Toddler Travel Guide: U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL Review

My husband, Phillip, and I are huge advocates of taking our kids on weekend getaways from an early age. For starters, it helps them get used to traveling in the car for longer periods of time and exposes them to new experiences.

A few weeks ago, while our tween daughter hung out with the grandparents, we took our 2 boys (2 years old and 9 months old) on a quick overnight trip to visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. Huntsville is an easy 1.5 drive from our home so it was the perfect choice for this quick trip.

Where we stayed:

We drove up on a Saturday afternoon and stopped by Bridge Street Town Centre for a yummy meal. We recreated a photo we took while I was 9 months pregnant with Baby Judah. This time I got to hold him in my arms instead of in my belly. Mommy and Judah – 9 months in, 9 months out! I love creating memories with our kids and this is one I will always cherish.

After dinner we checked into our hotel. If you are looking for somewhere to stay in Huntsville, I can highly recommend the Homewood Suites by Hilton, Village of Providence. It was super clean, updated, and located in a walkable, upscale live/work community. Absolutely stunning! There were a ton of restaurants and shops that we want to come back and explore. We stayed in a one bedroom suite was plenty of space to spread out and relax, as much as you can with two busy toddlers! I’m positive that the two flat screen TVs in the room were the highlight of the stay for Joshua (2)! There was also a complimentary warm breakfast with plenty of fresh fruit for the boys to enjoy.

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

We have a membership to the local science museum here in Birmingham called the McWane Science Center. It participates in the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Travel Passport Program. That means we our family gets to travel to any other member organization across the nation for free! Here is a list where you can check to see if any museums near you participate in this great benefit. We have used the ASTC Travel Passport Program in the past to visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center before our boys were born. Regular general admission is $25 for adults, $17 for kids 4-17, and free for kiddos under 4. They also have many other discounts for various affiliations as well as combo tickets you can check out here. Any route you go, this museum is well worth a visit!

Your Admission to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center includes access to Shuttle Park, Rocket Park, and all indoor exhibit areas. They also have free daily guided tours, featured traveling exhibitions, hands-on demonstrations and presentations, and simulator rides.

Joshua was amazed at the life sized rocket and shuttle models as we pulled up to the museum. You can see them even before you get off the interstate exit! Their parking lot is large and located close to the building. It is easily accessible which is a definite plus when navigating a double stroller like I was.  As we walked up to the entrance there were multiple areas for great photo opportunities from the very start.

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is divided into two main buildings: the Davidson Center for Space Exploration and the main museum. We entered the main museum into one of the gift shops which has cool memorabilia for purchase.  We checked in at Guest Services, showed our Mcwane Center Membership Card and ID and were quickly given admission for the day.

Once he saw had we had two little ones, the attendant gave us a map and circled exhibits/attractions that would be especially suited for toddlers.  Life saver!!  We made sure visiting those specific areas was the main focus of this trip.

The first exhibit we explored was the Spark Lab. This is an interactive space that allows visitors to channel their inner engineer and create design challenges.  The Smithsonian Institute actually created it which I thought was really cool!  There were a few kids in the area, mostly older than the boys, but the attendant was really great and made sure to include Joshua.  Together, they used large blue foam pieces to build shelters and other structures. She helped Joshua build one and then let him knock it all down. He loved it!  They also had picture books on different space and engineering subjects and coloring sheets for the kids to take home.  We definitely enjoyed this hands-on area.

Next we explored the current featured exhibit, “Apollo: When We Went to the Moon.”  It is a simulated look through the eyes of the engineers and astronauts who first walked the moon.  Joshua enjoyed walking up to and looking at the preserved suits and moon gear.  His absolute favorite part was the interactive moonwalk area.  He loved watching his footprints appear as he “walked” on the moon!

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center has a large food court called the Mars Grill where museum visitors can grab food made fresh on site.  Choices include burgers and hot dogs, multiple types of soup, an all-you-can-eat salad bar, and much more.  It was time for a break, so we opted for some fun snacks instead of a full meal.  I ordered a cup of soft-serve chocolate ice cream. The guys split the Spiral Galaxy slushie served in a fun souvenir cup. There’s also an indoor playground in this area for 2-6 year olds called the Mars Playstation. Again, another area made specifically for toddlers!

After snack time, we headed outside to tour Rocket Park and Shuttle Park to see the life sized replicas. Also located in Rocket Park are various simulators and rides for all ages. Our favorite simulator was the Kids Cosmos Energy Depletion Zone which was designed for kids under the age of 8. Joshua was able to experience what a blast off to the moon was like on the Lunar Lander simulator. He got in and was launched 20 feet in the air! The ride then slowly descended, simulating a real life moon landing. As much as I enjoyed watching, our thrill-seeking boy probably enjoyed it more than I did! Here, there was also a mini replica of the International Space Station (ISS) that he was able to crawl around and play in.

The last building we visited was the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. It houses one of the largest collections of rockets and space memorabilia in the world. We were especially excited about the KidsSpace, a replica Martian surface where little ones can slide across the rocky surface, practice “lift off” in a capsule and play games. Even though he can’t walk yet, this was the perfect area for our 9 month old Judah to be able to get down and crawl around after his big brother, pulling up on the faux rock surfaces. He absolutely loved it! The boys didn’t want to leave this area because there were so many things to keep their attention. I spent at least 20 minutes letting them explore while my hubby walked around the exhibition hall and read up on Apollo 11.

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center was the perfect place to take our boys! If anyone has been on the fence about taking young kids, thinking that there won’t be much for them to do, think again! The museum has painstakingly designed it so that even its littlest visitors can have an awesome experience learning about our country’s history of space exploration. The Godfrey crew will definitely be repeat visitors!

Have you ever been to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center or are you considering making a trip with your family? I would love to hear below in the comments section!