Visitor complex ranked No. 3 globally in awards highlighting the highest rated attractions and experiences
VOL 26 ISSUE 31, Aug. 4, 2025
Tripadvisor has named Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which Delaware North operates for NASA on Florida’s Space Coast, the top-ranked attraction in the United States as part of its annual 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things To Do, based on more than 15,000 five-star reviews.
The accolade places the visitor complex at No. 1 on the U.S. list – surpassing iconic landmarks such as the Empire State Building – and No. 3 globally, just behind Sagrada Familia in Spain and the Eiffel Tower in France.
“Our guests have always been our top priority,” said Therrin Protze, chief operating officer for Delaware North at the visitor complex. “We’re thrilled that families and explorers alike are embracing the journey we offer our visitors, from past missions to future frontiers.”
“We are constantly looking for ways to evolve and improve our guest experience, and this summer opened The Gantry at LC-39, located amidst the most iconic launch pads in space exploration,” Protze continued.
The opening of The Gantry at LC-39 was highlighted in the July 28 edition of 360. The new attraction, accessible via the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Bus Tour, offers 360-degree panoramic views of active launch pads and the surrounding wildlife refuge, a full-scale rocket engine that comes to life during a simulated static-fire test, hands-on exhibits including a Rocket Build Interactive for designing and virtually launching rockets, and a cutting-edge Earth Information Center showcasing NASA’s planet-monitoring efforts through immersive visuals and interactive media.
Every day at the visitor complex is an opportunity to meet a real astronaut and get as close to space as possible without leaving Earth. With astronaut chats, interactive exhibits, flight flown space artifacts and the unforgettable bus tours through the KSC grounds, the visitor complex offers an immersive journey from the early days of Mercury and Apollo to the crewed missions of today.
Guest favorites include:
- Space Shuttle Atlantis®: view the orbiter at a dramatic 43.21-degree angle, explore simulators, and pay respects to Challenger and Columbia through the “Forever Remembered” exhibit.
- Rocket Garden: stroll among the iconic giants of the Mercury and Saturn-era rockets.
- KSC Bus Tour: board the bus tour to relive the Apollo-era launches and see the massive Saturn V rocket up close at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. And new this summer, stop at the historic Gantry at LC-39 to see a piece of history and build a rocket.
- Astronaut Training Experience: test missions using multi-axis chairs and Mars-base simulators.
- Daily Astronaut Presentations: Chat with an Astronaut gives guests the opportunity to interact with an astronaut every day.
The announcement of the Tripadvisor award has been covered extensively in the media, including by Southern Living, Travel and Tour World, Yahoo Finance and MSN.com.