KSC becoming an amusement park?

[micrometer]

I've noticed a disturbing trend with the KSC lately. I've gone to the KSC a few times since the early 90's. At that time, admission was free, and the only thing that costed anything were the two bus tours - one that took you out by the crawler, the VAB and the shuttle launch pad. The other was of flight control rooms and pads of pre-Saturn V activities.

Now it seems some 'amusement park' elements have sunk their teeth into the visitor experience. It's $40 just to go see what was once free to the public - which by the way, was all paid for by the US taxpayers. There are bus tours, ticket agents, VIP tours, and to top it all off, the 'shuttle experience ride.'

I can see the need to limit the number of people visiting KSC during launch operations, and at one time, there was a waiting list you could get on and get free tickets to get on the site to view a launch. But it seems all of that has gone by the wayside in the name of $$$$$ - even for the things that were once free to the public. To me, there's something really wrong with this. uke:

 

[Zpoxy]

I couldn't agree with you more, but sadly everything comes down to dollars and cents. The Visitor Center is run by a management firm called Delaware North, and they have been here for a few years. Delaware North funded the first repainting and refurbishment of the US flag on the side of the VAB and replaced the bi-centennial logo with the NASA meatball. They also paid for the building that houses the Saturn V and Lunar Module and refurbished all the exhibits at the Visitors Center. In exchange for funding these projects they were allowed to change things to what they are now.

I work at KSC, I've been in the Shuttle program for 28 years and I think it's outrageous to charge what they are to see artifacts that are owned by the people, but it's just business......

P.S. If you think that's bad Disney just announced another price increase - $71 for an Adult 1 day pass. Of course they are a private concern and can charge anything they want, more power to them. They won't be getting any of my hard earned dollars.

 

[gpoehlein]

P.S. If you think that's bad Disney just announced another price increase - $71 for an Adult 1 day pass. Of course they are a private concern and can charge anything they want, more power to them. They won't be getting any of my hard earned dollars.

Makes me glad I live less than an hour from Holiday World in southern Indiana - $38 admission (less if you have a discount coupon which are handed out everywhere here), free parking, free soft drinks and free sunscreen in the water park. That and they have three of the top wooden coasters in the world.

 

[Brent]

Even with the cost I still enjoyed my self at the Atlantis launch this last June. I don’t know how accurate the Shuttle Simulator actually is but it was fun anyway.

 

[dwmzmm]

Space Center Houston must be somewhat along the same line; there's admission charges based on age of those entering. Best time to go (I've noticed this in the past few years) is around Spring Break, or from March -
May. They usually have specials for kids where they can purchase a special
Pass Card (for, like $10) and use the card again before the end of May to get
in free. Me and my two kids went to Space Center Houston in early March of
this year and it cost us $39 to get in ($19 for me, $10 each for my kids). Our
visit was cut short when my eight year old daughter accidently ripped her
jeans in the Kids Zone and we had to head home. About a month later, there
were coupons available at McDonalds for half price admission; this time my
wife came, too, and all four of us were able to get in for only $19 total.
This left us with plenty of extra money for food, snacks, etc., that we could
spend the entire day and have fun (my kids LOVE going to Space Center Houston!!).

 

[eugenefl]

I am amazed year after year at what theme parks can get away with in terms of price increases. The same goes for movie theater tickets. It's not like annual salaries are really increasing either. Shoot, I ended up having to leave Florida because of how quickly the cost of EVERYTHING went up, except for salaries. I digress.

The last time I visited KSC was sometime in either winter 2002-spring '03 IIRC. The price of admission was around $29 and at that time they were offering free admission to military personnel (military appreciation). My future sister-in-law and her boyfriend at the time were active duty so we all split the cost for 2 tickets amongst the four of us. Anyways, for the $29 per ticket I thought it was worth the price of admission. The park and facilities had looked cleaner than I had ever seen them before since my first visits in the late 80s and early 90s. The first building, which I believe is the main visitor's center entrance, with the mural was immaculate and somewhat breath-taking. The visitor's center seemed to embrace spaceflight like never before and I was proud to have out of town guests visit the "gateway to space." Personally, I had always viewed KSC as a somewhat dumpy off-the-beaten path tourist attraction much like some knock-off "gator land" or "Florida Oranges" I-4 attraction prior to the admission charges. Yes, free is certainly for me, but I was never too thrilled with KSC in its pre-theme park days. During my high school days (92-96) it wasn't even worth the price of gas to drive from Tampa across I-4 to visit KSC.

It's a shame the prices will continue to creep up. They'll add one, maybe two, attractions every other year and bump tickets 10% each time. That's a trend I learned from the local Busch Gardens and Adventure Island water parks. As for N. Carolina, I can visit Carowinds for $32 and our local Wet 'n Wild in Greensboro for $22 (discounted tix through my bank). That's more like it.

 

[graylensman]

I would also offer an observation, based on some non-scientific psychology: there is unfortunately a mindset that says - for something like KSC - if it's free, it must not be worth seeing. Those of us inhabiting TRF are oddballs that way - space is an interest and I dare say a passion, and we know the value of the space program. But your run-of-the-mill tourist lumps it in with Gator World because they weren't charging Disneyesque admission prices.

Just my two quatloos.

 

[evil ed]

I would also offer an observation, based on some non-scientific psychology: there is unfortunately a mindset that says - for something like KSC - if it's free, it must not be worth seeing. Those of us inhabiting TRF are oddballs that way - space is an interest and I dare say a passion, and we know the value of the space program. But your run-of-the-mill tourist lumps it in with Gator World because they weren't charging Disneyesque admission prices.

Just my two quatloos.

While I see the logic in the above, what irks me is that my tax dollars are being used for another "Kings Island"

Ed

 

[jadebox]

The KSC Visitor's Center is not supported by tax dollars. The "theme park" elements are there not only to attract vistors, but to educate and entertain them. I think they do a good job and, as a regular visitor, I've seen the Visitor's Center improve over the past few years. The Saturn V Center, in particular, is incredible.

-- Roger

 

[eugenefl]

The KSC Visitor's Center is not supported by tax dollars. The "theme park" elements are there not only to attract vistors, but to educate and entertain them. I think they do a good job and, as a regular visitor, I've seen the Visitor's Center improve over the past few years. The Saturn V Center, in particular, is incredible.

-- Roger

IIRC, wasn't the SatV previously decaying while on display outdoors in the rocket garden? Ditto to the magnificent job they did with the Saturn V Center. It's of Smithsonian quality and will leave a lasting impression with anyone that has never realized the potential of human spaceflight.

 

[mjennings]

Yeah it's kind of a mixed bag. The money they get from tickets lets them update exhibits and restore the rockets in the garden (and pay for gas for the busses), but because it's not free they get in to a “We must compete with Disney” mindset. The latest bump in price is probably due to the Shuttle Launch Experience ride which just opened in May. Haven't ridden it yet, but have heard decent reviews.

Hey Zpoxy do you fly with Spaceport rocketry? New to Florida, SRA, and TFR and still trying to link who flies with SRA and their TRF identities

 

[micrometer]

IMO, the displays at KSC should never have been allowed to deteriorate to the point that some side-show carny outfit saw an opportunity to turn a buck by fixing things up and charging admission. One more example of short-sightedness and how broken the current culture of NASA is; not to value and embrace the achievements of the past. If they had, they'd still be flying Saturn1B's - reliable workhorses - to the ISS. All that money and engineering thrown away.

KSC and the other space centers around the country are as important, even more so, than the displays at the Smithsonian, and deserve to be maintained in the same fashion. These are the places and hardware that actually made real history. I hope they haven't started charging admission at the Smithsonian yet..