On Friday, May 29, 2015, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex broke ground on a new attraction designed to touch the hearts and minds of the next generation of space explorers –Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame® presented by Boeing®.
Opening November 11, 2016, Heroes & Legends will not only bring to life enthralling stories of America’s first space pioneers, but also invite visitors to vicariously experience the thrills and dangers of America’s earliest missions. One highlight of the experience is a theater designed to make guests feel as though they are floating in the vastness of space as legendary astronauts including Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Jim Lovell and Neil Armstrong invite them to join in their epic journeys into the vast unknown.
Early space artifacts from the Mercury and Gemini programs, such as the original Mercury Mission Control room, will be brought to life by simulated holograms and augmented reality. Inside the newly relocated U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, visitors may get to know each of the 93 heroes and legendary astronauts who have been inducted through 2016. The stories of NASA’s space heroes will resonate with visitors as they find parallels in their own challenges and triumphs. Transforming the building previously occupied by Early Space Exploration, the new Heroes & Legends will be incorporated into the Rocket Garden, giving visitors a new and elevated perspective of the towering collection of historic rockets.
Visitors are welcome to join the festivities for the grand opening of Heroes and Legends, featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, on November 11, 2016 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.