay for parking, pay for admission, (actual admission price is more than double what their web site says), and pay for everything once inside. Really not interesting and quite annoying. Hard to figure out what exibits exist, what one can see for free, and how to get there. We really felt like this was a waste of time and (mostly) money.

Just go. worth a day or more. Tons to see. History and current NASA projects. Sign up for tram tours early. Get off the campus tour at the rocket garden and catch any tram back.

There was a lot more going on here than I had thought there would be. As well as the information on the history of space travel there were really iconic space and flight suits on display, mocked up interiors of spacecraft to give an idea of life up in space, eg the lunar landing module and Int Space Station, plus interesting facts of things that happen in space such as a human becoming taller and how past space debris can travel and thus puncture spacecraft. I'd have like more in the main hall on the famous Apollo missions rather than being a little ISS centric but overall very well done.
I also got a ticket for the tram out to the Mission Control centre and it was amazing to sit in the very room and have the audio playing back and the very same video pictures playing on the desk tvs as if you wer back in 1969. Loved it.
Make sure you go out to the plaza area and check out (and go inside) the space shuttle.
Also do not miss the (rare) chance to touch a piece of the moon. I didn't go to the theatre bit as it was just a documentary with clips I'd seen before, however, the exit to the theatre takes you out to a back corridor and access to the whole 1969 moon landing section and said piece of moon rock. Very easy to miss!
I also had hoped to maybe dress up as an astronaut or try on a space helmet but these things are very heavy so probably health and safety prevents this. But you can get the next best thing of your photo placed in various settings, including having a helmet on. Pricey perhaps for the package but a great souvenir memory.

It is our second visit to Space Center Houston and my kids enjoyed a lot. They really enjoyed tram rides to tours to training center and rocket park

Unfortunately we were scheduled for a tour and ended up missing it due to traffic construction and there were no other tours available that day. So we toured on our own. I would highly recommend if you are in the Houston area to visit the Space Center. There is such a wealth of information and exhibits. You need to allow yourself at least 4-5 hours (probably longer if you take the tram tour) in order to be able to see and experience everything. The spacesuit collection is awesome and represents the spacesuits used throughout the years. You need to make sure you visit Independence Plaza and go inside the shuttle replica which is mounted on top of the NASA 905 shuttled carrier aircraft. I found the wall with photos of all the astronauts from the very first shuttle mission very interesting and spent quite a bit of time just looking at how the space program has evolved from only one or two astronauts to now teams of quite a few more. Make sure you visit the gift shop, they had "space food" and I ended up buying two Freeze Dried Ice Cream Pops for my great grandchildren and shipped them to the kids. They were so excited to get space food. I was curious what they would taste like and the kids told me "Grandma they tasted like ice cream". Definitely worth going to visit.

We spent about 4 hours at the center. I had not been there for 35 years, so there had been some changes. I loved the exhibits. I loved the theater. I loved being allowed to get onto the space shuttle. This is a must-see. My deep appreciation to everyone involved for allowing average, everyday people to get up close and personal with so much of the USA space program. All I saw were smiles and excitement on the faces of the visitors.

Have waited almost 50 years to visit the place - was not disappointed.

Most importantly you must book in advance (particularly if you want to go on any of the tram tours - which you should).

If you have your advance ticket everything runs smoothly. My entrance ticket was at opening time and there was already a queue.

Plenty of exhibits mostly around Apollo but also Artemis and our return to the moon.

The highlight is without doubt the visit to Mission Control. Again this sells out well in advance so don’t miss out. The site has been completely restored and is exactly as it was back in 1979.

They play a recording of the final minutes of the moon landing and the displays are set exactly as they were. Even the ashtrays are full - as they would have been.

A fantastic day and easily worth double the admission fee.

Visited the NASA space center during a stay in Houston. And let me get straight to the point: what a huge disappointment this was.

You pay $50 dollars per ticket to enter including the tram tour. This amount is already quite high so you expect something. You don’t expect half the museum to be closed, all facilities for eating in the building to close completely at 2 pm, you still have to tick off €10.99 for a parking ticket and that everything that can be done inside costs at least $10 extra (think of a VR experience or simulator).

By the way, it already started with you being photographed when you enter (mandatory?). If I indicate that I am okay and do not want to be photographed, I expect staff to respect this and go along with it. The photos are sold for at least $35,- another example of extortion.

This makes it hugely commercial and in my view even extortionate. The fame is used and tourists, logically, continuously fall for it and deposit these amounts.

The museum itself is also more like an amusement park than an informative exhibition. Actually, only the movie about the moon landing and the gift shop (which is also way too high priced) lived up to expectations.

We got our ticket as part of a combined city tour/space centre option. As a result that allowed us to pick any or all of three tram options.

On arrival you go to a counter and they need to book you onto the tram tours - a bit hard to know what to do when you don't know that much about them so I asked what was best. they suggested the Astronaut training tour and said that also stopped at the Rocket Park. I can't remember what the third included one was but we didn't do that.

In the main building there is some great information about each main programme with some real actual craft. It's got a great balance of information. then there is a chance to see and enter the jumbo jet used to transport the shuttle and then the shuttle itself, as well as walk on the metal gangway that was actually used to get into rockets. it's the amount of original items that impresses.

The tram tour took us out to the main training building - real astronauts and all the staff training to use the new Artemis project and also the current space station. It's a great insight. This then stopped at the Rocket Park where, inside a barely labelled building, there is a full size rocket from the later days of Apollo. It was all built and ready to go when the program was ended so this is a genuine real rocket that could, if fuelled, go to space.

Overall the centre is well organised and there is loads to see and find out.

We visited the Space Center as a group of four, three adults and one child. Our grandson has always been fascinated by space and NASA, and this experience was truly unforgettable for him. We spent nearly four hours there, and it was heartwarming to see him so immersed in the wonder of it all, almost as if he were in a dream. It was a special day that he will cherish for a long time.

Very good museum to visit. Lots of interesting facts and information to see. Go early because it gets more crowded in the afternoon. We also took the historic command center tour. Definitely worth the time.

Loved visiting this place - but would have been better without thousands of screaming children.

Tickets at the box office were about $30 per person (without the tour of Mission control). Tickets do include tram tour of astronaut training ctr and the giant Saturn V rocket. Also included tram over to the replica space shuttle and the real Boeing 747 that used to carry it around.

Important: go in the afternoon after the masses of school groups have left. We arrived about noon and wish we had waited till after 1 pm.

Great expectations, but very disappointed! Expensive tourist trap! Everything is mock up. Not much authentic. The Kansas Cosmophere in Hutchinson, Kansas makes this place look ridiculous. Million times better with actual equipment, spacecraft, and exhibits. In fact the Cosmosphere does actual restoration of NASA items, including just restored the original Mission Control equipment. Cosmophere is a must visit at 1/8 the cost and you don’t pay to park.

I had the chance to visit NASA 25 years ago. Still impressed. Very nice visit, however things have changed a lot. 25 years ago everything was free, now the simulator, the visit to the control room. Preparation areas for astronauts. Everything has to be paid extra. With an entrance fee of 100 dollars for 3, one would hope that the rest would not be charged.
We still had a great day.

I wanted to see the rocket park. You have to take a tram. They said it’s free. It is. They also sold me a ticket for the control room tour. The ticket guy said we can do the control room tour then come back get on the other tram and see the rocket park. They failed to tell us rocket park was closing early and the tram wouldn’t be back in time to catch the last tram going to rocket park( after we were already in motion. Or I would have gotten off and trashed the control room ticket). By the way- Control room is super boring and not worth seeing for an additional 15 bucks. Left town the next day. Won’t be going back next time I’m in Houston. Poor communication.

Was a great time! Enjoyed seeing all the NASA stuff. Going into space scuttle was cool. Video on new telescope was interesting. Gift shop was nice. Seeing the rocket so up close with all the facts around it was nice. Would recommend.

I visited the Space Center and Johnson Space Center a few times. What a great experience! If you love NASA, this is the right place for you, with no age limit!

I did the Level 9 tour which got us in the historic Mission Control Center (Apollo Missions Program). Then they bring you to see a Saturn 5 Rocket!

Thank you NASA!

Even if you only have a slight interest in all things space you have to visit Space Centre Houston. So must history and so many different things to interest everyone. If you are into all things Space then definitely find the extra money and do one of the VIP tours. Standing in Historic Mission Control is one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Highly recommended.

This was a unique attraction with current and past items of interest from space exploration. It is like a living museum. Even if you don't care for science or the space program you will still learn something interesting. The only part we did not care for was the entrance procedures. When buying a ticket they ask you to choose a time for entry. When we arrived on time we were told to stand in line with people who walked up to buy tickets as well. Really a ham handed process and not well thought out.

Picture this. You and your family (includes two 9 year old boys) are going to Houston for an event unrelated to the space museum. You have limited time, but since you are there you might as well do something unique that you can't do where you live. After much ado, we chose to see the SPACE MUSEUM. It looked like so much fun!

Once you park, pay for parking w/your phone, and walk in, you are on your own in terms of figuring out what to do/where to go. After walking around and asking for help on where and how to sign up to take the first come first served trams, we walked around to look at the museum before our tram excursions.

Below is our actual experience after walking in, getting oriented, and well, walking around the museum portion before the tram excursions. The actual museum inside took about 20 minutes to get through and we were done-- YEP. This does not count anything else, just the museum (but still, 20 minutes?). It is much smaller than advertised-- not worth it. Do something else.

ALL VR simulators were BROKEN and closed down when we were there (staff seemed to be used to this by the comments they made about it).

THEATER (extra $$) -- Did not do -The science museum where we live has a theater with same types of movies. Could add to the experience if you haven't done something like this before.

MISSION CONTROL time to see the control room --ride to the building, walk up stairs, sit in seats (in front of the old mission control room -very small and glassed off), watch a ten-minute video clip of the moon landing (from small TV in upper corner of the room), and leave. The viewing portion and pictures took about twelve minutes.

-can walk by control room window on the way out to take pictures (each guest gets about ten seconds due to time and space- no pun intended :-).

The tram ride to and from, instructions from staff on how to behave, walking flights of stairs (five I believe) up and back down all took a lot longer than the actual exhibit portion. This could easily be a part of the admission cost and located within the main museum (as a small exhibit).

ROCKET (included in admission) - tram to site, go inside, see rocket, leave (self guided). Seeing the rocket was fun. This was probably the best part for us.

INDEPENDENCE PLAZA/SHUTTLE (included in admission)-- From the outside it looks exciting-- the inside, not so much. The inside is pretty gutted. Walk up stairs or elevator (a couple of levels to see), one level has glass encased artifacts, and glass encased shuttle equipment--cannot touch any of the equipment all closed off by plexiglass. The other level is just glassed off equipmet.

Envision being excited, going up to the level, walking through the shuttle door only to see a very small turn around space with plexiglass closing most of the shuttle off and only getting to look through plexiglass to see some equipment and walking out. The other level had more to look at (artifacts), but not too much different from what I have seen in our own museum. Again, this could be inside the actual museum as a small exhibit.

TRAINING CENTER -- did not get to do - see below --

TRAM RIDE EXPERIENCES that come w/admission are FIRST COME first served when you get to the museum (you sign up at that time). We did not get to do the training center. It was booked up two hours beyond everything else we were doing. There would have been nothing to do while waiting, so we left.

THE MUSEUM IS SMALL -Don't be fooled by the pictures/advertisement.

I was hoping for more from the SPACE museum. For me, it was very disappointing. It would have been very disappointing even if it cost a lot less. This is one of our only space museums in the United States. It was so limited, outdated and boring. I get that the items are historical, but most of that could be placed inside the museum. Add some new technology. Make sure what you have is actually working.

I really didn't see much that I hadn't already seen except the actual rocket. The mission control room (ugh), honestly, it just looked so staged/fake and it was not worth the money. What you see in the pictures is what you see. Any close up images from people are taken on their way out with a camera zooming in through a window (it is a large window). You don't get to walk around the control room. It was like sitting in an extremely small theater space looking at a staged area of old computers and equipment (an office space) with ash trays and cigarettes lying around). If the museum was trying to make the impression that the moon landing was fake, this exhibit helped. We've all already seen the video clip of the moon landing (unless your are a child I guess)! We don't need to sit in the old gross theater seats from that era (the original seats and they smelled) watching that video clip from a tiny TV while looking through a window at the supposed mission control room from the moment of the moon landing. The area is small. Don't be fooled by pictures. In case one thinks I am missing the point, forget it. Read about it all online. That is enough.

A must-do on when you have family or friends visiting Houston. Get there early so you can do the Mission Control and Rocket Park tours which tend to sell-out by mid day. Overall, there is a little bit of fun for people of all ages but I find this to be more catered toward space enthusiasts and children with the different offerings of simulators.

We enjoyed seeing the history of NASA’s mission to the moon and the updates on its newer mission to Mars. Exhibits were authentic and informative. Food court was a bit overpriced and underwhelming. Staff were very friendly.

NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is a must-see for anyone interested in space exploration. Highlights include the iconic Saturn V rocket, the chance to see a full-scale shuttle replica, and the fascinating tram tour of the real mission control. It's an incredible experience for all ages, offering a captivating glimpse into the history and future of space travel.

Wet good tour and experience. You got to see and learn lots including admission to the astronauts training facility. Lots of hands on activities also.

You need a full day here, and to book the Mission Control in advance! There are 3 tram tours that go from here, and the only one left when I visited was Rocket park. However, this and the museum was a lot to do anyway and well worth a visit! Would definitely come back and see more.

This is a great follow up to the Kennedy Space Center. Please do the mission control center tour which is an add on cost. Take as many tram rides as you can.

This is definitely a great place to bring the kids. They will enjoy all the displays and interactive activities. I recommend getting there right at open 9am. You can park up close and also have short lines for the tram.

We had the opportunity to visit the Space Center Houston as a family and were impressed by the wide variety of exhibits available. From original rockets and craft, to spacesuits, hulls from different missions and historic spaces key to the development of aerospace science.
From all the things we saw, several unforgettable experiences can be highlighted. The impressive Saturn V rocket, used in the Apollo missions, is on display inside a special hangar. We also took the tram tour that takes you to the Mission Control Center and buildings where astronauts are trained.
Another must-see attraction is the display of the space shuttle Independence, mounted on a Boeing 747, which can be explored inside. In the astronaut gallery we saw original costumes worn on real missions, including Neil Armstrong's.
In addition, there is a large collection of artifacts from historical and current missions, as original objects from the Apollo, SpaceX and Artemis missions. And for a souvenir, the center has a large merchandising store with a variety of products.

Went with a private group tour. Started with a session with Astronaut Tony Antonelli who gave a question and answer session . I was totally impressed with his intelligence insight and humanity.
Then we did a tram tour encompassing the Saturn V rocket: enormous, can't get any impression of what it is really like watching on TV; Mission Control and recreation of 1969 Moon Landing: really moving; and finally the Astronaut "playground" training center: an unimaginably huge indoor space.
Following the formal tour we had free time to explore on our own. We waited in a very long line to see Independence Space Shuttle mock up on real 747 used to transport it. I thought it was worth the wait: extremely interesting and educational.
Place was very crowded due to Eclipse chasers coming to Texas at the time.

Space Center Houston is an absolute must. We were there for about 6 hours and it wasn't enough time to see everything. Don't miss the Mission Control Center tram tour. The documentary film, "Down to Earth: The Astronaut Perspective," was stunning! I'm going to watch it again on Youtube, but it's really a big screen experience. If we're ever in Houston again, I'll make a return visit with my wife, kids and/or grandkids.

Perfect for a visit with family
Enjoyed the rocket space park (Has all information about Apollo missions and a real Saturn V space ship)

Fun and informative journey through our history in space. Lots of interactive things for kids. Bummer that some tram tours aren’t included in entry fee. Elevator outside wasn’t working, so lots of stairs to climb to get into the 747 & Space Shuttle.

No matter what age you are this is a must - see history with your own eyes. The size of the spacecraft is incredible - how they ever get off the ground is simply amazing. So much to see & experience - allow at least 3-4 hours to see most of the exhibits. Even got to touch the moon (piece of moonrock for you to touch).

you need to spend a whole full day to experience all things inside, we have been to the Kennedy space center in FL, I think this one is much cheaper comparatively and still lots of things to see. The one is FL is overpriced. You need to pass thru' security check before entering. You need to book the tram tour to training facility once you enter, when we booked it in the morning at 10:30am, it said only the 3 pm tour is left. There is another tram tour to rocket park which no need to book, just walk-in to line up.
Worth to take a look if you visit Houston.

Visited this place on 9th July 2023

The ticket costs USD 36.00 per person whcih inclused the conducted tour of the day and also you can book a tour to the working area where the number of visitors are capped.

The ticketing and admission process is well designed and will take less than 10 minutes including the wait. We visited on a sunday and the place was crowded but manageable looking at the huge area where this place is located.

Space history where the Americans are pioneers is welll depicted at this facility with rockets, technology and recreation of the moments done to attract people of all age groups specially the childrens.

the attraction can easily be a whole day tour event, so please do not be in hurry while visiting this attraction.

Must Must visit while in Huston

Well laid out and great information for everyone despite your previous knowledge level. Having gone to Kennedy Space Center last month, this provided different information and added to our previous experience. Tram tours were great. Do go get the boarding passes first thing when you arrive and plan for a full day.

A couple of issues we ran into:

1. Couldn’t purchase military discounted tickets online, therefore missed the opportunity to do the mission command tour because it was booked for the week. I could have paid full price and planned further out, didn’t know my travel plans until closer to my visit.

2. The museum was overcrowded, made it not enjoyable to see the exhibits. Reminded me of Disney world during peak season.

3. The plane/shuttle exhibit has no clear directions. Was able to see the inside of the shuttle but when we came back out the line was to the bottom of the stairs and only got worse and time passed. Recommend the crowds see the shuttle first in on line, then straight to the plane which has a direct exist to the ground level.

Overall the trip was educational and enjoyed learning with the kids. Not a pleasant experience doing it.

Fantastic day out from 1000 - 1630 so much to see and do. Surpassed all our expectations well done Houston, no problems here!

I was very disappointed with my visit. I expected the staff to be nicer. The place was very crowded and it was a mess. Being the NASA, I would’ve expected a more organized tours, and spaces. The astronaut training tour was sold out since 9am. One of the trams broke down in the middle of the tour and we were waiting for more than an hour to get it fixed. Of course, we were not able to take another tour since the lines were super long. Not even a courtesy was given by the staff members or the same organization.
Being a top technology company, the facilities are very poor and disorganized.

We spent most of a day there with other adult family members and enjoyed it very much. I especially enjoyed the Tom Hanks film and other films that were a part of our visit ticket price. We learned a lot about future plans to return to the moon and about the possibility of landing on Mars. We also added the additional tour of the historical Mission Control facility.
We were glad for the availability of lunch options and appreciated the clean bathrooms.
The museum did a great job of including the stories of women who are trail-blazing in science fields and aerospace exploration. And we were thrilled to see so many opportunities for children to have hands-on learning experiences.

There is public transportation from the international airport to Johnson Space Centre: Take the bus #102 from Terminal C (just outside door 105) to downtown Houston transit centre (DH TC) and then take bus #246/249 to the Bay area park & ride. From the Bay area park and ride you can take Uber/Lyft to the space centre - the walk would be very long. Remember there are no buses to the Bay area park & ride on weekends but you can take UBER/Lyft from the DH TC to the space centre or your hotel. Always have few 1 USDs and quarters to pay for your bus fare. On a weekday you can check in at the information desk at the DH TC and they can tell you which bus to take to the Bay area park & ride; the bus stop is within walking distance.
Houston metro has a good app with a trip planner, so make the most of it.
Suggest you stay overnight at a hotel on NASA Parkway, walk over and make the most of your time at the space centre. Hope you enjoy yourself.

This was a great way to spend 4 hours. We got our general admission tickets and mission control tickets on line and arrived basically when the museum opened on a Monday. It was fairly busy and our mission control tour tram was full. I suggest you buy your tickets online since the line for tickets when we arrived was long. You pay for parking when you arrive using your phone and a QR code. The museum itself is easy to tour with the main steps being the shuttle. If you take the mission control tour there are 87 steps to get up to the control room. There is an elevator, but not sure how big it is and they move through the presentation , so you may risk missing it if you arent first on that elevator. There is also an elevator for the levels of the shuttle.

Keep an eye out for cards advertising the space center at your camp ground or hotel for $5 off.

There is a large cafe area in the museum, and ample bathrooms scattered about.

The rocket park tram tour is free but you do have to sign up for it. You cant get over there by yourself on foot.

The Center is very well organized, with many people on the floor to assist and they were very helpful. We had large luggage that needed to be stored, cost $7 per piece which was reasonable. The Space center was a fantastic once in life time experience, however very kid driven. I would consider a tour next time, perhaps more of the 'real life' models will be available for show. The souvenir shops were amazing, with a wide range of options.

We were there all day and it was amazing. We learned so much with the exhibits. We went on the Mission Control and Astronaut Training facility trams. Both were worth it (about an hour long a piece). We watched an interactive exhibit about the Webb telescope and the International Space Station-both were done great!

It's huge, interesting, but we're a little lost, not really visiting. Lines for the train. Lots of small movies, reenactments, small experiments. You can touch lunar and Martian rocks, get on a real shuttle. A little expensive, paid parking ($10), very expensive shop, it's a bit of an Attraction Park.

It was an amazing experience….Felt fascinating watching all the space stuff and the restaurants are quite pricey …The gift store has lot of NASA Gift souvenirs which you can buy for a memory

Must do in Houston!
If you're interested in space you can't miss out on this activity. Maybe even every person needs to do this to see and understand what space programs humanity is working on.

Learned a lot 'bout Artemis, the space project that NASA is currently working on and will be working on in the future with the current moon and future mars missions.

Also, it is just out of this world to stand beside the Saturn V rocket to see with own eyes what a collossal thing they can launch into space! Crazy!

I had high hopes after our visit in 2024 to the Kennedy Space Centre in Orlando

After what I had seen of this Nasa Space Centre in Houston on the internet, I had high hopes again.

The entrance and what you can see there didn't give me what I expected.

Let's see what the tour of the missiles and Mission Control show.

Oh, not to mention the Astronaut Training Facility.

Well, what shall I say. Still no goose bumps!
It was cool to see the training facility still in use inside, furthermore, mwha...

I would not recommend it while the Kennedy Space Centre in Orlanda, Hell Yeah 🤘😎🤘

Was in Houston with my family and as we looked for things to do this was one of the top things that came up in our searches. I was n't very impressed given how expensive it was. We have space museums near our home that are free and they have much more interactive things for kids to do. This is an interesting place to go to if you like reading plaques but that is about it. There were very few interactive exhibits. The tour to the astronaut training facility was interesting but I thought they could have taught us a lot more. I was most disappointed that there was a conference going on at the same time we were there so they weren't showing any of the movies and they didn't tell us this when we bought our tickets and the tickets were the same price. They definitely should have given a discount on the ticket prices if they were going to close parts of the museum. I wouldn't recommend going for the price.

Excellent all the tour and facilities; they show you everything from explanations of how the moon is doing, spacesuits, gravity, ships; to the projects being worked on right now and the rockets where the space expeditions have been made.
Highly recommended and fun.

Although not entirely made for tiny tots it is still something you can take them with if your are a space fan. There are a few tours you can do and your LO can join but they wont be able to run around. The exhibition hall itself is massive and there they can roam freely. However, there isn’t much for them to explore or do. Just go if you are a space and think the Space Center is a must for you to visit.

You only see the final event from all those years of hard work that goes into each voyage so it was really interesting we enjoyed it

Located on NASA Johnson Space Center. Several actual and replica spacecraft. The Space Shuttle Independence is mounted on a 747 and you can visit both the Shuttle and the aircraft. The Space Shuttle and the indoors Saturn V rocket were the best parts. One tour includes a visit to the working Command Center. There is a Falcon 9 rocket. Liked the longhorn cattle near the tram route. We liked the reservation system, buildings, and tram tours! There were some friction points to fix:
1 Pay for parking was inconvenient. The Metropolis system would not accept my AmEx credit card. Tried to use another card, the website got stuck. My daughter had to finish the process.
2 Our tram on the historic Mission Control Tour had a squeaky and distorted sound; please fix the speakers.
3 Many tram tour guests were milling around or asking for directions. We could not see the tour signs for the historic tour because people were standing in front of the signs! If they raise the tour signs about six feet into the air, then we can see the signs and know which line to join

NASA - history , missions, development and their future missions is displayed at this facility in a best way. The top most attraction for kids, the trans tour , the Astronaut training program overview …….
I don’t have words to describe , anyone with kids must visit this place if they you ate in Houston.

Saw a lot of neat educational things. Some things I really liked but I was slightly disappointed. The technology used in the 50's vs what is used today was interesting. I think it's a see it once type of deal.

Aah I expected so much better. Indeed in 4 hours you have done the tour but you can still take the time to watch all the films. For those who know the space city of Toulouse, after the first hour of euphoria, well it has nothing to envy it. $100 for 4 to avoid spending the day there. Above all, remember to arrive early and register for the tram included with your ticket because yes, there are only every 40 minutes and it stops at 4 p.m. while the Space center closes at 6 p.m.….

It is an amazing activity for rocket and space lovers. All very well marked, interactive, with explanations. You can do different tours with general admission, and there are also other paid activities.
The place has parking, about 11 dollars and there is to buy food, drink and souvenirs.

The Space Center was very informative. Many actual rockets and replicas to see and tour. We planned this at the last minute, so we could not do Mission Control tram. It was sold out three days earlier. Book that ahead of time.

The staff was fantastic here and the tour guides were great. You have to register for astronaut training tour early at the information desk. The astronaut training was neat to see, but they could of gone a little more in depth about what the areas were inside the building. Mission control was neat to see. The boeing airplane that transported the spaceship was the highlight for me. There Saturn 5 rocket and their "rocket park" was kind of a let down. The rocket park only has 3 rockets. For some reason the Saturn 5 in Cape Canaveral seemed grander. Might just be me or the way the rocket was displayed. Driving through the NASA grounds was neat.

We booked on line and paid for Houston Space center and were routed to Trip advisor. After a lot of difficulty I was able to print out Entry ticket via Tripadvisor with Confirmation Number and booking number. When we arrived they could not find the tickets. We lost almost an hour looking for the tickets and then spent an extra $105.85 for tickets. Don't know if I can get a refund of what I paid TripAdvisor or not, but from first try's i don't think it will be easy

Absolutely awful, don’t waste your time. Admission tickets at the door are about $5 more expensive than if you buy your tickets online. You have to sign up for a tram tour for certain time slots. When you get your time slot you have time to tour the museum before your tram start which makes sense, it’s a good idea but the museum was under stimulating, I didn’t care for it. By the time or tram tour came around I was excited, expecting good thing. We only went on one tram tour: the astronaut training facility. They crammed everyone onto a tram. There were 5 seats across. Myself and my husband sat on one side and then a family of 5 plus a small dog sat next to us (sitting in 3 seats). Kids under 3? have to sit on the parents lap. But it was absolutely crammed and uncomfortable. The facility itself maybe would have been interesting if the tour guides had any knowledge or enthusiasm. The one tour guide was training, monotone and had nothing to add to the long script she struggled to read. She couldn’t even read the word, “Artemis,” … a well known term in the space community. Literally, she turned to her trainer and said, “I don’t know how to say this word.” The announcing system on the tram would also cut in and out. It was nothing to rave about. The only neat thing at the facility was seeing actual astronaut suits lined up. I’m
Not sure about the other tours, maybe they’d be better than this one. We opted for the one and left immediately after. Waste of a day. Not worth the traffic getting there either. I was truly excited about going to the center but would never recommend it to anyone. Will not go back.

Totally disappointed. It's like a mini tour left in the 90s. There are very few original things. The simulator (which comes out an additional USD 10) has the pixelated resolution of 1991. It's not worth anything.

so amazing. so much to see and do. Lots of hands on things. So much info to absorb. The food is beyond bad. You order on a computer screen and pick it up at the many places available. We were 32 people so we all got different stuff. It ALL was awful. I got a burger and it was cold and burnt. A friend got chicken sald and it was actually frozen. there was no microwave. There's pizza but it's cheap and awful. drinks are pop and green tea. eat before you go or right when you get there have a picnic in your car before you go in

Space Center was very interesting. We went on the two free tram rides. Both are worth the time. Did not pay the extra $15 for the Mission Control tram ride. If you want to go on the tram, check departure times immediately on arrival to help plan you day. The center itself has many great exhibits. We ended up staying about four hours.

Visited the Space Center and could only purchase the general admission ticket as the other tours were sold out. So when preparing for a trip here, purchase the tours early. However, only the genera; admission ticket is great too! Saw a movie on a moon mission and sat through a presentation by a retired astronaut. Ten walked aroung looking at the exhibits. Had a great time as I was a kid and remenbered Mercury and the other missions.

This experience was so fascinating! There was so much to do and look at when you walk in the entrance. This museum has many of the original version of artifacts. We also went to the original commission room, which was a very cool experience. Definitely recommend for field trips, family trips, and a trip to learn the wonders and history of space!

This is a must see attraction for anyone. I have been to Cape Canaveral several times this is vastly better. From museum displays, interactive exhibits and the access to various rockets will amaze you. 25 stars!!

Great educational and informative park. There is a slight wait to get in, maybe 10 - 15 min. It was hot, even though it was at the beginning of April. Inside was nice and cool though. The videos from astronaut's perspective was amazing.

amazing place to go with your family on the weekends! the exhibits the were lively and created a wonderful experience for my children.

Disappointed with the content. Lots of stores for super expensive gifts. A history of America but very far from the center, dear

Nasa, Space Center is definitely worth a day trip. Tip: book your ticket in advance, otherwise you'll have to wait in line for a long time!

When you think about what they accomplished to get man into space and on the moon, with state of the art computers at that time, it is amazing. Go see the rockets, look in the spacecraft, view Mission Control (extra charge, reserved time tickets). If you like science or math, do not miss going here.

I was a little disappointed. There was not much in the way of real hardware to look at, mostly fake replicas (Control panels made from cardboard cutouts? Really?) It took maybe an hour to see everything. For what I got I felt it was pretty steep at $35 for admission plus $11 for parking on top of that.

Arrived at Houston airport early in the morning. Visited during transit time. Traveled by Uber from the airport for 40 minutes. Toured for about 3 hours. There were many general visitors, but I was surprised by the number of school group tours.

The tour to see the Mission Control was booked up weeks ago (or more) and the training facility tour was closed. The line to check out at the gift shop was longer than the Saturn rocket. The food there was “meh”. Luckily the exhibits and the few talks that weren’t completely kiddie were interesting.

This is a must-do if you have a space geek in your party. My son loves everything space and enjoyed learning about the various NASA missions, seeing the space ships, and learning about the history of space travel.

Absolutely amazing history at Mission Control and Saturn rocket display.

Very disappointed in the shuttle model and overall activities. Maybe little kids but not over 12.

Just like President Johnson, it was a disappointment. Over crowded and disorganized. Inside the main museum area seemed disjointed. Should have more signage or direction on where to start. Kennedy Space Center is vastly superior. Best part was Rocket Park. The Saturn V rocket was fascinating. Save your money.

A disappointing visit. Souvenir shops and the restaurant are almost more important than the rooms to visit!
The whole is very outdated, the presentations very conformist. One would have expected a space that looks at the challenges ahead and more interactive rooms. The small train ride is also of little interest.

Used to be a decent place, had annual membership planning not to renew.

It can be avoided for couple of years. There not much to see at the main hall. All the exhibits are digital or pictures. You will spend 3 hours queuing up for virtual reality rides, if you there with kids or someone with challenge standing for an hour no place for them to sit.

Great experience. Very well organized. Had time for one tram ride to the astronaut training facility. Worth the time. Exhibits were fascinating and not overcrowded. I would definitely recommend. My only disappointment was not having time for the Mission Control tour.

So much to see and do here. Shows, tours, exhibits. You can spend hours or the whole day here. There are a variety of activities. The tram tour is fantastic and informative. We spent 4 hours, but could have spent longer so make sure to budget quite a bit of time here.

The Space Center is amazing! So much to see! Definitely add the astronaut training facility tour! The staff are fantastic!

The center is very nice but the bad thing is that on the page when you go to buy tickets it appears that it is in Spanish and English and it is only in English, I understand but there are still many tourists who do not speak 100% of the language and can give an option that is bilingual.

This was a very educational and amazing experience. The exhibits were well laid out and it was wonderful to see all the artifacts.
It was very crowded and the lines were so long. We spent a lot of wasted time waiting in lines.
If you want to see the Mission Control tour you need to buy the tickets weeks in advance. It was disappointing to not be able to see that part but my fault since I didn't buy tickets ahead of time.

As a person with vjsual challenges, it was very dark and unclear how things workdd. Great exhibits and infirmation. A nnouncements wete hard to hear over crowd noise.

This is amazing experience which does such a great job of explaining the exploration of space both historically and looking forward to the future. Everything is so well done and the price is reasonable. Seeing exhibits like the impressive and massive Saturn V rocket and the space shuttle atop a Boeing 747 was great! We are an older couple and wish we had come here with our kids. This was the highlight of our trip to the Houston area.

The Houston Space Center recommends that you buy your tickets online. They ask that you pick a time when you are there so you can go right in. We had the tickets on our phone so all we had to do was show the bar code to the person when we went in. We had to check in with the desk to get our tickets for the tram ride. We walked around looking at some of the exhibits while we waited for the tram ride. When we came back from the hour long ride we checked out the rest of the exhibits. There is also a restaurant that you can get food at. If you bring your own food you have to eat it outside.

Very nice day at NASA. Very informative, superb infrastructure. For those who love history this is the place to visit

Over all it was good. The boys loved it. A little disappointing to pay to park as well as admission unless you are a member parking free. Credit card is needed. Souvenirs prices are expensive.

On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, we spent about four and a half hours at the visitor center of the Johnson Space Center in Houston. As I understand it this is run by a contractor outside of NASA. There is a parking fee and an admission fee, both in my opinion a bit high as I remember. There are numerous anchor exhibits. Those include a space shuttle replica, NASA 905 – one of the two space shuttle carrier Boeing 747 aircraft, a Saturn V missile, an International Space Station exhibit, a return to the Moon exhibit, a journey to Mars exhibit, a Skylab exhibit, and two “missile parks.”

This visitor center is child friendly, and adult friendly as well. The shuttle to the Saturn V building is free, there are a few other added cost exhibits that we did not buy into. So we cannot comment on those exhibits.

You actually get to enter the space shuttle and shuttle carrier aircraft, both of which have really good signage. It is neat how these were built or modified for use as is the case of the Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. The Saturn V exhibit is a walk-around a really big missile which is segmented for explanation and clarity. The numerous Apollo missions are covered in the Saturn V building as this series of missiles were the launch vehicles for the 1960s and 1970s moon exploration programs.

Skylab, the response to the Soviet Salyut space station and the prelude to the International Space Station is covered pretty well. Including some of the debris we spread across Western Australia upon Skylab’s reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere. Skylab leads into the presentation of the International Space Station, which is also well done. A fair amount of information is provided on how the occupants of the ISS are protected from numerous factors.

It is about time we go back to the Moon, and I think the commercial companies are the prime motivators in this endeavor. I disagree with “mining the Moon” as a justification or even as a cost recovery concept. I think we have abused Mother Earth and need to learn from that.

It is about time we went to Mars as well and they address that mission concept. As I understand it von Braun actually built the Saturn V missile as the launch vehicle for that journey. Once again, I think the commercial companies are goading the governments into this program. We need to explore, to learn, to evolve, and to expand. We do not need to exploit Mars.

The Johnson Space Center’s Visitor Center, a bit pricy in my opinion, is well worth the time. Good signage, really nice exhibits, lots of information and a great opportunity to learn about the programs that we have and are participating in.

Thanks,
Rex

Went to visit while in town for a convention. Mixed feelings about this visit. The center itself has a lot to see and do, including tram run tours included in admission. The operations of the center seem kind of messy. Upon arriving, we managed to get in early to the center (getting out of the airport took way less time than we anticipated), so we got there at 1:30pmish and our tickets were for 2:30 pm. They wouldn't let us in early but we were sent to 3 staff members before they could make a decision on letting us in or not. When 2 pm rolled around, the lineup outside (which was there from 1:30-2 pm) was done, so they decided to let us in at that time, but there was a lack of communication in terms of letting people outside waiting know they decided to let more folks in, the only reason I knew was because I asked once I noticed the line was gone. The way the inside is set up, you can't wait in an air-conditioned lobby until your ticket time or in a gift shop or cafeteria so waiting outside in the hot weather sucked. The cafeteria had lots of food options and an online ordering system as well as in-person, so I was actually able to order while I waited to get inside the center so that helped with managing our time. The food was overpriced but pretty good. They were closing an hour early that day for a private event, but there was no notice on our tickets or signs when getting inside at the gates so that came as a last-minute shock. Wish we had known that ahead of time to reorganize our plans.

So TLDR: worth a visit because it has a lot to see and is kind of iconic, but wish it was less pricey/tourist trappy and had better operations/communication.

Lines were quick, friendly staff and love all the pictures that were given to us upon entry. Calm environment and not loud

Growing up in the shuttle era, I am very familiar with our spacefaring history. It was a complete geekfest. I loved seeing artifacts from Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the shuttle missions. Great to take a walk down memory lane. Be sure to take the tram tours. I was in tears on the mission control tour.

Disappointing, very basic overrated, expensive and difficult to get to. If you want to know more about the facilities you must pay in advance a more expensive ticket.

Space Center Houston consists of a museum type building, a tram ride to a building with a Saturn 5 rocket, and two optional (extra cost) tram tours to the mission control building and the astronaut training site. The two for-pay tours are by reservation only. The museum is full of NASA displays, including video displays, and there is daily in-person programs. Unfortunately the place was literally overrun by kids on the day we were there (a Friday afternoon) . Given the hoard of kids it was impossible to comfortably examine the displays. We were too late to reserve places on the optional and pricey tram tours, which used to be included in the general admission. If you are really into space exploration or have a child (who can read explanations on displays) who is really into space engineering and exploration (no sci-fi here) then this may be a good experience for you.

This was so interesting! Perfect for adults and kids. You get the tram tour with your general admission ticket. Every staff member was knowledgeable and kind.

It was an amazing experience for me. I learned so many things about space and spacecraft. Also, I had an opportunity for touching the Mars, the Moon, and the Earth during my visit. I think if you are in Texas or you have a chance to trip to Texas and especially Houston, you have to go there!

Visiting NASA Space Center in Houston has been one of the most fun and awe inspiring things I've done in a while. As someone there said, "the visit was Out of this world'. So very cool.. from being able to sit in the original Apollo mission control to seeing the rocket as well as the shuttle. You can touch a moon rock, walk inside a space station capsule, and so much more. I can't imagine anyone at any age will not have fun and be inspired while visiting here. Also the food lab market is pretty good for food.

I felt like it was easy to find and easy to park. My mom was annoyed that you have to scan a QR code posted in the parking lot to pay, but I find that convenient.

Prices were okay ... I would have liked to pay more like $20 or $25 to get in; at least one of the activities (VR) inside was a separate charge. The concession area was like airport prices.

I thought that the architecture of the space was strange, and it was honestly my biggest complaint about this experience. It's kind of like a studio apartment in museum form, with nothing really in the center and various hubs around the edges. It had the effect of being way louder than it needed to be. I would recommend that folks prone to being overstimulated consider earplugs. The interior was darker than I would expect from a public space like this, but the displays were well lit and easy to read. There were not a lot of places to sit and rest for those who would need something like that.

There was a ton of information and it was clearly presented and easy to understand. It was interesting to see the artifacts from various points in history. It's worth a trip, if you're into the topic.

Was a great experience to see the Space Centre.

We did have a bit of a problem that we had not received the tickets trough tripadvisor - however the staff at the space centre kindly helped us out using the booking number......trip advisor - you did drop the ball there.

Way more exciting than I thought it would be. Lots to see and do, even an area with experiments. My favorites were touching an actual moon rock, and going inside a space shuttle. I also loved the 3D virtual reality ride where your seat moves with what you see in the glasses, so you take off from earth and land on the moon!

EVERYTHING VERY WELL EXCEPT COULD NOT BUY TICKETS FOR THE ASTROS HOWEVER THERE WAS ROOM.
THE MEXICAN CREDIT RATIO T

This museum offers a fascinating look into the history of space exploration, both in the US and around the world. Visitors can explore a variety of exhibits showcasing the advancements made in space exploration, including replicas of historic spaceships and rockets. The museum also features interactive simulators for a hands-on experience. With both indoor and outdoor exhibits, visitors can easily spend a few hours exploring the museum.

One thing to note is that the onsite restaurant has limited hours, so visitors should plan accordingly if they wish to dine at the museum.

I liked it, I found the Canaveral Cape more complete and with more attractions, each has a peculiar interest! It is worth visiting as you can enter the ship independently.

All in all an okay experience, but less than what we expected. The best parts are the shuttle on top of the 747 (which can be seen from the parking lot) and the Mission Control tour. The rest of the exhibits often felt like a recruiting or fundraising event for the Mars missions. Some parts were plain jarring, especially when astronauts in ISS videos told us repeatedly how the view from space really taught them how vulnerable earth is. Well and good, but hearing that while it was about 100°F outside, in a huge indoor environment that was A/C-ed down noticeably lower than where we set our heating when we are already trying to save fuel - that was strange to say the least.

Space Geeks like me would love this place. It is a little outside of Houston and is about a 30min drive. But it is totally worth it. The Space Center itself has many nice exhibits but they also organize three tram tours to nearby NASA Johnson Space Center facilities. We chose the Historical Mission Control Tour, that had a separate fee and which took us to the Mission Control room from where the Apollo Missions were controlled. The restoration of the control room has been meticulously done and the film and experience is splendid. It has a very nice gift shop onsite as well as multiple snack shops onsite. If you arrive early enough you can also do the other two tram tours which are included in the price of the admission ticket.

Booked the tickets for the control room tour in advance and it was a wonderful experience, the general admission gets you into the venue and it has loads of information and walk around a you can do as well as watching live interactions and movies. Very informative and eye opening experience and it definitely worth a visit.

Overall our experience at the space centre was subpar. Some exhibits were interesting however we found that there was a lack of guidance of where we should start looking around once entering. There was limited communication about the tram ride and as a result we missed the last one. The staff members were not friendly at all. First entering the space centre we were not even greeted with a smile and any question seemed like an annoyance. We lined up to speak to customer service for guidance on the best way to see the space centre and they told us to look at the brochure and just “walk around in a big circle”. I think staff really need some extra training with their customer service skills. Overall we would not return.

We went early on Saturday morning to try and avoid crowds. My husband has just been released from hospital, so he is walking slowly with a walker. They had accommodations for handicapped that we appreciated. (Elevators and ramps on tram) We did not realize you could purchase tours prior to visiting. If we go again we will do that. We were unable to see Mission Control because tour was sold out and had to wait several hours for the Training facility. It was a very nice educational day!

Mixed response - great exhibits, friendly people. However, the process for the trams is awkward, poorly organized and time-consuming resulting in my son loosing out on a much anticipated experience. In addition, a lazy (or inept) camera person snapping pictures with subjects eyes closed - I expected more from NASA.

I can't believe we paid an extra $22 to be screamed at by the tram tour guide and by us I mean everybody on the tram. She was like a drill sergeant. It was the most unfriendly, unwelcoming tour I've ever been on.
Sergeant Screamer aside it just wasn't worth the money. Admittedly the last time I visited Space Center Houston was shortly after it opened but there just wasn't much there. The shuttle exhibit claimed that the Space Shuttle is the only currently active manned space vehicle. (or something like that) Hello. The shuttle program was shut down in 2011. The whole experience was an unwelcoming, overpriced, disappointment. We should have spent time on the beach instead.

A space lovers dream. Plan to spend the whole day there. The tram tours are the coolest part, especially the Saturn Rocket building.

The Good:
AC was great. The ceiling provident excellent shelter from the sun.

The Bad:

Had more fun changing out a starter on my friend's truck.

The Ugly:

would highly recommend Houston's homeless to set up camp inside if they can manage to make their way in. Might spruce up the attractions a bit.

The Space Centre Houston is an exceptional family experience (we have a 15 year old and 10 year old).

There’s so much to see it’s very easy to spend a whole day there, especially if you take part in the tram tours (we had pre booked the historic Mission Control tour).

We arrived at opening at 10am, and based on advice immediately booked onto the astronauts training team tour. We got straight onto the tour with an excellent guide who shared fascinating insight both on the tram across to the training facilities and whilst at the facilities. It’s very interesting to be able to see all the mock ups of the different craft that the astronauts need to train on, there’s a lot to see.

Once that was complete we were able to do the historic mission control tour. This I think is a must have experience. Sitting in the control room was fascinating, the video footage and guide really brought the moon landings to life, and helped us see and learn new things.

A couple of other surprises we hadn’t expected:
- the mock up of the space shuttle on top of the Boeing 747. You can climb the stairs and experience the inside of the space shuttle, plus see the 747 that transported the shuttles back to Florida
- the food in the restaurant. Surprisingly good for the whole family!

All in all and excellent day

I thought this attraction was fantastic, but if you don’t do the tram tours then you can see everything pretty quickly. I did both the Saturn Rocket and Historic Apollo Mission Control tram tours; the Apollo tram tour is just sitting in the viewing area and watching a short film, but it was very good. I stayed at the end and managed to ask the tour guides some more questions which I thought was great.

The Saturn rocket tram tour was also great, it’s amazing to be able to see the rocket up close in person! You can’t comprehend how big it is until you see it in real life.

It was also great to explore the space shuttle carrier.

A very nice time in the past. The different areas are interesting and surprising. Staff are attentive and often offer help or information. Every effort is made to facilitate the visit. It's not huge but we spent almost 5 hours there, only missing an audio guide that would allow us to understand more information during some technical topics , but maybe we haven't seen them.

We were a little underwhelmed with the Houston Space Centre. We visited the Kennedy space centre 5 years ago and were expecting a similar experience, but it was not the case. The centre has wonderful artefacts such as space suits, space rocks and interesting information. There are some interactive exhibits for the kids to play with. Maybe I’ve been spoilt, but I thought it was small and didn’t have nearly as much as the Kennedy centre.

We went on the tram to see the famous control room from the moon landings. It was great to see. Unfortunately our tour guide spoke so quickly we couldn’t understand anything he said.

We wanted to go to the training centre but we’re told that there was no availability for it. I had read about it before going but didn’t see where to sign up for the tour (apparently at the information desk).

Overall, it was a good day, but a bit underwhelming.

A very interesting visit, especially for those who experienced those moments of discovery with the Apollo program which led to the landing of the first men on the Moon. It is very large and if you have time, there are many pavilions to visit and the outside. It is also possible to have a guide from a real astronaut who tells the various phases of preparation and study that take place at NASA. The museum, which contains many artifacts, vehicles and clothing, is very interesting. It is possible to see the command center that managed the missions to the moon, touch some fragments of it, admire the progress of science, and discover what the future holds for us. The possibility of touching a lunar fragment is exciting.

Honestly I had very high expectations for this place, the cost of the Ticket very accessible, in fact the photos that you take in the found out cost almost the same as the entrance, the rest of the tour very informative and interesting but not interactive, I thought that requiring a lot of technology to go to space the nasa would be a point of technology and attraction and interactivity of the last generation but I think it is very old-fashioned. They have a travel booth to the moon that is not worth anything, the graphics are very bad, it is like a very simple fairground booth and for 8 dollars I found it a steal. I liked knowing the place but it is only to go once in a lifetime, I would not return.

We visited here on a Saturday in January. Getting here wasn't too bad. We arrived right at 10AM which is opening time. There was a pretty good line, but it went quickly. We pre-purchased the 10:40 Mission Control tour. The volunteers were really great to show us where we needed to go and which line to get into. They also suggested that if we wanted to do the other tram tours (Astronaut training Center and Rocket park) to sign up early to get a spot. This was good advice as they filled up quickly. By signing up when we first got there we could plan the rest of our time. All of these were really fun and interesting. This was really fun as we have been to Kennedy Space Center in Florida so to see where the mission control was added to the history of NASA.
We were able to go into the space Shuttle/747 ferry plane. Tis was also fun to see as I remember seeing the very first ferry flight as a kid on TV. A few of our group did the VR experience. They said it was really cool. We went to several of the videos in the theater which were very informative.
Lunch here was actually really good. They had several ordering kiosks which serviced all of the food places so you didn't have to go to a specific one. The prices were fairly reasonable too.
We were there for 9 hours and still didn't see everything. I like to read all the placards so I could easily go a few more times to see all they have to offer.
One interesting thing. When you park, there is a QR code to use to pay for parking. I tried to use it but for some reason it didn't want to work, even thought I saw others using it successfully. I had to pay or parking inside at the service desk.

Historical site but not as good as Kennedy. Serious lack of maintenance on the tram running gear, went on three tram rides and two had broken overrun dampers, meaning it was a clunky jolting ride and if you sit at the front you have a job to hear commentary over the engine and because it is only in English a family who spoke Spanish having the commentary translated to them at the same time. The centre needs to get to the future with individual commentaries devices. NASA has the technology, ask them,!!!!!!

Fun place. Do wish they would have gone into more detail about how they worked to get into space. I guess most of that part is in Florida. We were there about 5 hours. Could have stayed longer. Take snacks.. Food is expensive.

A fantastic experience for space enthusiasts! Space Center offers an incredible journey through NASA's history and current missions. Hundreds of space artifacts, interactive exhibits, and a tram tour of the Johnson Space Center, you'll spend hours learning and being amazed. Don't miss the chance to touch a real moon rock and see the impressive Saturn V rocket. Highly recommended for all ages!

“Book Directly with the Houston Space Center instead of TripAdvisor”. Why? If you want to see the most exciting part of the Houston Space Center, which is the Mission Control, you have to book directly with the Houston Space Center. You cannot book the Mission Control from TripAdvisor. By the time you book the Houston Space Center, with TripAdvisor, the tickets for Mission Control will be sold out! Do both on the Space Center’s website!. SO disappointing for us on our first & only visit to Houston!!

The space center is very nice. Interesting exhibits and info session. Don't need more than 2 hours if you don't do the tour of the grounds. 1 hour and rather boring so better to skip that. Only allowed to see inside one building and all others were a drive by with a tour guide telling you what was in each building. Souvenirs are ridiculously priced so if you have children with you keep them out of the gift shops. Tiny toys cost $20 to $50. Unless you want a $10 fridge magnet. Heard the one in Florida is much better. But the main space center exhibits are worth the ticket price. And eats and drinks prices are crazy too. $4.59 for small bottle of water.

Awesome place. Very informative. Tips: Come as early as you can. Once you are in, first thing first: get yourself reservation for the training center shuttle and go to the Saturn shuttle. Afternoon lines are getting miserably long.

It's one of those places you have to go, even if it's not something extraordinary. It will depend on how much time you want to spend in the different areas of the space center. There’s no doubt an amazing story behind it, but it’s relatively simple. If you're a nerd even better. But if you're not very connected with these issues, maybe it shouldn't be a top priority on your list.

smooth transaction, had tickets in seconds, arrived to the venue at the scheduled time and was let in immediately

Showed up around 10:30 AM and only the last 2 tours were available for the Astronaut Training Facility, so agree with what people say about showing up as soon as they open to secure a tour.

Rocket Park is available all day, no reservation required and not much of a wait. They send the tram as soon as it's full and the next one is waiting to go.

You technically don't have in and out privileges for parking cause the camera system will flag you twice.. we wanted to go out and get In-and-Out for lunch while waiting for our Mission Control Tour. But the parking ticket does say it's a flat fee for 18 hours, so we were able to get our second parking fee waived at guest services.

Interesting museum, worth the visit

If I could give this a zero star, I would. I can’t imagine a worse museum experience. It was like they were actively trying to make it miserable. The crowd was absurd, shoulder to shoulder with no breathing room. It wasn’t just busy; it felt dangerous, like the kind of crush you’d hear about on the news. And yet, they kept letting people in, cramming more bodies into an already unbearable space. It was so blatant that the only thing they cared about was squeezing as much money as possible out of the day.

The lines were an insult. Two hours to even get into a tour, and that’s if you could figure out where the line actually started. Once we finally got on a tour, it felt like we were being shuffled around like cattle, but worse because at least cattle get to move. We stood in place for what felt like an eternity, overheating and getting shoved around. No one knew what was going on; no signs, no clear directions, nothing. It was chaos.

The staff were hopeless, and I don’t even blame them. It was obvious they’d been left to fend for themselves. There wasn’t a single person in charge, just a bunch of overwhelmed kids trying to keep up with a situation spiraling out of control. People were skipping lines right in front of them, and they either didn’t notice or didn’t care. At some point, you could tell they’d just given up.

This wasn’t just a bad visit; it felt like the museum itself was broken at every level, poorly run, poorly staffed, and completely indifferent to the people who’d paid good money to be there. It was a giant scam with a gift shop at the end. I honestly can’t believe they get away with it.

Do not recommend. Total nightmare.

This attraction is very well done but extremely pricey. 2 senior citizens was almost $66 to enter. Parking was $11. Only there 2 hours. Other parts of the center cost more. Pretty money grubbing place considering our tax dollars funded it in the first place.

Awesome place and well worth the time and money! Loved all of the exhibits and the information provided. The entire place was well laid out and very informative.

I did one of the VIP tours and it was cool to gain access to areas not normally available. Both of the mission control centers were awesome, and I recommended doing a tour of those. You have to pay to park, and the parking lot is very large. There are VIP tours that cost extra that you book in advance as well as several free shuttle tours which you can only reserve in person, so make aurw you plan accordingly.

A comprehensive overview of the history of American space travel. the 110 meter long Saturn V rocket in the nearby hall made a particular impression. Together with the presentations of the different capsules (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo), you realize that these men are balancing on the edge of their abilities.

I parked for free in the small parking by the front main entrance. I walked with my family to all exterior exhibits and took many pictures. We went inside the center and requested to visit the gift shop alone. Anyone is allowed to do this, you get almost an hour to see and purchase many great things at this store. We saved $130+ in tickets by doing this. We went on the Solar Eclipse week so we got to take special exterior pictures too. Once in the main entrance you can also glance and take some quick pictures in the main atrium area.

We loved our visit. All the tram tours were interesting and the staff were friendly and helpful. We had a short talk by a real female astronaut which was an added bonus and was great. We spent all day here so we could see and do everything. Worth the trip from London, UK.

This attraction was my husband’s pick. I could have skipped it. You enter into a huge circular room that has the feel of an open casino. It would have been helpful to have a board posting times for all the special talks, movies, tours so you could plan your visit a little better (and on that subject, I found the website as confusing as the instrument panel on the space shuttle). We chanced into a docent talking about a day on the space station, which was interesting although she talked in a weird way as if she was talking to a kindergarten field trip. We paid extra for the Mission Control tram tour, which we both agreed was pretty cool. The only problem is the tram guide spoke English as a second language. With her accent and weird, halting, carnival carny way of talking, I had a hard time understanding her. The docent at Mission Control was really good. The tour is a short tram ride, a climb up 87 steps (or elevator ride), and you sit in the actual observer’s gallery while a 15-movie of the 1969 moon landing plays in front of the original Mission Control room. After, there is time to take a few photos before riding back. They have a 747 plane with a prototype space shuttle that you can go into. That was about the extent of what I thought was interesting and my husband agreed. He said if the was 12, he might have thought it was more fun, but at 70, he would have rather saved the money.

This would have been a 7 out of 5 stars if it weren't for the gift shop. See more below.

The staff at Space Center Houston are wonderful. From the minute you enter, the staff (even those standing in the sun!) are welcoming and informative. They try to get you through the line as fast as possible. I wish they had an option to skip the photo line, but I understand they are trying to make money.

Inside the Space Center, there are plenty of people ready and excited to assist. I recommend taking the tram tours first. It gets hot during the day, and the tours tend to fill up.

After lunch (which is mediocre), take in a movie while relaxing in one of the amazing theaters or enjoy a live presentation. Don't accidentally skip the opportunity to touch the moon or go through the rocket.

The last stop is always the gift shop. Be warned- this is not where polite and helpful employees can be found. I have had several encounters with employees being rude to young people in the store. I don't know if this is for all students or only the Black and Brown students that I work with, but employees regularly speak harshly, refuse entry, make them put their bags down before entering (which is not a policy enforced for all), and overall make them feel unwelcome. Unfortunately, this has been my experience on more than one visit with more than one employee.

Educators- ask about the discount in the gift shop. It is inconsistent, but sometimes you can get a bit off of your purchase!

This was pretty cool, but the selection for stuff kids could do was pretty slim. Also, there were massive lines to do all of the kids’ things. My 6-year-old is too restless to wait in line to turn a knob so she just didn’t do most of it. The coolest part to us was the VR ride (which costs extra). We did the shuttle ride, but by the time they crammed all of us in there, we were at the back, and it was hard for her to see the screen so… pointless and a waste of money. The VR ride was pretty cool though. The worst part of both lines was the 30 minute to hour long wait. We sat on the floor and played eye-spy or thumb wrestled or something. It took forever! The gift shop was VERY expensive with shirts starting at $25 unless you shopped the one clearance rack and got lucky to find the size you needed. They had stuffed animals for as much as $60. Ridiculous. Some of that could’ve been bought online for way cheaper, but you spend the money because of where you are. I spent around $120 in the gift shop for 3 shirts and a stuffed animal. I cringed.

The membership is worth it if you plan more than one visit in a year. Otherwise the tickets are fairly priced. There are so many fun things for the whole family that you should plan on spending the whole day. The Apollo mission command tour is great for older kids and adults but a lot of kids would find this boring. It costs extra so I would skip it with kids. First thing to do is visit the super helpful people at the info booth. They will point you to where you sign up for a tram tour and you will want to do that right away because the day fills up fast. You can spend hours checking out all the displays in the main building. The food lab is the worst. It’s a complicated and confusing mess. The food is overpriced and not very good. You can leave (ask at the info booth for re-entry rules). Turn left out of the parking lot and on your right you will see all the fast food places you need and a couple restaurants. It doesn’t even take 5 minutes to get there.Getting back is just as easy. I had no issues with re-entry and I did not have to pay twice for parking.
If galaxy lights is happening when you’re there, this is a must see!! They close for an hour (so you can get some dinner) then re-open and the lights are spectacular!! It is a separate fee from admission. You can get tickets to galaxy lights only. It’s worth every penny and you can easily spend a couple hours being amazed by the light show. And they have interactive sections for the kids. We like to end in the main lobby, laying on the floor under the lighted balls that drop from the ceiling. It’s an amazing experience!! Don’t worry if no one else is laying there, they will join you after a minute and soon a crowd will be enjoying the experience and they will be happy you started it.

Fantastic way to spend a day. We were there all day and saw everything we wanted to. Queue early for the Rocket Park tram as queues were mad in the afternoon. We booked the Mission Control tours months prior to our visit and it did not disappoint. Brought lunch onsite at large good hall. Excellent facilities and gift shop.

A massively disappointing day, this was supposed to be the highlight of my first trip to Houston and I was greeted with an overcrowded fiasco.

Upon entering, there were hardly any customer service staff visible - why are all employees gathered together at certain points? It would be very helpful to have employees walking around helping people and being visible and accessible to help plan the visit and with questions this would avoid long lines at guest services.

However the day was pretty much ruined by the tram running between the space center and rocket park breaking down. This resulted in approx 5 tram loads of people being transported back to the main center at the same time plus all the visitors who could then no longer go to rocket park all standing in one huge line for independence plaza. (which incidentally is basically one long shuffle to take a photo at the top in the shuttle cockpit). This could have been managed so much better but no employees to be seen to help with this.

After wasting over an hour waiting for the broken down tram to restart and over an hour and half in the line at Independence Plaza I returned indoors and saw the long lines for everything from the gift shop, the exhibitions, the restaurant and even to the washrooms I left, fed up and without seeing anything else. I feel the day was a waste of time and money, hugely oversold the capacity should have been limited way below the numbers that were there.

I sincerely hope anyone who visited on 29 December 2023 will be offered a complimentary return visit.

Really underwhelming, would be a good place to take kids for the day, but just wasn’t what we’d hoped for.
Souvenir shop is also very expensive.

I really wish I could rate this visit higher and the weather definitely did not help with Hugh downpours, but that aside, we found it to be a very underwhelming visit, especially after visiting other USA attractions.

The hour tour to the astronaut training facility took precisely 45 minutes round trip with commentary that was very difficult to hear and a walk inside the building for around 10 minutes along an elevated walkway and again if you were to the rear of the group, inaudible. The Mission Control room tour was very interesting and the highlight of the visit. Apart from this, the theatre shows were very spaced out and very little else of interest with a further parking charge of $10. Sadly we would not return.

Terrible organization, could've been so much more. Especially considering the outrageous prices. Not worth it, don't recommend.

Is the tour to the Johnson Space Center in Spanish or only in English? Is there an audio guide? I hope you can help me

Pre booked from UK via website, easy process and good value for money.
Recommend first time slot of the day.
So much to see ! We were there 6 hours and still did not not get round everywhere.
Pre booked Mission Control Historical Tour which was amazing.
Staff helpful at information desk.
It was busy in the restaurant but queuing to pre order was fairly quick and we did manage to get seats for 12 of us at 2pm.
Overall, great experience and could easily spend another day there.

Really enjoyed our day at Houston Space Center, lovely tidy facilities, really interesting and suitable for all ages. Would advise booking any of the extra tours, like out to the control center before you go, as we didn't and it was fully booked that day.

A very interesting visit, there are some that look like games for children but if you read the description it is worth it.

I had already seen the NASA Center in Orlando many years ago but since the others had never been there I decided to join them. As you enter the entrance you will find several capsules of spacecraft, suits and various accessories of the astronauts, paintings with all the astronauts gone to the moon; from Apollo 11 onwards and much more. Then you go to the exit and with little trains they take you to see very long spacecraft and others both outside and inside. All my friends were very happy.

We recommend going early. When you get there, go to the counter to book the three individual trips/internal tours, as they book early. You may want to try and leave at least half an hour more than you think you need between the tours. There is a good cafe with reasonable food, but you can also pack your lunch and take a drink bottle.
The internal tours can be quite hot, so take a drink bottle with you. Also, be aware that there may be few or no toilet stops along the way.
We spent all day here and loved it. So, allow plenty of time to look around. We think you need at least one hour for each of the tours, and there are three tours.
A great day.

We recommend arriving there in time. We were there at 10 a.m., paid $10 for parking and were able to fully enjoy the Space Center. Very many details and tours around the center. We thought it was good.

Many queues to catch the train, there is nothing extraordinary, I believe that if it was more consideration would be more fair because the time you stay in queue for the train tour is the longest time of the 3 hours described

A nice website rather poorly organized. We don't know where to start, we don't know where to end the visit. The moon, Mars, shuttle bus, theater, tours with the small train: all in disorder without any conductor wire.
Merchandising quite expensive but hey, that's part of the game.

We had a great commentator and learned a lot about the city. I would suggest this one of the first things that you do when you get to Houston and make your reservations ahead of time.

The space center was terrific. I learned so much about the space program, Apollo and now Artemis.
I grew up with the space program. I remember watching the splash down in 1969, as well as, the tragedy of Challenger.
I have some personal pride with the shuttle as it was my dad who made the parts for the brake assembly at Lockheed.

We arrived right when they opened. Had purchased tickets online ahead of time and was able to bypass a ton of kids and walk right in through security. You do need to pay for parking. Get your tram tickets first thing as they fill up quickly. The Historic Mission Tour is a must, costs extra, but by far the BEST one. No bags larger than the size of a piece of paper allowed. The other 2 are nice, but shorter and not as exciting, but included in your admission price. Make sure and plan enough time between tram tours and the trams can run behind. Food was expensive and drinks not included. Purchase those through vending machines for more $$. Large food court with lots of food options. Easily could spend all day here if you want to do all the tram tours and movies/experiences.

NASA is amazing. However, be sure to purchase your tickets via the Space Center Houston website directly (I am not permitted to put the link for you here.). If you purchase your admission tickets via TripAdvisor they cost $20.00 per person more! AND, TripAdvisor does not make it clear that you need to purchase the TRAM tickets ahead of time, or they could be sold out. All this is quite clear on the Space Center website, but NOT clear on the TripAdvisor website. Definitely GO visit the Space Center, but DO NOT purchase your tickets via TripAdvisor!

Even if you don´t believe those guys went to the Moon, it is a good time to visit the Space Center. Lots to see, pictures to be taken, and a lot of information for the conspiracy theorists. However, if you believe they have been to the moon, it is much better, because you can learn more about every mission, flights, experiences and the astronauts.

This is the second time we went with family. Nice experience. Last time was 8 years ago and we found the tree our kids climbed on near the entrance of the Saturn V exhibit place. I still enjoy seeing the huge rocket and read the history of the Apollo missions. I remembered there's a huge rocket upright outside there and my little on took a picture with it 8 years ago. But this time, it seems not that big (The little Joe II) I guess my kids have grown up so much. Time flies. Anyway, recommend to anyone interested in science.

Went with my husband and 11-year old daughter by car. Do not forget to check in the car parking when arriving! We arrived early in the morning and went directly to the Guest Service to schedule our tram tours (Astronaut train center and campus tour). You can get only the astronaut train center, as to get there you go through the campus and the guide tour gives information about the campus and buildings also. This astronaut tour stops at the rockets spot so you can see the rockets and Saturn V. At the end, you enter the garden with the space shuttle and boeing that you can go inside. Very nice food court with several options available.

Our visit was awesome! Even though we didn’t do the rocket tour, we enjoyed our visit. I visit with my 2 kids ( 5 and 2) and the oldest one really liked it! She was impressed with the spacecrafts and astronaut suits, we would definitely go back and we’re now planning to visit Kennedy Space Center in FL!

Terribly cold. I don't know why they set the air conditioning for full blast on a pleasant spring day. Felt like a summer in San Francisco. I repeatedly had to go outside and sit in the sun to warm up. I wore a sweatshirt but didn't pack a coat since it was spring and it was Houston, but I would have worn a coat if I could have. I finally got a cup of hot water from the coffee folks and carried that around.

Arrived when it opened and walked in smoothly. They take a souvenir photo when you pass through security that you have the option of purchasing at a kiosk. The Space Center is very nice and there are many things to do. They have 3 tram tours. 1 has to be purchased seperately and scheduled (can be done online). The other two are included in the price of general admission. Rocket Park tour does not need a reservation and I would recommend doing that as early as possible. We did it as soon as we got there and waited no time to get there. Later throughout the day (12pm-4pm) there was an extremely long line outside in the heat (they have fans but Texas heat is no joke). The second free tour, you need a reservation for but that's done at guest services when you arrive. I tried to limit my time outside because it was so hot.

Overall a very fun place for couples or families! Would recommend!

if the opportunity arises this place is a must see, we included this as part of our Tour of Texas. Great piece of history, arrive early if you can as this gives you the best options to include the tours with timings to suit. Allow at least 3-4 hours. Really enjoyed !! Parking is charged extra and must be paid online.

A strange experience.

We go into the building and there's music and movement everywhere. Are we in a museum? It's a mess...

The turn of the infographic is very interesting. You only learn to conquer space.

The visit to the control room is just a view and a movie. Okay, well... we don't learn much!

Rocket exposure stops just 2/3 rockets and no explanation. We would have liked to know what the missions brought.

Overall it's still good but it could be better... I don't know if is a must

Brilliant thing to do if you are in Houston, Texas.
Allow the day and book in for the tram tours early.
Each one takes about an hour, and one you pay to do, one is free but you need to book a time slot and the other one you just line up for.

This interactive museum is really good for both adults and kids, there’s lots to do and see, we had a tour round the real operational office and even got to see a mission live on screen

There was a lot to discover with lots of clearly illustrated details.
The staff were friendly and helpful and explained exactly what we needed to pay attention to when we had questions.
The tour of the NASA site was really interesting because you could watch the astronauts and other employees at work.
On another tour we were able to see several rockets and both tours were free.
There was the option to buy something to eat or to eat your own food.
There were also two gift shops.
It was a great experience.

I was not able to get the tram tours that I wanted. It would be helpful if your description includes the necessity to get tram tour tickets in advance.

A little disappointed, though.
A mandatory visit of course but all explanations in English only.
Presentation of the space adventure by films and many objects (capsules, rockets, etc...) do not miss the little train to see the monstrous 🚀 Saturn 5.
Too bad we don't visit the control room.
Sometimes it sounds like an Attraction Park.

Could use better signage for the turn to entrance. It's Very Very! frustrating trying to figure out how to pay for parking fees before you can even go in! Also if you want yo buy any food you have to figure out how to scan a computer screen with your phone and so on no one around to help those of us who were not born into technology also bought a membership could not get it to work for my free parking or food discount it refused to accept my member number the experience just felt like unorganized chaos the only friendly helpful person was the guy in the giftshop. There is alot of cool things to see so I will give it that 😊

Excellent experience. Interesting. Clarify that there is NO Audio Guide for more than 25 years!! Clarify this topic in the site guide

Laying easy on the fascinating space travel, the visitor center is an absolute bull.
Overcrowded, you make a 300 ft. Line to wait for a 3 minute tram trip to see the overwhelming Saturn V space ship (now inside a huge warehouse) with a mediocre information displays that look like they set them up a century ago, then again another 400 ft. line to get back up at the tram for the last 3 minute trip and thyr drop you off at the center… if you could go walking to the Saturn V it could be done in half the time.
They say the opening hours are until 5 pm but that’s a big fat lie, because the trams start running an hour before and you will not have access to the Space Shuttle and other areas since one or half hour before the closing time.
Of course the only open area until the last minute is the souvenir store.
If you manage to move whithin a million people, every exhibit will be so crowded that you will always see the displays over some one’s shoulder.
Bottom line, they have no idea how to care about the visitor’s experience, laying back on the facinating space program.
I cannot encourage not to go, just be prepared for an overpriced and mediocre experience.

We have lived in Texas City all our lives and never been to the Space Center. We had the opportunity to take a missionary that works with Wycliff Translations. She was "over the moon" taken with the Center. The films were absolutely breathtaking. Our memories of the first astronauts was so amazing with the showcases. When we got to the Park, we were so blown away by the magnitude of the size of the boosters. Inside, we saw the four pieces of what makes up the rocket and it was just unbelievable.
After seeing the displays, we could see, in our minds, the whole picture. Not that we understood in full, but we had more knowledge than ever before.
We are very glad we went and will go again with new friends that visit.

Facilities and exhibits outdated and many non functional. Would not recommend it to anyone. wish Soace x was running the space center tours.

Just an excellent experience! Allow for some time here, there is so much to see and do. I would highly recommend a visit to the Johnson Space Center!

I personally loved this, and would go again. My adult daughter and I came to visit the NASA since it had been over 20 years since my last visit. It was awe inspiring. It was truly amazing, it is hair raising and quite captivating. I feel like I did not get enough and would definitely go visit again.

After visiting the Kennedy space centre I had high hopes, but was disappointed for several reasons.

I couldn't book my tickets in advance via the website it just hung so ended up paying more to get in.
Having to pay $10 for parking. Why if you are paying for entrance do you have to pay for parking?
The tour for the traing centre that was part of the price for ticket but was not available due to training.
The tour to the mission control that has an additional cost and on the website said was not running, was running but we didn't now until all the places were booked.
Large queue's for several exhibits.
Lot's of items were mock ups, and those at the rocket garden were in poor condition.

This visitor centre and experience doesn't come any where close to the Kennedy space centre.

Dear oversized for a room as usual very dispersive , without indications on a logical path to follow. Suits and objects placed a little here and a little there. Meteorites, considered very rare, that anyone can touch, without any prohibition, a piece of black stone, defined as coming from Mars, also this at the mercy of all ..

Any activity inside the room is to be paid extra in addition to the already expensive entrance fee. I do not recommend it

Nice experience, very interesting and pleasant. We did the Apollo 11 tour and it was exciting. Ticket prices aligned with US standards (high). Friendly staff.

We went to the space center and had a great day out. There was so much to do, Including free tours, a 50 minute movie and lots of exhibits to walk around and see. Perfect for all ages and we actually spent the whole day here.

It was just ok. Pretty expensive. Parking is separate and charge by the hour, which you don’t find out the cost until you’re leaving. The training center (extra $$$) and rocket park are only available via tram, which means waiting around and not being free to wander around when you want to. What was available for the cost of the ticket was pretty small. Probably great for kids, but even then, I don’t know. I expected more for the hype.

Such an amazing place to visit! Not only adults but kids too. everyone will enjoy. It’s a truly lively and inspiring place. You can gain so much knowledge about past space missions, ongoing projects and details about the planets.

One of the highlights is getting to explore the Space Shuttle Independence mounted on Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. It’s an unforgettable experience! There are also many fun and interactive activities for kids and they absolutely loved them.

You can learn a lot about the life of astronauts their survival techniques and see many original items used in real missions. There’s also a wonderful 15 minute theater show about the Apollo Mission, which adds to the excitement.

The tram tour (buggy cart) from the main hall to NASA’s working facilities is another must do. If you want to explore everything in detail I’d say plan at least 6 hours and it’s totally worth it.

Highly recommended for families. A perfect blend of fun, inspiration and learning.

Extremely disappointed with my recent experience at the Space Center. They canceled the highly anticipated Rocket Park activity without any valid explanation. When I approached them for a refund or an alternative ticket for another day, they nonchalantly stated that the attraction isn't guaranteed. There was no inclement weather or apparent reason for the cancellation. Disappointing service and lack of accountability from the Space Center management. #UnsatisfiedCustomer #SpaceCenterLetdown

Well run and several interesting exhibits and interactive experiences (some free, some at a cost) as well as an opportunity to visit the Apollo 11 Mission Control by tram. One tram should drop off at all locations. Instead these are separate tram rides, perhaps to control numbers. There are free films original space memorabilia on display. Expensive but good food court area serving a diverse range of food. Washrooms on site. Large gift shop. Overly expensive tram ride on a freezing cold day. The most inconvenient part is that there is no shuttle or transportation to the Space Centre from downtown hotels. It is a very expensive taxi ride but more modest ride by Uber or Lyft. That adds greatly to the cost. It is about a 30-40 minute trip each way.

Do NOT visit around the holidays - horribly busy and oversold! We came with a large group/family today (12/26, day after Christmas). Even though they sell timed entry tickets - it doesn’t mean much. The place was jam packed with no apparent limit on guests. The wait for the tram was 1.5-4 hrs (!) and all shows and exhibits also had long lines which rendered the center unusable. Feels like a scam to spend several hundred dollars for a family. This place may be great on a quiet weekday but 10/10 do NOT recommend coming in a holiday week or at a busy time. The center has no care at all for managing crowds.

I purchased my ticket at the kiosk. I was told I was too late for Mission Control upgrade but don’t worry there are other tram tours. It would have been good to have been told that I had to book tickets for those as well. By the time I found out they had gone. Super disappointed as I can’t come again. Some cool things to see but not a huge amount. Nothing on the map to say I had to get tickets!

The tram tours are excellent.

The problem is that to pay for parking you have to register an SMS number with the parking contractor. I called the number on the sign and they said that there was no way they could accept my payment unless I set up an account with them and that could only be done with a cell phone. The man threatened to fine me if I did not comply within 48 hours. Then I called the main number for the Space Center Houston visitor center off of Google Maps. The lady I spoke to could not help me, but directed me to reservations. I called them three times and they have not called me back. I've now spent almost as many hours trying to sort out this parking snafu at I did in the museum. So my experience went from excellent too awful. I still haven't been able to pay so I'm expecting to get fined.

The web site says you can pay inside, but that doesn't work after they close the doors, and nobody I talked to could accept the payment anyway at that's suspicious.

Spent over 4 hours at the space center and was every bit worth it. It was quite busy when we were there but line wait times were not long at all. I do recommend the free tram to Rocket Town the Saturn 1 display is quite impressive and a must see. The two other tram rides that cost $, book ahead they will be booked up by mid-day. Lastly it had a really nice souvenir shop that you need to stop by before you leave. Absolutely loved this place and would go back again in a heartbeat.

Nice and great place to get educated. Kids enjoy it very much . We were able to see astronauts training. Spend the whole day and go early

Enjoyable and interesting for people who are interested in space exploration. We visited at 10 am on a cloudy day with showers and were pleasantly surprised there were no lines. We heard an entertaining talk about the international space station by a young man who engaged well with children and adults alike. He was great and not like the rude staff in the reviews. We paid xtra to go to Mission Control. Our tram guide has a soft voice and did not speak up and also the microphone system was bad so it was hard to hear. My biggest complaint is the high prices. My husband wasn’t sure the Mission Control was worth it. I wasn’t sure the basic admission was worth it. But ignoring how much it cost, we both had a good time.

Ideal for a family trip or even alone.
The visit starts at a museum and passes through different places with equipment, ships, engines to see and photograph.

A day is required to take advantage.

Excellent! What a wonderful story they tell. See it all explained and visual displays. Count on visiting at least 1/2 a day. There is so much to see and do I recommend studying this attraction before coming. You will enjoy!

Enjoyed the tour thru the space center. In the Auditorium they had a presentation by a space shuttle pilot and it good way to start the tour. Only thing is you have to plan ahead for the additional side tours. They were all sold out when we got there so we missed out on mission control tour

Definitely worth visiting if you go to Houston, the museum and all the attractions inside are beautiful. It is worth taking the tour to visit the control room for the moon landing.

Waste of time and money. It's a huge empty warehouse with interesting items few and far between. You couldn't pay me to go back.

Going to Space Center Houston was one of the highlights of my trip to Texas. Going on one of the trolley tours is a must; and I had decided to go on the Historic Mission Control tour. The mission control tour takes you to the actual Mission Control room which was used for the Apollo missions including Apollo 11. The room has been preserved. You sit in the press room with the original furniture in the room, so be careful. The tour is about 90 minutes and the trolley takes you through the NASA complex and you see the various buildings that are still used for the missions today.

With the Space Center itself, there are a variety of exhibits from past programmes to talk about the Artemis and future missions to Mars. I found the exhibits involving the past missions to be most interesting including Project Mercury, Gemini and of course the Apollo missions. The gift store on site if probably is most extensive of any of the major tourist attractions in Texas perhaps apart from the Alamo and I spent over an hour inside.

Space Center Houston is not a place where you can rush through. With only one trolley tour, it took about 5 hours to look around the place, take in a tour, and browse the gift store. This is a place where you can easily spend all day. Well worth the admission and time spent.

...pay full jar 35 bucks per person to have the attractions canceled. ..never again! C of the manifest flight. .....

Went on home school day. Had to wait till 10 am when it opened to the public. First thing you need to do upon entering is secure your ticket to the astronaut training facility, as you need a timed ticket for that tram.

Spent about 4 hours there. Great things to see.

Did not do the Mission Control tram, was an extra $15 per person. They should just charge more for the admission then include it. Seemed silly, all the up charging at tourist attractions in Houston.

We absolutely loved this place. The one thing we were disappointed in is that we did not get to do an activity that we were told could only be booked on site and not online. It was booked up when we got there which is crazy because we got there an opening. So we ended up booking a space center training tour, which was really cool. The one thing I recommend is that you get there on a weekday because the astronauts do not train on the weekend weekends only on the weekdays. So if you go on a weekday, you might be able to see one.

We had lunch in the food court, which was delicious but very expensive. It cost about $60 for three of us to have lunch. I had the barbecue brisket, cream, corn and potato salad. It was really good. You order your food at a kiosk, which was pretty easy. We got our food in about 10 minutes.

The stores and gift shop were filled with lots of fun things but pretty expensive. For example, the sweatshirts are $50 apiece.

I really enjoyed all of the videos and movies that we watched while there they were extremely informative and very well done and entertaining

We learned a lot, and it was a great time

The reason we chose to visit Texas.
To meet friends and visit the space centre.
A huge complex with lots of different areas, exhibitions and attractions to see.
We spent over 4 hours there and the time flew by.
The tours were very useful, informative and helped give us enough time to see a lot of what this complex had to offer.
I really enjoyed seeing Mission Control, touching the moon and had fun blasting into space on the simulator.
It was great to go inside of a jet, see mock ups of astronauts, their suits, flight equipment and discover things I hadn’t thought about.
It had places to sit, to eat, drink and shop.
I found it easy to get around, the staff were helpful and the place was very clean and well organised.

We really enjoyed visiting this space center. The weather was beautiful. There was so much to see and do. I was excited to see the space shuttles. The movies were so interesting too.

Must visit Houston, to spend more than half a day.
The most interesting thing is the display of rockets and the reconstruction of the first landing on the moon.
Pleasant experience, but not exceptional.

Great spot to enjoy and understand the US space program. Mission Control site is interesting, and several artifacts and items are available.

Our self guided tour of the Houston Space Center was a bit underwhelming.
There are more exhibits promoting the next mission to the moon and future missions to Mars than there are about the history of the space program. The trolley tour is interesting but 80% of it is learning about the big cement buildings you pass by.

It is said that adults and children can enjoy it, but children seem to enjoy it more. There were a lot of groups of kids, probably a school event, and I was running around quite annoyingly, which made it difficult to read the text in the exhibition.

Fascinating day. So much to see and learn. Excellent value for money. Only recommendation is to book the Training Visit in advance as it gets full quickly.

We got to the Space Center, and it was raining, so we were on an Uber, so it left us on the sidewalk, so we needed to kind of run to a tent they put so you could get your tickets, in all that process we got kind of wet.

Inside the Center, many of the exhibitions where not working at the time, some looked old and other where only videos explaining some of the equipment. Not that fun or interactive.

After that we decided to take the tour on the trams that is an option to visit some of the facilities. But the nasty part was when it started to really rain, the carts on the tram had no protection against the rain. So, my two kids, my mother-in-law, my wife, and me got really wet. Me more than any one is I took the seat that was at the end of the row, so they didn't get so wet.

It was a really bad experience to get so wet, we were already feeling a bit sick, and this did its part. We tried to get ourselves a bit dry at the restrooms, but it was impossible, so we bought some t-shirts and some sweatshirts at the souvenir store, so we won’t get too cold.

They should put some protection to the carts of the tram so you don’t get wet and you can still see the facilities and visit them.

Real good day lots to learn and plenty to see
Staff were very helpful
The souvenir shop really cool lots of choices and prices good

It is clearly a must if you pass by

We love it end to end and we loved everything

A busy day with our teenagers

A real living museum

No one got into the control to get pictures and look about the who point of the tour and paying extra, we just got look through the window after 30min video and waste of money, hurried out the viewing room by the tour guide only got to take a picture quick at the window on way out , no one got in to the control after spending 15mins telling us not to touch anything, just another con job to make as much profit and get as many folk in and out

Unfortunately, this was such a disappointing tour for us. We were there by 9:30 in the morning yesterday and yet we could not see the Mission Control portion on site. We were told they were sold out for the day. One would think they could do a better job of getting people in and out of scheduled mini tours at NASA. As a young girl I grew up following the Apollo missions on tv and seeing Mission Control guide those astronauts on their missions and back. I traveled more than 1000 miles to tour NASA only to be told there were no available tours for the rest of the day - we were there the first hour they opened. Another thing not very well thought out was the scheduling of theater showings. We did not get in to see any of the four that were suppose to be available yesterday in their theaters. These presentations were only 30 or 15 minutes long, but the viewings were scheduled so far apart. We were going to have to wait more than an hour to see any of the viewings on the screens. What we did see was great, but there truly needs to be more availability throughout the day of what you are saying is available to see and do there at NASA. You were not prepared for the crowd there at NASA on Tuesday. Unfortunately, our family missed out on too many available opportunities that just weren't available yesyerday.

Some interesting stands but very dated for what is included in the price. New features are chargeable in addition to the price of the ticket. Parking (required) costs $10. The shop and the food are very expensive.
The rocket train tour is interesting, the training site tour is actually a tour of the buildings from the outside, no interest. The Mission Control tour for an additional fee can be interesting if you are nostalgic for the first man on the moon. No information in French. 4 hours on site.
We are disappointed. Cape Canaveral in Florida is much better!

Very crowded. Underwhelming, was expecting lots of hardware but in reality maybe only 30% of the indoor area was dedicated to actual space related exhibitions. The rest was a huge cafeteria, and grossly overpriced shops. ($11 for a small metal keychain). There are fans on the tram tours but no AC, and the general admissions tickets are way oversold. You should pay to have a good time, not pay to subject yourself to indirect torture. Disappointed

This is a great way to kill time learning about our nation’s space program. We went on a Sunday morning and had no issue parking. The line was long but moved very quickly. Inside was quite spacious (!) with lots of activities. The sign at the desk said that there tram was sold out but that turned out to be a mistake. The tram ride to the astronaut center was fun, but we could only hear about 30% of the guide’s words; the speakers were poor and the tram was noisy. We would come back for another visit as 3 hours wasn’t long enough.

We went here while on our 24 day deep south bus trip with Nagel Bus Tours.We had a great visit to the center.We visited the command center where My uncle sent all the information from the moon visit when he was in Quito Equador to the command center so everyone could see the moon landing.It was a good visit and I would go again

Space Center is interesting, but I expected more. I have visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and liked it more. It is located in Galveston, a town about 30min drive from Houston. The coolest thing for me was to visit the Saturn V rocket, which is part of the only TRAM ride that is included in the general ticket. I couldn't do the other tours, they need to be scheduled early in the morning, as soon as you enter the Space Center. Another legal point is to be able to get to know the Boeing and the Space Shuttle from the inside. There is a large area for the next mission to Mars. There are some paid simulators apart. Watch the movie that shows the work of NASA over the years, it is quite interesting. If you've never visited a Space Center before, you might like Houston, but if I could choose, I would choose Florida.

My wife and I are both in our 60’s, don’t think this is just for kids, we had a brilliant day arriving at 1020am and leaving when the announcement came to leave the centre.

I did find the Space Centre internet site slightly confusing so I’m writing a review I would like to have read. When you book you need to consider the following:

1. The General Admission fee and timed entry to the site;
2. If you pay the additional fee to do the Mission Control tour what time you are going to do it.
3. Once onsite book a slot with reception for the Astronauts training facility
4. Join the line for the tram to the rocket park.

I booked the Mission Control tour for 1120 and General Admission time slot for 1100 to 1130.

After doing this I realised that was a mistake as by the time I entered the site the tickets for the tram tour to Astronauts training facility may have sold out, also I didn’t have much time if there was a long line for the reception team.

The ticket stated under no circumstances turn up early.

What actually happened:

We arrived at 1020, the line went beyond the Space Shuttle.

Nobody took any notice of the time entry and there was nobody in the line to book the Astronauts training tour which we got at 1330 (perfect).

My tips are therefore:

- Book as early an entry time as fits with your logistics
- Take a picture of the section you have parked in , the signs are small.
- If you have a hire car take a picture of the registration number if you are an International visitor as you will need to pay for parking at reception
if your mobile doesn’t work in the USA and state the license number.
- For lunch the salad bar is excellent

What a great day it was, truly inspiring.

Magnificent facilities, the entrance is a little inconvenient, they charge for parking electronically, very innovative

Visited with wife and teenage son. We all walked away hot, sweaty and entirely unimpressed. Many of the exhibits are outdated, broken or just not interesting. Expect to read a lot if want to learn anything.

Most disappointing part is tram ride to training facility. Besides entering a hot hallway overlooking a “training facility” with no one in there and nothing of interest to be seen. Entire time you’re listening to tour guide who sounded equally as bored as everyone on tour just talking amongst themselves. She even said is anyone even listening?

Most shocking and disturbing was the 2 inch roach climbing along the wall and as you get to the stairs to exit there were cobwebs and huge spiders everywhere.

Considering $30 entrance fee $10 parking fee on land that they tell you was donated to them I would expect the tour areas so be cleaned once in a while. That’s embarrassing.

Was a dud for my family. If you like space then I can see how you would enjoy some parts.

Go early to beat the crowds.

The presentations were amazing. We were fortunate to be there when Brian Duffy was speaking. There was always a new demonstrations for all ages about every 2 hours. Food was reasonable and easy to order . The displays from all the past mission, current missions and future mission were there and many were interactive. Wish we had more time to explore. Well worth the time and money

I liked the short movie in the auditorium and a visit to the preserved control center of the Apollo 11 first moon landing. The space shuttle sitting atop a 747 was amazing. But overall this place was neither educational nor entertaining. Too dark, too confusing, no plan or direction given except “Wander about.”
Visit “NASA” on Wikipedia to better learn about the great accomplishments and history of NASA, for free.

Visited April 4, 2024. After spending $30 for the entry ticket and $10 for parking I had high expectations, but it was a huge disappointment.
- Despite timed entry tickets, the museum was severely overcrowded and there were long lines everywhere, even to get into the gift shop. The films and exhibits don't have enough seating - unless you get there 20-30 minutes before each show starts, be prepared to stand or sit on the floor. Visitors are allowed to bring in kids age 3 and younger for free, so be prepared to watch the films next to a screaming baby or a toddler throwing a tantrum. There is no staff around enforcing basic rules of behavior.
- The museum is a disorganized mess and there is no cohesive narrative for the visitor to follow. Don't expect to learn much (or anything): the exhibits are very basic and there are hardly any interactive displays.
Save your money for another museum.

A very informative experience. We went on a Saturday which was extremely busy, I would definitely recommend getting here on a weekday if you can.
Enjoyed the interactive exhibits and actually seeing and getting in past space capsules etc.
We were unable to get on any tram tours as they were booked out which was disappointing, tip is to book straight away when you get there!
I feel it was a little chaotic with no direction as to how you should ho about exploring the center. It is kind of a fend for yourself situation. A guide on how to go through would have made for a better experience. And maybe an option for a self guided audio tour.
I would also say as a parent this is not really a great attraction for small children.

Very rich in information. The different themes well staged. Fun and perfect even for uneducated people in aeronautics

The space center itself is very good. It is for ages 8+. I took a 5 (almost 6) year old. He did enjoy most of it. I do want to let everyone know that the gift shop is uncharging on all items. I bought a Mars Explorer for $54.00 only to find out it is usually 37.00 anywhere else. Do not support the gift shop. I find no reason to pay a fee to come in to be ripped off in the gift shop.

Great place but the reason I only gave this 3 stars was because of all the unruly children. I was pushed to the extent I nearly fell over. They were rude and totally out of control. It was the school’s responsibility to keep a check on the children but that didn’t happen at all. So much so we cut our visit short.
The gift shop was good and reasonable priced, but again unruly children made it hard to purchase anything.

Excellent place to visit, very well detailed, many things to see and excellent atmosphere to hang out with the family

Visit accessible to all, as the US knows how to do. Pleasant welcome and very clear explanations. There is something to see and read. For teenagers and young adults passionate about astronomy, it is a complement that illustrates the environment of human flights quite well. The reality is much more complex but this place allows you to believe in your dreams. Spend the day there.

Loved Space center Houston. We got the city pass and did not have to have a time slot for arrival. We scanned the city pass at the door after security and could even leave and come back that same day if needed. A little crowded but it was spring break in Houston. Great time and even had activities for the kids to build and create.

An astonishing display and delve into the history of Space Travel. So much to see learn and do. Location easy to get to; staff friendly and knowledgeable. Loads of entertainment from films, interactive displays and performances. It's a must stop for people of all ages, those who lived through it and those learning from it. The only thing that seemed a bit daft in the age of the smart phone was the cost of the photo package a minor issue in a fabulous place. Would definitely go back.

As a family with adult children we visited the space centre.
To begin with was parking. There were many spaces and it was easy to do which surprised us as we were international visitors. Just text the details and follow instructions and pay by debit card and your account is charged no problem.
We had a city pass for entry which gave us admission to centre and 3 tram tours. Least enjoyable tram tour was the campus tour as even though the tour operators were informative it was just a trip round car park and outside of buildings
Our favourite part especially my other half was the visit upon the 747 with the shuttle on top. It is a climb but there are lifts on each section.
There are many activities for people of all ages.
Only down side was inclement weather which stopped us being outside .
A must do if in Houston

This was my second time to Space Center Houston, with the first being 2 years ago in 2022. Both times centered around bringing my boy(s) to space camp for the week. In 2022, I tacked on the Mission Control VIP tour, which is done in the AM and is well worth it! This year I opted for the other VIP tour, Astronaut Training, which was from 1 - 4 pm. Along with admission to the Space Center, which is awesome by itself, the VIP experience takes you behind the scenes over at Johnson Space Center. The Astronaut Training VIP tour was OUT OF THIS WORLD! We left the Johnson Space Center property and went to the neutral buoyancy lab - simply amazing!

Whether you opt for the VIP experience or not, spending a day at Space Center Houston will bring the inner child out in you and you will be in awe!

We visited with our two daughters, 5 and 12 after buying tickets online. The app was recommended to plan our day and contained more information than the website but wasn’t particularly easy to navigate. We went straight to guest services to book the astronaut training facility tour. Like other visitors, we found the facility pretty disappointing but the tram ride around the site gave us a better idea of the scale of the NASA facilities. The films and snoopy story time were highlights - be sure to plan your visit using the app info about timings for these. For a forward-thinking technology based place there was limited engagement for children around the exhibits, with a lot of buttons/functions out of order. The food/drink was expensive and poor quality so would recommend taking your own. We enjoyed spending the family time together but our visit could have been better for the money we spent.

We had a BLAST! We thought 3 hours would have been enough but we easily spent 4 hours exploring the rockets and taking tours, as well as having lunch. There are 2 gift shops on the grounds, one definitely has more than the other. We did a tour to see the Saturn rocket and even saw actual Longhorns along the way! The video in the auditorium was informational. Overall, a great experience and we learned so much!

Very interesting place to visit, but make sure to get there early and then get in line for the Saturn V tour as line ups start getting long in the morning. Very interesting exhibits and tours are available. Very friendly staff. Highly recommended and look forward to going back.

I traveled to Houston from California for the 2025 Houston marathon and made sure to visit the Space Center. Rocket Park, with its incredible rocket engines and the awe-inspiring Saturn V vehicle, completely blew my mind. The sheer size of these machines is overwhelming, especially when you realize they were designed and built in the 1960s! It’s a powerful reminder of what humanity can achieve when we work together.

This experience made me reflect on the importance of hard sciences. While coding is valuable, it’s built on a foundation of math, physics, and chemistry—disciplines we must continue to prioritize for the next generation. If I’m lucky enough to have kids someday, I’ll make sure they excel in math (and running). This visit wasn’t just inspiring—it was a call to action for the future.

We arrived at opening and left at closing. We had pre-booked the Mission Control Tour, we were able to do both the Rocket and the Astronaut Training tour as well and see most of the rest of the facility but it was tight. We didnt go on the rides in the main foyer but did see the shop.
We loved the centre and would highly recommend.
I am in a wheelchair and the tours and the centre was accessible without fault.

a fantastic experience
Many beautiful photos , explanations and live experience on how everything works in space
seen a lot on TV but in real life hugely bigger

Fascinating information and exhibits. It would have been ideal if the displays were more chronologically placed. Walking into the space shuttle and the 747 was a highlight.

Wow! Was a great afternoon we spent five hours and didn’t take the added tours Mission Control) as they were booked ( if wanting..should book these on line) set up really well, lots of information to read at each station. Touched a rock from the moon, saw the Canadian arm, original Apollo rocket , and shuttles, carriers and much more. Wheelchairs available as lots of walking
Well worth the trip tgere was a senior rate available for entry!

Very interesting and a must see when in Houston. The mission control tour was the peak of my visit and definitely worth going to. Maybe the most interesting "specialty museum" I have been in. One star I deducted from the restaurant. Chicken sandwich was a awful. Merely a bun and chicken with nothing on it. Eat before you go.

Of course we can remember exactly where we were when the first men landed on the moon, so this visit brought back so many memories, we were there for about 5 hours, there was plenty more to see though ......... We focused on the Space station mainly, to see the components, the Space Shuttle sat upon the Boeing it was all quite fantastic. Also, I didn't realise quite how many astronauts there have been. So glad we were able to visit.

The space and science learning center was fascinating!
It was great seeing the vast collection of spacesuits, who wore them and during which missions. The Starship Gallery was my favorite with so many artifacts that taught us about the progression of space exploration like the following:
The Apollo 17 Command Module
The Lunar Rover Trainer
The Lunar Samples Vault
The stories didn't stop there. It delved into personal stories like Gene Kranz, the smartly dressed flight director of the Gemini and Apollo programs. They spoke of the famous vests he wore during each mission which were all made by his wife for good luck.
If you ever decide to visit, arrive early because there are many tours and programs to see. I watched a few presentations regarding the galaxy and the space missions that were not successful and the lives that were lost.
This was a great history lesson, not to be forgotten.

I wanted to go to the Space Center from my hotel in downtown Houston, but the metro bus wasn't running on weekends, so I took Ubar for the first time. It was cheaper and more comfortable than a taxi. At the Space Center, a real? Life-size? three-stage rocket from the Apollo program is on display. There's also a space shuttle. There's also a moon rock? Wow, that's amazing. There's romance in space~
There's no space program like the Apollo program in 🇺🇸 now? What's going on?

Great and historic place to visit. I recommend getting tickets online and add Mission Control to admission. Buy tickets early and arrive early, as it gets really crowded by noon.

We all had such a a great day..... weather was perfect , had a chance to experience the eclipse as well as the museum.

Having done the regular tram tour before, this time I splurged for the two VIP tours. They are each three (3) hours long and cover different behind the scenes areas of JSC. If you're a space nerd/geek/enthusiast, it doesn't get much better!

Aside from the tours, the SCA and model shuttle Independence exhibit were also new for me (and hubby). The plane was actually the more interesting (especially after having done the VIP tours). It's one thing to hear that its interior has been gutted, and another to see it up close.

To save time we preordered pizza for lunch using the app. The pizza was undercooked.

Despite the ridiculous amount of people (we were there on the Saturday before the eclipse), this place was a highlight for almost everyone in our group. We'd booked months out via the website, and booked a timed entry ticket and a Mission Control tram tour. The Mission Control tour was amazing - and worth the extra cost, at least in our opinion. Rocket park was also really cool - and the Saturn V was a huge hit.

The super long line up to see the Independence was not something we expected, and after our tram tour to Mission Control, was lined up all the way to the Falcon 9. It was a really long wait, but one we endured as seeing the Independence was something a few in our group wanted to see.

The cafeteria was PACKED and getting food was also long, and finding a table was a chore in and of itself. That being said, the food was tasty and hit the spot.
We didn't see any of the shows, since the place felt like it was at capacity and there was hardly any room to move, and we briefly moved through the exhibits. The Skylab area was backed up, and after having waited in long lines for the orbiter, we skipped this.

Although it was super busy, we still enjoyed, and if there's a next time, we'll come on a less crazy day so we can explore it better.

Tip - do the viewing of the orbiter and the 747 FIRST, then take the next available tram to Rocket park. Bring your own snacks, and a refillable water bottle (super grateful for that if you're wanting to cut down on expenses because the gift shop is expensive, but where else can you get Space Center Houston named souvenirs.

First of all, I would recommend purchasing a membership. It makes enjoying the Centrr that much more. We arrived right when they opened and left 6 hours later. We enjoyed 2 tram rides, one to the Historic Mission Control Center that has been completely renovated to look as it did years ago. There was a 15 minute video that was very informative. We also took the tram ride to Astronaut Training Facility. This facility trains astronauts for current missions and where the next generation of space exploring vehicles are developed. We watched a couple of movies in the theater, which were very educational. There were so many great displays that it's hard to talk about all of them.

If you’re curious about space, Space Center Houston is definitely worth a visit. Not only are there real space shuttles and rockets, but you can also take a deep visit to the historic mission control center and astronaut training facilities through a NASA tour to take part in a personal space exploration. Saturn V in the Rocket Park shocks people and recreates the spectacle of human lunar landing. The exhibition area is rich, interactive and very suitable for parents to travel with children. It is recommended to book a NASA tram tour in advance to fully experience the world of astronauts. The overall design combines education and entertainment, and is a difficult to see space-themed museum that is full of surprise and admiration from start to finish.

This is an expensive place. Tickets are a lot of money if you factor in the Mission Control add on. It is just insulting to then demand a further 10 dollars for parking. This is an interesting attraction but it just isn’t good enough for the money. I also must echo other reviewers’ thoughts about staff attitude. The ‘team’ running the trolley rides are just rude. Their language is abrasive and they clearly hate their jobs. This was best evidenced by an enlightening conversation between three of them saying how terrible the rotations are and how generally crap everything is. The commentary whilst you are travelling to and from exhibits is devoid of passion and interest. It’s cut and paste words that belie a true disgust for the attraction and its customers. The words are a shallow as an empty swimming pool.

This place is amazing! Along with the Space Center, we also did the Command Center tour, which was just awesome! Being in the place where the Apollo 13 situation was handled was really beyond words. It was interactive enough with the videos and real time graphs that the kids were super into it. Knowing the Space Station Command Center was just a floor away was really cool to the kids, too. Just know if you go on that tour, you can't take any bags up to there so backpacks, purses and diaper bags have to stay downstairs in the lobby area on a table.
The actual Space Center was very well laid out and we were able to walk through all of the exhibits in a few hours. We could have definitely spent more time here, though! If you are planning on eating here, make sure you go early in the day because all the food stuff was closed by the time we got there in the afternoon, after our tour. Overall, the kids loved it. I'm not sure if we would come back just because there are so many other things to do in the area, but it is definitely worth the visit while in Houston!

A ton of history for space enthusiast to explore. Make sure you get tickets for the control room tour ahead of time. This is where you get to hear and see what they saw during the moon landing. Also do the quick tram tour to the Saturn V rocket. Plan on spending some time here as there is much to see.

A wonderful day of history especially for those who lived through the years of the space race to the moon.

I went on a fall afternoon, and it was not crowded. I didn’t have to get tickets ahead of time. The add-on for the Johnson Space Center Command Center was worth every penny and definitely the highlight. A tv monitor showed film from the moon launch - as we sat where family would have watched. Awesome. The other displays and facts about the upcoming Artemis program were all well done. An entertaining staffer demonstrated space station living conditions. Good for kids and adults.

This was a very informative museum about space travel. I particularly liked the tram ride to the Apollo Control Room which I remembered seeing in my youth and was the highlight of my whole holiday. The other exhibits were interesting but need to be organised better. They seemed to be plonked down whether there was a free space. I prefer the Ikea method of museum layouts which directs you in a logical way around the exhibits.

Impressive piece of history and some cool items exhibited. I certainly learned a few things and was entertained. There is a bunch of unnecessary hassles and unexplained idiosyncrasies that could be easily remedied by a simple walkthrough (mystery shopper?) and staff training.
It is an exercise of uncertainty from the beginning (starts with buying tickets online) through the tram rides (which line is included in the ticket and which is not, when they depart, etc.) and the ice cream shop (you need to buy a ticket to pick up your ice cream, but there is no sign and the staff does not tell you if you just approach the stand) until the end (how to get back to the exit from the space shuttle).
The staff is semi-helpful (usually kind, but give incorrect or contradictory information), and signage is so-so.
Investing a small portion of a single day’s revenue could bring this to be a 5-star experience.

Booked an 11AM entry with the Mission Control Tour. When we got there, tried to get the Astronaut Training tour, unfortunately it was all booked up for the day already. This would be my major complaint. Fair bit of stuff inside but seems aimed at kids a lot. Moon display is very cool and going in the 747 was something different. The Apollo Mission control was definitely worth the extra bit.

I purchased the 3 PM last tickets for the day. Upon entering I was handed a brochure which also happens to have details of self guided tour. I still went to the customer service counter and asked if I need to know anything before I start my tour. I was told to look in the booklet and showed few highlights to see including shows / movies and a tram tour to the park. So I started the tour since I had solid 3 hrs before closing. We were inside for few hrs and watched a horrible show targeted for elementary school kids and wasted precious 30 mins of show time and 15 mins waiting for the show thinking it is very important. The rest of the tour was miserable as there are more kids under 5 years of age crying and throwing fits so one can hardly focus on learning anything in that ambience. We went to the tram tour spot to find that the last tram left for the day. We still had more than an hour left to closing so wandered around a little and visited gift shop and left. Overall my suggestion is please do not bring very young kids. They are not going to learn anything. Even for adults like me and my kids 20&18 we will learn more from a television show at NASA or NASA.ORG than visiting this place. Just waste of my money.

We visited the Space Center Houston on the Friday after Thanksgiving. We had purchased our tickets in advance & also tickets to the Mission Control Tour. We were only in Houston on a layover for 18 hours & our only objective was to visit the Space Center. We arrived at 9:30am & were able to walk directly on to a Rocket Park tram. Later we saw that the lines were weaving through the building, they were so long & causing a lot of congestion. We encountered senior aged employees in Rocket Park & Mission Control that were very pleasant & seemed happy to be there. The young adult / teenage employees did not seem to care at all about their jobs or to interact with the public, very poor. All in all we were very happy with our visit. It was difficult to find information about how to plan our visit in advance, we read the information online but it could have been more comprehensive. Things that could be improved: reduce congestion throughout Space Center by queuing the lines for the trams differently, have employees that actually care about their jobs, explain in more detail on the website how to plan your visit including explaining that you must take a tram, you cannot walk to locations. We also did not like having our photo taken before entering the building to then find out we could get a copy of the photo for THIRTY DOLLARS! Not cool.