As winter Snow Birds and tourists return to the Central Florida area, they may want to look to the east coast for something they’ve never been able to do before. For the first time in more than 30 years, visitors to the Kennedy Space Center are able to tour inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Very few people have been inside the  525-foot VAB except of course, astronauts, NASA personnel and a few presidents.

Not only does this special tour include the VAB, you will also get up-close and personal with the Operations & Checkout building where the crews stayed before each launch. You’ll get to follow along the same route they did as they boarded an Astrovan to ride to the launch pads. You’ll also see the Orbiter Processing Facilities where the orbiters were kept between flights and where the Solid Rocket Boosters were stored. Check out the countdown clock and relive the excitment of this era in our space history.

This tour is being offered for a limited time starting November 1, and is not included in the regular $43-adults/$33-child admission. You must make reservations for the two-hour tour which is offered eight times daily. Admission costs for the KSC Up-Close Tour are $25 for adults and $19 for children (3-11). To book the tour go to www.kennedyspacecenter.com or call (866) 737-5235.

Today Boeing is expected to announce plans to lease the hangar that NASA used to house the space shuttles to build commercial crafts that will take people and cargo into space. This news along with the VAB tour is a great way to keep Florida’s east coast working. So on your way over to the coast to tour the VAB, dine at a local restaurant, or stay at a local hotel for the evening. Just because there are no more shuttle launches lighting up the sky doesn’t mean this shining star on our east coast isn’t worth another visit. Enjoy!

Last Updated on October 31, 2011