A visit to the Kennedy Space Center is pretty high on the bucket list for any space lover. I mean, pretty much everything going into space from the US launched from there since the late ’60s. Just in case the Rocket Garden and Heroes & Legends aren’t enough, the brand new Planet Play is an epic stop for little ones. My kiddos went nuts over it, and we stayed to explore for almost 2 hours.

We started our day in the Rocket Garden. My three loved squeezing into the rockets with their dad, just to see if everyone would fit. It is so cool to see so many different models from different years all in one place. We skipped the guided tour because I wasn’t sure my kids would stick with it, but it looked fascinating and educational.

Instead, we walked through on our own, then headed up to the Heroes & Legends exhibit. It starts with an IMAX-style video before you walk through the different areas. For tiny kids, it is loud and might be a bit much if they’re not used to big screens, but the exhibits that follow are fun, informative and just plain neat.

We finished up and decided to track down Orbit Cafe for some lunch. On the way, my oldest daughter ran to the photo op with the real, live astronaut. He is behind a set of ropes for safety reasons, but it is still fun to wave, take a photo, and do a meet-and-greet. The kids asked to see him again on our way out.

Lunch in the cafe was a nice break. It offers quite a few allergy and dietary restriction-friendly options. The free WIFI was great for my hubby, who needed to catch up on a few emails while we ate. After lunch, we went straight to Planet Play.

My kids literally got to play on massive planets, climb rope ladders American Ninja Warrior style and overall, have the time of their lives. For me, the coolest area was where we got to design our satellites. The kids colored in their satellite of choice (coloring sheets and crayons provided), then they take them over to a small white box to scan it in. After the photo noise clicks, their satellite comes to life on a big screen. It is so fun! If you aren’t glued to your kids (keeping watch), you can head over to the lounge area for a drink while they play.

Our trip wouldn’t have been complete without a quick walkthrough of the biggest space shop around. Of course, we wanted to take one of everything home. But, we stuck with a Christmas ornament we’ll take out and share every year. And we added a sticker to the kids’ RV memory wall inside the bunkroom.

When you plan your trip, keep the whole day open. It is tough to see it all, even in one day. If you are RVers, like we are, that’s OK. There’s ample RV parking on-site. You can order tickets ahead of time, online, or same-day tickets at the self-serve kiosk. Also, you need to walk a lot, so keep that in mind with tiny and mature legs in tow.

Our day at the Kennedy Space Center is one for the books! My son has decided he wants to be an engineer to help fix rockets (he’s five). But if that dream stays alive, we’ll be sure to come back for one of their camps.

We were hosted at the Kennedy Space Center in exchange for this article. As always, our experiences may differ from yours, but we’re pretty sure you’re going to love this place!