NASA Johnson Space Centre, Houston with Kids

Having spent just under two months on the road travelling Central America we were now on our way home to start a radical new phase of life; Daddy Mudie goes part time and Mummy ends her last ever period of maternity leave. Knowing this may well be the last giant adventure for a few decades now, spirts were rather low. We went to bed early facing a 3am flight from San Jose, Costa Rica to Houston, USA for a lengthy 10 hour wait to London. This was also off the back of a lot of unnecessary stress throughout the previous weeks of American Airlines changing the route to send us to LA, the wrong way around the world for half a day and increase travel time and distance by around 9 hours. It was a bleak outlook! We had to turn it around…!

So, I concocted a last-minute plan to bust our space/sci-fi mad family from the airport to the NASA Johnson Space Centre, Houston and back again in 9 hours plane-to plane for one last final adventure up our sleeve! Daddy Mudie didn’t think it could be done, but after focusing on the seemingly endless limbo of transfer waits in America and a quick check for Uber prices, I won him over. This is how it went.

Getting there:

First up, our flight was delayed due to an overnight runway closure. We were informed of this just as we settled into bed having rearranged our bags for the day trip and plane entertainment. Great. It was already late, and having already booked an uber to San Jose airport for 1am, we resigned ourselves to a long wait at San Jose airport for a now 5am flight, on zero sleep ☹ We landed in Houston at 9am, 2 hours later than planned. Andrew was convinced the space centre would be pushing our luck, but I was fuelled on by being sick of the inside of airports already, optimistic we’d already dealt with our fair share of bad luck, and the only way was up!

It just so happened to be the quickest passport control/customs queues we’ve ever experienced in the States, so at just over an hour, around 10am we took our day bag, complete with packed lunches (prepped in Costa Rica the night before) and left for Johnson Space Centre around 10am, now avoiding the Houston morning rush-hour. We were so chuffed when our ride turned up – Laronda and her pink fluffy Uber pick-up truck, cruising down route 69, Garth Brooks on the radio, we even got a “Howdy Y’all”! Amazing, couldn’t make it up! We arrived at the Space centre at 11am. Yes!

NASA Johnson Space Centre Houston:

The NASA Johnson Space Centre is a complex of 100 buildings where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. NASA Houston is huge and with so much to see it can be a bit overwhelming. We knew we had to be pretty selective and came to the immediate realisation we wouldn’t be able to make the tram tours work - the uncertainty of timetables and queues was too great – but on our schedule there was barely enough time for the main visitor centre galleries and rockets anyway!

• Children aged 3 and younger are free.

• Kids age 4-11 are $24.95. Ages 12+ cost $29.95.

• There is a large car park, and parking at NASA Houston costs $10.

• Current hours are 10am-5pm. Hours vary depending on time of year, and Galaxy Lights is in the evening from 6pm-10pm.

• NASA Houston is a hugely popular attraction. Even on a weekday, there are often long lines before opening time, so arrive early if you can.

• Buy your tickets in advance. If you plan to go on the Mission to Mars tram tour, book online when you buy your general admission ticket. The tour involves a sit-down presentation in the mission control room of the first landing on the Moon, which may not suit active kids.

• Book your other tram tour(s) for free at the guest services desk as soon as you arrive, as they fill up early. You can plan to visit the exhibits around your tram tour schedule. 

• Strollers are allowed at NASA Houston but must be left in the stroller parking before embarking on a tram tour.

• NASA Houston can be a busy environment. Sensory backpacks, including sound-reduction headphones, sunglasses, fidgets, books, and guides are available at the Guest Services Desk. The centre also runs sensory-friendly events with reduced lights, sounds, and crowds.

• Before or after your visit, check out NASA’s home crafts and activities

  
  

All information is correct at the time of writing, but please check the NASA Houston website before visiting.

The kids loved the interactive exhibits that provide visitors with a glimpse into the history, present, and future of space exploration. With over a million visitors a year, NASA Houston includes the control room of the first Moon landing and exciting developments around upcoming missions to the Moon and Mars. Here is a run down oh a half day spent at this amazing attraction (and some of the things we missed):

1. Independence Plaza

Space Shuttle Replica: Explore the Space Shuttle Independence inside and out (Bruce Willis Armageddon vibes!), mounted on top of the original NASA 905 shuttle carrier aircraft. Kids can explore both the shuttle and the plane, learn about the shuttle program and how astronauts live and work in space, offering an incredible and unique hands-on experience.

2. Starship Gallery

My personal highlight of the day was the chance to handle a real lunar rock (excuse my mental face, I got up at 2:30) - one of only a handful of these opportunities in the whole world, and I had now been to them all! More generally, this exhibit is home to the originally flown spacecraft from the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Alongside and within them you can get an up-close look at some of the most amazing artifacts tracing the progression of human space exploration. Big draws are the Apollo 17 Command Module and a full-size Skylab Training Module.

3. Mission Mars 

A new, immersive experience that allows kids to learn about Mars exploration. Featuring a Mars rover model, a Mars meteorite, and interactive displays about the challenges of travelling to and living on Mars, this was another great exhibit.

4. International Space Station Gallery

Explore the Models and Modules of the International Space Station, including life-sized modules that show where astronauts live and work in space. The kids loved learning about daily life aboard the ISS, including how astronauts eat, sleep, and exercise.

 

5. Artemis Exhibit

NASA is planning to land more people on the moon in the next few years! Find out more at this interactive exhibit that highlights NASA’s Artemis program.

6. Space Centre Theatre

Enjoy a well-earned rest in the largest 4K theatre in Texas. The towering 5-story-tall Space Centre Theatre has comfortable seats and a range of programs related to space exploration that you can watch on a come-and-go basis.

7. Real-Life Astronauts

Every Friday and Saturday, a NASA astronaut shares some of their mission memories with guests at Space Centre Houston at 11:30am and 1:20pm.

8. Astronaut Gallery

This was Daddy’s favourite – checking out the different space suits worn by astronauts, including those from the Apollo missions to the International Space Station era. There are lots of interactive displays that demonstrate the evolution of astronaut gear and equipment.

9. NASA Tram Tour

Three tours give you access to astronaut training facilities, historic Mission Control, and the Rocket Park. All tours include the fun of riding the tram past longhorn cattle and around the many campus buildings. The rocket park tour is the shortest and most fun for younger kids, with the chance to run about freely and see a jaw-dropping massive Saturn 5 rocket, which is over 300 feet long.

10. Events at NASA Space Centre Houston

 

We weren’t able to attend any specific events, owing to our fly-by schedule, but if you’re able to plan a bit more, consider checking out the following:

 

Galaxy Lights

NASA Houston hosts a fabulous light show every holiday from mid-November to early January called Galaxy Lights. Walk through an illuminated Rocket Park Experience with 3-D projections. Enjoy a high-tech light show where dozens of suspended lights move in choreographed sequences above the Main Plaza. On the tram tour, you can travel through an LED light tunnel of more than 250,000 lights synchronized to festive holiday music. Kids age 3 and younger are free.

Overnight Camping

Did you know you can camp out at NASA Space Centre Houston? Around 6 times a year, families can stay overnight, and the $79.95 cost Includes camping, meals, a tram tour, and activities.

Eating at NASA Space Centre Houston

The "Food Lab" inside NASA Houston is a large food court with ample seating and a variety of food and drink options, ranging from pizza to sandwiches and salads. There is also a coffee bar for those needing a caffeine boost. While bringing your food into NASA Houston is not allowed unless you have a dietary or medical need, there is an outdoor picnic area located near the front entrance (which is what we opted for as cheap-skates!). If you aren't staying the whole day, another option is to head 15 minutes down the road to Kemah, where there are many restaurants and other kid-friendly attractions.

In Summary

After two months of jungles, ruins, volcanoes, buses, and beaches across Central America, our big adventure ended not with a whimper in an airport lounge, but with a bang among rockets, moon rocks, and space shuttles. A delayed flight, no sleep, and endless travel bureaucracy nearly stopped us in our tracks, but sneaking in one last mission to the NASA Johnson Space Centre, Houston turned out to be the perfect finale.

In just a few hours we managed to walk through a space shuttle, touch a piece of the Moon, peer into the future of Mars exploration, and let the kids climb, press buttons, and dream big. It was a reminder that travel doesn’t have to go to plan to be worthwhile; sometimes the very best memories are found in the unexpected detours.

Our Central America trip was always going to be the last big one for a while, with real life waiting back home, but finishing it surrounded by astronauts and galaxies felt fitting. The whole journey had been about adventure, curiosity, and showing our kids the world - and what better way to close it than with their eyes turned upwards to the stars?