What to do after the symposium in Houston?

[KennB]

I'll be attending 45th Aerospace Mechanism Symposium in Houston in May 2020. There are two tours offered:

- Two tours are offered, one of NASA JSC on a private tram tour that is limited to first 261 persons to sign up and pay registration. The other is admission to Space Center Houston.
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I'd like to solicit opinions, especially from those who have been on one or both tours, to help me decide which to sign up for. I don't know how fast the JSC tour will fill up so need to make a decision quickly.

If you're reading this in June (or possibly March), please don't bother replying.

Thanks to all who are helpful.

 

[Mushtang]

I've been on the JCS tour and they take you into the press room behind the Mission Operation Control Room (MOCR, where Gene Kranz and his crew worked the missions). The room has been restored to the way it looked during Apollo 11 and it looks really amazing! They still have a MOCR a floor away where they would work the shuttle missions. That room alone is worth the price of the tour. It ends up taking you to the Saturn V on display.

The Saturn V in Houston is one of 3 on display. The others are at Cape Canaveral and Huntsville, and those two have a LOT of stuff in the building to look at surrounding the Saturn V. In Houston it's basically in a large gymnasium looking building with some displays on one side that are interesting to read and that's it.

If you're ever in Houston and want to go to the Saturn V without paying the fee to enter the visitor center and taking a tour, it's open to the public for free if you drive up to the nearby gate and tell the guard you want to see the Saturn V. They'll wave you in and you immediately turn left into a small parking lot. Otherwise you can't get onto the base to just drive around and look at whatever you want.

 

[JLP1]

We live in Houston so we are around Space Center Houston quite a bit. The JSC tour is really nice and now that the restored control room is open it's really sweet. The Saturn V is neat but like the previous poster said it's in a large climate controlled barn with some neat things to read but that's about it. Space Center Houston is neat starting ticket prices are around $24.95 per person. They have lots of displays especially the suits that were worn. They have some neat displays of the small items used during the missions. What struck us was how crude some of the equipment was. When you think about space you envision all kinds of neat super tech stuff but it wasn't really like that. Also something neat is the 747 transport that is there, what is amazing is how heavy duty and massive the steel is that was used for the supports and structures that were used to support the missions. We didn't get a real shuttle (I think it went to New York) but they did give us a replica to put on top of the 747. It's neat, plus they have lots of displays of future stuff dealing with missions to Mars. There are some displays of what they think future suits and protective equipment will look like and when you compare them to what was flown to the moon it's like night and day. Overall it's a place to be visited at least once if you have a chance.

Houston weather can be hot and sticky in May sometimes we get lucky and we will get some cool weather but most of the time it starting to get into the high 80's with 75 to 100% percent humidity.

Welcome to Houston

 

[T-Rex]

Just to throw a wrench in the works, if you tour the museum, they have a tram that runs into NASA. May or may not be the same tram ride. I've done the museum with daughter, but it was after a Rocket Club launch, so I wasn't up to the tram ride....

 

[Nytrunner]

If you can get into the saturn V bay without a tour, id recommend doing the Space Center Houston, and if you ha e time later swing by the saturn V.

Or come visit us in Huntsville and see ours (we have two!)

 

[SeanW78]

I'm in Houston next week and will be staying within 1 mile of JSC. I hope to at least visit rocket park after work duties for the day. If possible, I'm open to paying for the tour of the Space Center as well. Looking forward to being in the area for a work week.

 

[Mushtang]

I'm in Houston next week and will be staying within 1 mile of JSC. I hope to at least visit rocket park after work duties for the day. If possible, I'm open to paying for the tour of the Space Center as well. Looking forward to being in the area for a work week.

It's probably too late but you're probably flying into Hobby Airport (SE of the city) if you're staying that close to JSC. If you're flying into Bush (N of the city) you'll have a long drive.

When I go to Houston a couple of times a year the office I go to is about equal distance from either airport, way out on the West side of town, so I always fly in and out of Hobby and visit the Saturn V right after I get to town.

 

[SeanW78]

It's probably too late but you're probably flying into Hobby Airport (SE of the city) if you're staying that close to JSC. If you're flying into Bush (N of the city) you'll have a long drive.

When I go to Houston a couple of times a year the office I go to is about equal distance from either airport, way out on the West side of town, so I always fly in and out of Hobby and visit the Saturn V right after I get to town.

Yep, flying into Hobby on Monday Morning and flying our of Hobby early on Friday. I hope at least on one day to check out rocket park and the Saturn V. I have a run from the hotel planned to go near JSC. I may run past a few times as long as the weather cooperates.