We are thinking of going. Has anyone been? Would you recommend it for a weekend trip? Anything else we should see/do/eat while we are there?
I haven’t been there in ages, but as a space geek kid I found it pretty fun. No doubt they’ve changed things in the 20-odd years since I’ve been there.
The company I used to work for is headquartered in Huntsville, and that’s where everyone got sent for training, so I’ve visited the U.S. Space & Rocket Center a few times. I definitely think it’s worth a visit, but then I’m kind of into that stuff. I took a tour of the nearby NASA facility, too (Marshall?), which I also recommend. The last time I was there was probably 5-6 years ago.
Unless Huntsville has changed drastically, there’s not much else to see/do there. You can probably do both NASA and the Space & Rocket Center in one day. I think scr4 lives around there, so maybe he’ll pop into this thread.
I was there once, (for 20 mins. etc) I’m a huge space geek so I was really thrilled. I remember the bus tour that had a stop at the first rocket pad that Von Braun launched something from with the little bunker.
I was the only person to get off the bus and take pictures.
I was recently in the Orlando airport and there is a NASA shop and they had a bit of meteorite from Mars on display that you could touch! I was so tempted to yell “I’'M TOUCHING MARS LIKE A MUTHErFUCK!”
Hi Brynda,
Yes I’ve been there - I can almost see the rockets from my office.
I think the US Space & Rocket Center is a pretty good space museum. The star exhibit is the Saturn V rocket (one of 3 complete sets still surviving, I believe - the other two are in Kennedy Space Center and Houston.) There’s also an A-12 (prototype of the SR-71 Blackbird), a full-sized engineering model of the Space Shuttle, a full-sized replica of the Saturn V standing upright, and various smaller rockets and missiles. Indoor exhibit includes the usual assortment of space capsules and flight hardware, including an actual piece of Skylab that fell down in Australia. There’s also an IMAX theater.
Unfortunately they don’t do tours of the actual NASA center (Marshall Space Flight Center) anymore. It’s been shut down indefinitely since 9/11.
As for other things to do, the botanical garden is very nice - my SO says it’s better than the one in Birmingham. That’s about all I can think of - maybe Ogre can give you more suggestions. As for food, what kind do you have in mind? Of the places I’ve been to, I liked Starfish and Jazz Factory. I think Pauli’s Chophouse is considered the most upscale impress-your-date restaurant, but I haven’t been there myself. That’s about all I know about this town.
I haven’t been to the Space Center in Huntsville, but I really want to go. I’ve driven past it on my way to hockey games, and seeing it made me decide to go to Kennedy this past summer when I was in Florida.
If you’re there during hockey season, maybe you could take in a Huntsville Havoc hockey game - and maybe I will be there! Nothing like some good ole redneck hockey!
Thanks, everyone! Like a couple of you, I went as a kid years ago. I thought it would be something that both my husband and I would like, and it is only a short drive for us, although we will probably stay one night and make a mini-vacation out of it.
The Google ad at the bottom of the page mentions skydiving in Huntsville. Now that sounds like fun!
I used to live in Huntsville.
The Center is fun, but I haven’t been there in 13 years, so my memories are worth bupkiss.
The town was nice to live in, clean with very good schools, & occasionaly a bit dull.
Did they replace the Channel Cats, or is it a different league? I caught a few Channel Cats games on visits to Huntsville.
I went to Space Camp there when I was 15 but that was 17 years ago. It was a great time. I would love to go back.
I was there 27 years ago as we were driving from Philadelphia to Louisiana on our honeymoon. The coolest thing I remember was the exhibit in the bathroom on waste disposal in zero-g. Do they still have that?
I forgot to mention another of my favorite restaurants: Mikawa.
Also if you’re coming between Thanksgiving and new year, the botanical garden will have the illuminated decorations.
Oh, I love sushi, so we might have to try Mikawa. Who knew you could get good sushi in Huntsville? The illuminations might be fun, too. Thanks!