Space Center Houston

Space Center Houston

Space Center Houston
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Located in the heart of NASA’s spaceflight program, Space Center Houston is a must-visit for fans of space exploration. With more than 400 space-related artefacts and numerous interactive exhibitions, you can easily spend a whole day learning about NASA’s history and current work. Be sure to hop on the tram tour too, which takes you around the real site of the Johnson Space Center, including the original Mission Control room and a behind-the-scenes look at the astronaut training facilities. You might want to join VIP tours by NASA experts to gain a deeper understanding and inside knowledge of the center. – Tripadvisor
Duration: More than 3 hours
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AU$50.61
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  • Tdotontario
    Toronto, Canada281 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting Destination for Space Enthusiasts.
    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.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 30 October 2023
  • nickswlon
    Teddington, United Kingdom470 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    What problem?
    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.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 4 November 2023
  • sharrongeg
    Henderson, Nevada3,774 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Go in the afternoon
    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.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 November 2023
  • Patricia
    Oxford, United Kingdom264 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Simply amazing
    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.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 November 2023
  • RD-JFD
    Pendleton, Oregon42 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cool and Educational Experience
    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.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 November 2023
  • PxD
    Burlington, Canada2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Public/Ground transportation from Bush IAH to Houston Space Centre
    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.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 15 December 2023
  • marie b
    Winnipeg, Canada351 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing exhibits
    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.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 December 2023
  • victoriabO2792YC
    Christchurch, New Zealand140 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    To space and beyond
    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.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 December 2023
  • BT362
    Saskatoon, Canada295 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very interesting
    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.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 29 December 2023
  • Glenn Y
    Los Angeles, California162 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome and informative
    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.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 30 December 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles9,971 reviews
Excellent
5,418
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2,740
Average
1,191
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376
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246

Y Not?
Orange County, CA98 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Maybe it was just bad timing? Large crowds of rude adults and children. Couldn't watch or hear the short video because of loud0 talking by adults and kids. Tram tour line was way too long with standard admission ticket so we paid extra to upgrade. Tour had same problems of people talking so loud you couldn't hear the guide when we were touring a building. The guide's microphone wasn't working properly so information transfer was zero! Too disappointing for the cost and time!
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ninni R
Helsinki, Finland865 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
This place has been on my bucket list forever and now I finally had the chance to visit. You have to go right when it opens up at 10am or there is a huge line waiting for you. Also you have to get into the line for the tram tours, since they only have limited capacity and are sold out in minutes! Right now the main area is under construction for a new exhibition so even to there is alot to see, there could be more (for the price). We came at 10am and left around 3pm! There is wifi and many diners located inside.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

D H
Jackson, MI433 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Typical Space Center Exhibits. A little disappointed in the visit compared to other space centers we have toured. It was during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, so this is NOT the time to go unless you want to not see things and wait in lines. The hour-long lines just to get into pay to the parking lot should have given us the indication of how the rest of the trip was going to be. Parking was difficult and spots were far and few between. Luckily the main thing that we wanted to see was the Space Shuttle exhibit and we were able to see that without a problem. We ended up buying our tickets online to miss the long lines outside, but that meant paying more because online didn’t allow me to use my AAA discount which would have saved $10.00. (another hour in line vs $10) Once in, we find that we would have to wait for approximately 4-6 hours to go over to the Johnson Space Center on the Tram and we had to “book it” at the ticket station. There was already a huge line all the way down the aisle. We were going to pass on that, because we did not have that kind of time. We were able to see the Boeing jet and the Space Shuttle exhibits. There are many stairs to climb to each level, but there is also an elevator if you need that assistance. Another notable difference here from other Space Centers is that there is many, many more exhibits and hands on things for the kids to do. So, if you have kids, this would be a great place to take them. The gift shop had the normal swag. However, if you are larger than an XL, you
will not be able to purchase a NASA t-shirt because they only had a couple of things in 2X and nothing 3X or larger.
Written 1 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Itza S
Green Bay, WI90 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Solo
A total cluster. Complete, unorganized mess, not even a site map to try to get to things you're interested in. Plan on spending half your day standing in line, often in one you don't want to be in. Also, plan on a full day of kids treating the entire place like a playground or having tantrums and newborn to 2 year olds crying hysterically to no end. What's with people taking minutes to take a picture?....and then not move until they show their entire group the picture and discuss where to walk next instead of getting out of everyone else's way that want to take a picture? Back to the unorganized mess, a few minutes shy of 2 hours before closing, I find all trams are closed off. I'm one person yet a group of 12 that showed up at the same time were told they'd get them on and I said "I'm only one", and was told, sorry, we're closed. What up wit dat? I can't imagine this place during a busy tourist season. I sure expected more, certainly better information inside.

On the positive side, a few cool things but you're on your own trying to figure things out. I wanted to pay extra for a tour but couldn't as I'm only one person and I have to be 1 of a group of 10. Also on the positive, very clean facility including the bathrooms

HUGE TIP: If you are with 4 or more, consider paying for a family membership, that gets you all in and you all get priority seating on trams and won't waste the accumulated equivalent of half a day standing in line so no worries about missing anything.
Written 15 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rsbdesign
Carmichael, CA68 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Space Center Houston has a wonderful indoor space exhibit running the gamut from Gemini/Apollo to the International Space Station plus a very cool outside exhibit of one of the space shuttles. You're able to go inside the shuttle to see things up close. You'll need to take a tram tour to see anything outside the exhibit space as the rest of the complex is a working space center. Also available for an extra fee is "Lunch with an Astronaut". You get lunch and the astronaut in attendance talks about being in space and answers questions anyone might have. Included with the lunch is an autographed picture of the astronaut and a photo op. Make reservations on line in advance for the lunch and you purchase the admission to the space center at the same time which saves time as there's no need to stand in line for tickets. As with most places, arriving early is your best bet as it gets really crowded by early afternoon.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Halkidis
Southwest Finland, Finland4,680 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We were in Kennedy Space Center few years ago and had a great time, so we really looked forward to get here. Main building was a disappointment, "restaurant" serving expensive sub par fast food, gift shop so crowded and under staffed, that it was impossible to buy anything. After that 45min wait in the line, to get a ride to Rocket Park, which was interesting, but quite small with few rockets(although one huge). After that there were loooong lines to 2 different Tours. We decided to take Mission Control Tour, because guide said that line is "only about 45mins to 1 hour", that another line was way longer and people were really getting angry and children tired. Short ride to Mission Control building, which was basically 10-15mins Tour and then back to Rocket Park....where you will AGAIN wait in the line to get a ride back to Main Building. All those buildings were quite near each other, so easily walkable, but you can't walk there, so their "tram" is only option. We were their about 4 hours and over half of that time, we were standing in the line and saw only couple of interesting things...and I am a space fan after all!
Written 15 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mariovK5544HD
Houston, TX60 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We are frequent visitor to the Space Center, living in Houston we are members meaning we can visit the place as many times as we want in a period of 12 months (we highly recommend it). And every time we go we find exciting things.
The Galaxy of lights was one of the most beautiful things we saw, it is comparable to the festival of lights at Moody Gardens.
If you visit Houston or surrounding cities this us a must see.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sspeidel12
Fenton, MI257 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
This was a great day trip for our group. There are several exhibits, done hands on and other jaw dropping experiences. We'd recommend booking tickets and extra experiences ahead of time (currently tickets are time specific). You'll want to download the app so you can join the virtual queue for the tram rides. The tram rides will take you into buildings where actual work is being done.
Written 4 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gerald C
Texas126 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
My daughter wanted to visit the Space Center Houston for her 17th birthday.

Prior to the trip I found that it was worth my time to purchase the membership for friends and family. I wanted to get the military discount and purchase the membership before the trip. I called (left a message) and emailed the Space Center. They responded to both within 24 hours and I was able to purchase the membership over the phone. Once I got the membership I was able to go to there website and secure a date and time. I also received a call prior to the trip and I was informed about the mobile app. Overall, great customer service before I even arrived.

Once at the Space Center it was a snap to get in with the passes they sent me. Everyone inside was very polite. The exhibits were well done. Most of the trip was self guided. I was especially impressed with the Saturn V rocket and the 747 with the space shuttle attached to the top.

The only negative thing about the Space Center was the dining facility was not operational. Since this was due to COVID I did not feel it rated a drop in my overall rating. I would highly recommend bringing a lunch and just leaving the center for lunch at your vehicle.
Written 31 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael
Woking, UK255 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
To get to the Space Center we had to use public transport from downtown Houston. Despite the Space Center being a main attraction there is a very infrequent bus service to the location, however this must be because demand is low as the bus wasn't actually that full. We got the 249 which took about 1 hour and was very cheap; just $1.25 each, one-way.
We bought tickets for the attraction online to avoid any qeues but also because you can generally find a discount of around 5-10% online so it is worth a look. We walked straight in without a problem and were greeted by a large exhibition hall. There was so much to do here that we could've spent half a day just looking around, this included talks and shows. We visited the Cinema show which was good and got pictures with the lectern used in JFK'S infamous "We choose to go to the moon" speech. We didn't have anytime to eat anything at the food court which was in the main area as there was so much else to do.
We went on the tram tour which was a highlight. Despite having to wait about 45 minutes to board it was certainly worth it as the tour is highly detailed and you get to see awesome locations like Mission Control. We stayed all day right until closing and then got the last bus back.
Written 10 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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