FL/USA: New Visitor Experience at Kennedy Space Center Opened

Designed to be the first stop upon entering the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC), “Heroes & Legends feat. the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame presented by Boeing” is the new visitor experience on Cape Canaveral, which uses the early years of the space program to explore the concept of heroism and the qualities that define a hero.

The 3,437 square meter large (37,000 square foot) building in retro design is equipped with the latest technology and offers three distinct experiences for visitors. In the 360-degree “What is a Hero?” discovery bay, guests explore how society defines heroism through diverse perspectives. During a seven-minute presentation, the historic beginning of the space race is acknowledged as the impetus for America’s push to the stars in NASA’s early years and the rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The second experience is a custom-built 4D theater, named “Through the Eyes of a Hero”. In a seven-and-a-half-minute film guests join NASA’s heroes – Alan Shepard, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn and James Lovell – on the most perilous stages of their missions. Artistically choreographed lighting, special effects and deeply resonant sound effects complete the adventure. The third experience, “A Hero is …”, offers interactive exhibits that highlight prominent attributes of an astronaut. Through the use of holograms and augmented reality, visitors can interact with space program artifacts in a completely new way.

Heroes & Legends was developed in collaboration with NASA by Delaware North, one of the largest privately-held hospitality companies in the world, which has operated KSCVC for NASA since 1995. Falcon’s Treehouse was in charge of the concept development and media production, the AV system for the attraction was supplied by Electrosonic. All theming elements come from Orlando-based Nassal Company. (eap)