Space centers and historic warships to visit in the US

The short answer

XTOUR lists two kinds of place for travellers interested in spaceflight and military history. The space side is two NASA visitor centers: the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida and Space Center Houston in Texas. The naval side is four museum ships and an aviation museum: the aircraft carrier USS Midway in San Diego, the Battleship IOWA in San Pedro, and the Battleship Missouri, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and a submarine museum at Pearl Harbor on Oahu.

They are spread across Florida, Texas, California and Hawaii. XTOUR does not suggest them as one trip; each is covered by the guide for the destination it is in or reached from, which also covers the alternatives around it.

The two NASA visitor centers

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The operator gives its address as Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, and names Space Shuttle Atlantis, the Apollo/Saturn V Center and Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex among its attractions.[1] Wikidata places it in Brevard County.[2] It is not in Orlando, and that shapes the ticket choice. SkyGate's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Admission Ticket sells one-day admission, one-day admission with round-trip transport from the Orlando-Kissimmee area, or two-day admission with the second visit within six months. SkyGate's terms for the self-drive one-day option were time-limited when XTOUR read them on 3 October 2026, and XTOUR has not re-read them since, so confirm the current option before you book.[3] A second product sells only the transport option. SkyGate's self-drive options list adult tickets for ages 12 to 54 and no senior ticket, while the transport option takes adults to 99, so older visitors should check how they are ticketed before choosing the self-drive route.[3][4]

Space Center Houston. It calls itself a nonprofit and the official visitor center of NASA's Johnson Space Center, at 1601 E NASA Parkway, Houston.[5] SkyGate's ticket is timed general admission to the spaceflight exhibits and the shows included with entry.[7] The tram tours are the part to plan. Space Center Houston says its Historic Mission Control tram tour costs extra and must be booked in advance, while its other tram tours are free to general admission guests, subject to availability.[6]

Which one? XTOUR's reading of the two operators' descriptions: Kennedy is where the operator names Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Apollo/Saturn V Center; Houston is the visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, and its tram tours, including Historic Mission Control, are the way behind the scenes. They are separate trips: Kennedy belongs with an Orlando stay, Houston with a Texas one. See Kennedy Space Center and day trips from Orlando and Houston space center, museums and aquariums.

Museum ships

USS Midway, San Diego. Wikidata describes the USS Midway as a 1945 Midway-class aircraft carrier.[10] SkyGate's USS Midway Museum: Skip The Line ticket admits you to the carrier museum with a self-guided audio tour to more than 60 locations, same-day re-entry and talks by Midway volunteers, and says children under 6 enter free.[8] The museum listed daily hours of 10am to 5pm, with last admission at 4pm, when XTOUR read its site on 3 October 2026.[9] More in San Diego passes, museums and the bay.

Battleship IOWA, San Pedro. The museum gives its address as 250 South Harbor Boulevard, Los Angeles (San Pedro), and listed opening days of Thursday to Monday on 3 October 2026.[12] SkyGate's ticket is a self-guided General Access Pass with an app-based audio guide; its page describes the ship's service in the Second World War, the Korean War and the Cold War, and notes limited wheelchair accessibility.[11] The ship is in San Pedro, part of the City of Los Angeles, not in Long Beach, even though XTOUR's Long Beach and San Pedro guide covers both.

Battleship Missouri, Pearl Harbor. Wikidata describes the USS Missouri as a 1944 Iowa-class battleship.[16] It is moored at Ford Island, which the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum describes as an active military base that the public reaches by shuttle from the visitor center.[17] SkyGate's Battleship Missouri Memorial Ticket includes motor coach transfers to the Missouri Pier and a guided tour in English, Japanese or Chinese.[14] The USS Missouri Memorial Association listed daily hours of 8:00am to 4:00pm when XTOUR read its site on 3 October 2026.[15]

Aviation at Pearl Harbor

The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is on Historic Ford Island at 319 Lexington Boulevard, reached by shuttle from the visitor center.[19] SkyGate's ticket is admission with an audio guide in six languages, and its description names Hangar 37, with artefacts from the attack to the Battle of Midway, and Hangar 79, which carries the story on to the Gulf Wars.[18]

If you want the battleship, the aircraft and the submarine on one day, the Passport to Pearl Harbor lists an audio tour of the Arizona Memorial and Visitor Centre, the Missouri, and admission to the aviation museum and the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum.[13] The submarine museum says children under 4 are not permitted on the submarine itself.[20] The USS Arizona Memorial programme is separate: the National Park Service runs it through recreation.gov.[21] The Pearl Harbor tickets and tours guide compares the three tickets, and US landmarks that need a reservation or an official ferry explains the Arizona booking.

How to choose

• Spaceflight, staying in Orlando: Kennedy Space Center, with the transport option if you have no car.[3]
• Spaceflight, staying in Houston: Space Center Houston, plus Historic Mission Control booked in advance if you want it.[6]
• An aircraft carrier: the USS Midway in San Diego.[8]
• A battleship in Los Angeles: the Battleship IOWA in San Pedro, on a Thursday to Monday.[12]
• Pearl Harbor's ships and aircraft in one day: the Passport to Pearl Harbor; or the Missouri or the aviation museum on its own.[18][14][13]

Before you go

• Kennedy Space Center: bring photo ID matching the lead traveller's name for one-day vouchers.[3]
• Space Center Houston: tickets are timed, and SkyGate says large bags are not permitted.[7]
• Pearl Harbor: the Ford Island sites are reached by shuttle, not by car.[17]