"We choose to go to the moon, we choose to go to the moon... not because they are easy, but because they are hard..." so went one of President John F Kennedy's most famous speeches at the height of the Space Race. Today that lecturn he was standing behind is one of the many hundreds of exhibits on display at the massive Space Center Houston.

For anyone interested in America's many accomplishments in space, this is one of the best space museums in the country - as well as being the official visitor center of the NASA Johnson Space Center. It has many of the country's and the world's most sought-after exhibits. See here for incredible space tourism options coming soon (some only if you have money).

About The Space Center Houston and NASA Johnson Space Center

The NASA Johnson Space Center is also the home of Mission Control and astronaut training. They say:

"Known around the world as the home of NASA Mission Control, International Space Station Mission Control, and astronaut training, guests are taken behind the scenes to see NASA Johnson Space Center."

  • Number: Displays 400 Space Artifacts

Related: Visit The Alamo, The Site Of The Famous Battle For Texan Independence

Some of their most notable exhibits include three flown spacecraft, more spacecraft used in training, and a display of Moon rocks. It has the largest collection of moon rocks and lunar samples anywhere in the world for public viewing. Notable displays and exhibits include:

  • Mercury 9 Capsule: Flown By Gordon Cooper in 1963 (Faith 7)
  • Gemini 5 Capsule: Flown By Gordon Cooper And Pete Conrad In 1965
  • Apollo 17 Command Module: Orbited the Moon 75 Times In 1971 In the Last Crewed Moon Mission
  • Lunar Roving Vehicle: A Trainer Rover
  • Lunar Module: The Test Vehicle LTA-8
  • Lunar Touchstone: One of Only Eight Moon Rocks That Is Permitted To Be Touched
  • Boeing Shuttle Carrier: The Only Shuttle Replica Mounted On A Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (Also The only Place Where Visitors Can Enter Both Exhibits)

In this incredible museum, one can discover both the past and the future of America's human spaceflight program. The museum boasts the largest collections of space artifacts in this part of the southeastern US. One can even explore the red planet with their Mission Mars exhibit. This exhibit delves into what it is like to visit Mars and how humans may eventually live here in the next few decades.

In this exhibit, one will experience a virtual Martian sunset and even climb into a simulated Orion capsule. But perhaps the coolest part of the exhibit is actually touching a real piece of Mars! There are fewer than 150 known Mars meteorites and most are in private collections. But here one can actually touch one of the few open to the public for real.

Other exhibits include comprehensive collections of spacesuits, President John F. Kennedy's lectern for his going to the Moon speech, various theaters displaying in-depth shows, and much more. They also have many temporary exhibits and there is always something new to see here.

Perhaps one of their more unusual exhibits was the original shuttlecraft Galileo prop used in the filming of Star Trek: The Original Series (or at least it was on display from 2013 to 2019).

Rocket Park & Shuttle Carrier Aircraft

The museum boasts Rocket Park. This really impressive and includes one of the three remaining Saturn V rockets on display - including the only one at JSC that has been made up of segments intended for flight.

Another rocket on display is the all-new SpaceX Falcon 9 booster rocket - their newest exhibit. This is the first reusable rocket and has significantly brought down the cost of launching payloads into space. The future of space travel is reusable rockets, this has been proving by SpaceX. And thanks to SpaceX visitors can now get a close-up view of this powerful modern rocket. It is also the first commercial space exhibit at the museum.

  • Date Flown: The SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster Rocket On Display Was Flown in 2017

Perhaps one of the most iconic images of the space shuttles was them "piggybacking" the two extensively modified Boeing 747 airlines. Of these two Jumbo jets, one is on display here at the museum. The museum lost out to the Smithsonian, Intrepid, and other museums around the country to display the real Space Shuttle orbiters. Instead, they built their own replica to place on top of their Shuttle Carrier.

Related: What You Need To Know About Visiting The Smithsonian Museums In D.C.

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Visiting The Museum

  • Hours: Generally From 9.00 am to 6:00 pm In The High Season And 10:00 am to 5.00 pm in the Low - Check Here

Cost Of Admission

  • Under 3: Free
  • Children: Aged 4-11, $24.95
  • Adult: Aged 12 and Older $29.95

There are many things to see and do while in Texas, but the Space Center Huston should be a part of anyone's 10-day itinerary for Texas.

Next: Why Visiting NYC's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is A Must