We were very excited about visiting the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center. We had visited their website before leaving and thought that we were prepared for a great day.
Our first discovery that was not mentioned on the web site was that you can get a discount on your tickets with your "Kroger Plus Card". Since we did have the grocery store tag on our key chain we were delighted with saving a few dollars.
We began our day with the IMAX movie "Apollo 13". This was our initial experience with this type of theater so we decided to sit half way up the stairs in the middle. The movie was great! The movie was very educational and the surround experience was like being a part of the space station. About half way through my neck started to ache. Shame on us; we should have sat at the top of the theater in the center. The woman in front of us received a call on her cell phone half way through the show. All those around her had to listen to a long call. Wouldn't it be nice if others exercised common courtesy?
After the show we proceeded to explore the extensive space museum. That's went we realized that the Space and Rocket Center was a childcare center. There were rowdy children everywhere. I am not sure of the ratio of counselors to children but it appeared that each counselor had to oversee 15-20 children. The children were running, pushing, and generally obnoxious. The counselors attempted crowd control but were not successful. It was difficult to enjoy the museum with all the noise and confusion around us.
The aromas from the cafeteria were very appetizing. However, we went back to the car for a snack because we didn't want to fight the lines of children.
The museum itself is well worth seeing. Plan on spending a half day. Do not visit while school is out. Check the website for the space camp dates and avoid those times to have a really enjoyable trip.