Kennedy Space Center announces final roster of Apollo 11 50th events
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has revealed the final list of events, celebrations and activities planned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission.
Guests will have the chance to re-live the mission’s events through live programming, archival footage viewings, interactive exhibits, astronaut appearances, artifacts, and more. Tickets are now on sale fro general admission to these events:
July 12, 2019 – Moon Tree Garden Opening at Apollo/Saturn V Center – 10 a.m.
Nearly 50 years ago, when Apollo 14 Astronaut Stuart Roosa carried seeds from loblolly pine, sycamore, sweet gum, redwood, and Douglas fir trees around the moon as part of a collaborative U.S. Forest Service and NASA project, his dream was to have the seeds germinated on his return and planted throughout the U.S. Now in their second generation, these trees are known as “Moon Trees” and have been planted all over the world.
On July 12, 12 of those trees will be unveiled at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as part of their Apollo 11 celebrations. The Moon Tree Garden will include the 12 trees, each representing a crewed Apollo mission to the Moon.
The trees will be arranged in a crescent around a bronze statue featuring the crewmembers of Apollo 11: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. This event is included with daily admission, and tickets can be purchased online.
July 15, 2019 – Apollo/Saturn V Center Transformation Celebration – 10:30-11 a.m.
Guests can get closer than ever to the history, artifacts, and innovations of NASA’s Apollo program at the newly-transformed Apollo/Saturn V Center.
The center now offers expanded exhibits that show a closer look at Lunar Module 9 and Command and Service Module 119, a 1969 period living room and bar, as well as projection mapping on the side of the Saturn V Rocket and even imagining what it was like to watch the Moon landing. This event is included with daily admission.
July 16, 2019 – Apollo 11 Launch Flashback Event presented by CBS – 7:30-10:30 a.m.
Guests can watch a special re-airing of the original CBS broadcast of the Apollo 11 launch from July 16, 1969. The re-airing will feature live commentary from Apollo Astronaut Charlie Duke, who was the CAPCOM of the Apollo 11 mission, and CBS news correspondent Mark Strassmann. The crowd will cheer alongside anchor Walter Cronkite at 9:32 a.m. Eastern, the exact time of lift-off just 50 years ago.
Other highlights of this event include a catered breakfast, vintage cars from the 1960s – including Neil Armstrong’s blue Corvette – and commemorative gifts. After the “launch,” guests can explore the Apollo/Saturn V Center.
Event tickets can be purchased online, and are $175 for adults, $150 for children, and $157.50 for annual passholders. A limited number of tickets will be sold and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
July 16, 2019 – Duran Duran in concert at the Rocket Garden – 8 p.m.
The British rock band will jam out under the stars in the Rocket Garden at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. For this special tribute performance, guests will be able to see a drone show by Studio Drift and an opening set by DJ Evalicious.
Tickets can be purchased for $300 each online, and profits from the concert will support the Aldrin Family Foundation’s STEAM education programs.
July 19, 2019 – United States Postal Service Apollo 11 Forever Stamp – 11-11:30 a.m.
Guests who visit the Visitor Complex on July 19 will bear witness to the first day of issue for the new USPS 1969: First Moon Landing Forever Stamps at 11 a.m.
This event will take place under the Saturn V rocket, and attendees will receive a USPS program and a canceled stamp, though limited quantities are available. There will also be a chance to purchase the stamps on-site both pre- and post-event by the Right Stuff gift store.
This event is included with daily admission.
July 19, 2019 – NASA Broadcast: Celebrating Apollo, Going Forward to the Moon – 1-3 p.m.
This two-hour program will celebrate the past and look toward the future, as it goes over the commitment to return to the Moon by 2024, hope for the chance to learn to live farther from Earth, and to travel beyond it. This broadcast will be held live from the Apollo/Saturn V Center, and is included with daily admission.
July 20, 2019 – One Giant Leap – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Guests can celebrate Apollo 11 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with a viewing of the lunar landing on the Rocket Garden lawn. The archival footage will be shown multiple ties throughout the day, and guests will be able to hear live commentary from a Kennedy Space Center space expert.
Guests will also get to see Neil Armstrong’s blue Corvette and a red Corvette autographed by Armstrong and 45 other astronauts. These, along with other Corvettes, will be on display in front of Heroes and Legends, next to the Rocket Garden.
Other event highlights include a live DJ, kids’ activity area, commemorative gifts and more.
July 20, 2019 – One Giant Leap: Special Ticketed Event – 3-5:30 p.m.
Space enthusiasts looking for something a little more special might want to check out this ticketed event. Inside, guests can enjoy air-conditioned viewing of the Apollo 11 footage, as well as the unveiling of the world’s largest Moon Pie.
This package includes hors d’oeuvres, a free digital photo, a commemorative Moon Pie and tin, special photo-ops, a commemorative keepsake and more.
Tickets are $50 for adults, $40 for children, and $45 for annual passholders. These tickets will be available to purchase online soon.
July 24, 2019 – Splashdown/Welcome Home Celebration – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Kennedy Space Center will celebrate the safe homecoming of the Apollo 11 crew with a festival event and activities for all ages. The Rocket Garden will showcase live splashdown footage, a mobile DJ, activities for kids and more. This event is included with the price of admission, and guests will receive a commemorative pin while supplies last.
To learn more about Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and to purchase tickets, visit KennedySpaceCenter.com.
