The Best NASA Space Centers To Visit With Your Kids, According To The Internet

From landing on the moon to navigating the Mars rover, NASA — the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — has captured the imagination of children and adults alike since its founding in 1958. What began as a response to a Soviet satellite launch that started the Space Race, NASA has since grown to be one of America's most iconic government institutions. Today, 18,000 employees work across ten field centers, test sites, laboratories, and research centers, many of which have visitor centers that are open to the public. Parents online have weighed in on four of the best NASA space centers for kids: The Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, the Johnson Space Center in Houston, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, and the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton.

The agency leads cutting-edge research in astronomy, astrophysics, and planetary science, all while developing technologies to help protect planet Earth from threats like climate change and meteorites. NASA's work continues to push the boundaries of space exploration, while serving as a powerful symbol of American innovation and scientific achievement.

If you've been lucky enough to watch the live launch of a NASA spacecraft, you'll know all too well the mix of excitement, anticipation, and nervous energy that space travel stirs. For families, a visit to one of NASA's centers offers a chance to experience this excitement with hands-on exhibits, many of which are designed with children in mind. These facilities give visitors a front-row seat to both the history and future of space travel. The space centers featured here were recommended by parents on Reddit, who also highlighted a few of the non-NASA air and space museums across the country.

The Kennedy Space Center (KSC), founded in 1968, is NASA's largest launch site and flight control hub. Kennedy is also a launch base for SpaceX, which launches more regularly than NASA. As a visitor put it: "As a bonus, there's always a chance you'll be there during a launch window." The center's website lists upcoming launches and offers special access tickets to viewing areas that are as close as you can get.

The KSC Visitor Complex was recently ranked the number one attraction in the U.S. and the third attraction in the world in Tripadvisor's 2025 Traveler's Choice Best of the Best Awards. It's also only 45 minutes from Orlando and its airport, meaning that it's another great thing to do if you're already visiting Disney World or the other parks in the area.

For families, the website has a one-day itinerary that starts with bus tours to the launchpads and the Apollo/Saturn V Center, which features the control room from the moon missions. Then you'll see the Space Shuttle Atlantis in the main visitor center before ending at Planet Play, a solar-system-themed playground where kids can walk along the edge of Saturn's rings or climb through a wormhole. While the children explore, adults can relax at the Planet Play Lounge, a space-themed bar. The Visitor Complex is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and costs $77 for adults and $67 for children under 11. Visitors can opt for exclusive tours and behind-the-scenes experiences led by real astronauts. Most families recommend setting aside the entire day to explore this center, noting that the complex offers enough exhibits, attractions, and activities to keep both adults and children busy for hours.

"Houston, we have a problem." The paraphrased line from the Apollo 13 mission will forever be tied to NASA's Johnson Space Center, home to the Mission Control facility that guided both the Gemini and Apollo missions. This center is best known for its NASA Tram Tours, which take visitors behind the scenes to see the astronaut training facilities and historic Mission Control that guided the first lunar landing. Tram tours last between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on the experience you choose. One past visitor recommends the Level 9 tour: "You get way up close and personal with NASA hardware. My wife and I got to touch an Orion prototype!" The Level 9 tour is now called the NASA VIP Tour and is available for an added cost.

Among the center's highlights, Independence Plaza offers a chance for visitors to climb into a space shuttle replica mounted on a Boeing Shuttle Aircraft Carrier, the only space shuttle open for public access in the country. For kids, the Mission Sketch exhibit combines creativity with technology, allowing them to color their own rocket and watch it virtually blast into space on a 26-foot screen. The Starship Gallery sparks curiosity in visitors of all ages, showcasing historic spacecraft, space suits, and artifacts.

General admission tickets start around $40. There are special tours and membership options if you want to get more out of your visit. One Houston-area space enthusiast recommends an annual membership. "I bought an annual pass for Johnson and spent three days there. Have since spent several more afternoons, so testament to the quantity and quality there." The center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours for evening programs.

Founded in the 1950s as a technology hub, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, has evolved into the nation's second-largest research park. It is the official visitors center for the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, located just south of Huntsville. Huntsville made a name for itself by developing important components for some of the first American rockets, including propulsion systems for space shuttles and modules for the International Space Station (ISS). Today, the center is helping design the Space Launch System, NASA's next big spaceship, and is considered to be one of America's best science museums.

The center is also home to Space Camp, an internationally recognized STEM program that has been inspiring space enthusiasts since 1982. There is a program for almost every age: Kids 9 to 11 can prepare for a simulated visit to the ISS on a six-day, five-night educational camp, 12 to 14 year olds tackle hands-on astronomical challenges, and teens between 17 and 18 can dive into advanced astronaut training. Reddit users highly recommend Space Camp, with one user saying it's a "once in a lifetime experience for a young NASA lover."

For those who can't commit to a multiple-day camp, the center has interactive exhibits for a day visit. Spark!Lab lets kids combine history, science, and art in inventive ways, from designing vehicles to creating their own games. Kids who meet certain height requirements can hop into a fully interactive flight simulator with an adult, take a virtual reality mission to the moon, and experience weightlessness and the force of a 4G launch on the Moon Shot ride. Most families set aside three to four hours to explore the museum, and more if you choose any of the longer tours and experiences.

Relatively new on the space center scene, the Virginia Air and Space Center opened in 1992 with a mission to inspire and educate the public about space exploration. The center houses some iconic aircraft and space artifacts, including the Mercury and Gemini space capsules and the Yankee Clipper, which was the Command Module from Apollo 12.  Aviation enthusiasts will also appreciate the impressive collection of commercial aircraft and Air Force planes that played a key role in historic missions and conflicts.

One of the center's most popular interactive exhibits is the Lunar Excursion Module Simulator, where visitors take on the role of an astronaut and try to safely land on the moon. For younger visitors, the museum offers hands-on interactive STEM learning studios kitted with touchscreen simulations. Here, children can pilot a Mars rover, fly an aircraft, and even design their own spaceships and see them come to life on a giant screen.

The center is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission includes a free IMAX film and starts at $20 for children and $23.50 for non-member adults. Memberships are available that include unlimited visits and IMAX screenings for a year, and there are discounts available through the Museums for All program for those who qualify.

These four top NASA experiences for kids were identified by reviewing personal discussions via Reddit, one of the most popular online forum platforms for sharing travel tips and recommendations. The Latch even describes Reddit as "the best resource for holiday planning", beating out even TikTok and Instagram. By gathering information from multiple threads across subreddits, this methodology focused on posts where parents of young children share first-hand experiences of visiting NASA's top facilities with children. 

These four NASA facilities were repeatedly recommended for their kid-friendly exhibits, interactive features, educational value, and overall accessibility for families. Comments about which exhibits engaged children the most were also taken into account.

Special mention should also be made for the non-NASA institutions that are also great for family visits. One particular institution that received a lot of attention was the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. This museum operates two locations: one on the National Mall and another at Dulles International Airport, which is home to a huge warehouse of historic planes and spacecraft. The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, is another standout. This Smithsonian affiliate is considered one of the finest space museums in the world.