The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is hosting its annual Holidays in Space event December 19th through January 3. Celebrate the holidays with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the ISS. Learn about outer space and possibly view a rocket launch!
During this special celebration, take in the holiday décor throughout the Visitor Complex. Decorative wreaths and garland throughout the Visitor Complex add to the holiday celebration. The greatest display this year is the 223-foot long video screen…the Saturn 1B rocket! The rocket is transformed from a wrapped gift through years of space exploration with the use of a high-tech cinematic experience. The Rocket Garden Light Show is spectacular to see and worth the trip to the Space Coast.
High-Tech Show during Holidays in Space
“Spirit of Exploration” is a unique space and holiday-themed show that uses special projection mapping. The high-energy holiday presentation projects images onto irregularly shaped objects (the rocket), and features custom animation, awe-inspiring views of Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) and real NASA footage. It is accompanied by incredible sound effects and music.
This special holiday presentation covers the space program from the first launches to the moon, through the 30-year Space Shuttle Program, the assembly of the ISS, and onto the surface of Mars. Many of the images are actual footage captured by NASA’s Curiosity and Opportunity robotic exploration rovers. Watch a short clip in the video below – a cinematic experience unlike anything else in the world!
ORLANDO TOURIST TIP: All holiday activities are included with Visitor Complex admission and no advance reservations are required. This is a great last-minute theme park to visit if plans for something else fall through. During Holidays in Space, light shows begin at dusk each day and up until January 3rd the complex is open an additional hour (until 7pm). The Visitor Complex is open 365 days a year, including Christmas Day, December 25.
If you’re wanting to experience the holidays from a different perspective, go to the Kennedy Space Center this season. You’ll enjoy learning about outer space and the history of our country’s space program. Unless Santa has been very good to you, you’ll have to enjoy Christmas here on Earth. So let your imagination launch you into another universe and enjoy the twinkling lights here at the Space Center as well as in outer space.
