For space and moon enthusiasts looking for something to do in the Lou, we’ve got just the event for you! This spring and summer, the St. Louis Science Center will host “Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission,” a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
The Apollo 11 command module Columbia, the only part of the spacecraft from the very first mission to land a man on the moon and return to Earth, will be touring for the first time since the early 1970s. This journey won’t be nearly as far its original 238,000-mile trip beyond our atmosphere; the exhibition is only coming to four science museums in the entire nation, and our very own Science Center will be one of the lucky hosts!
Space Fun For Everyone
The command module will be joined by other exciting artifacts from the original mission. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity lets you see what was inside the rucksacks the crew was equipped with in case of an emergency landing on Earth, the gloves and helmet that Buzz Aldrin wore during his walk on the moon and a star chart that shows the position of the sun, moon and stars at the time Apollo 11 took its trip to the moon.
The exhibit space will be filled with material designed to take visitors back in time to the summer of 1969 when the mission launched. It all starts with a stroll through a 1960s St. Louis streetscape, complete with a toy store, convenience store and TV repair shop with sets tuned to episodes of classic shows from the era, like Gilligan’s Island, Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie. And, a Midcentury modern-style living room set with a television playing the original broadcasts of the moon mission will set the mood and tell the story of the launch.
The Science Center is also adding an interactive area with a mock Mission Control, a lunar module that visitors can walk through and a replica of the capsules used during the Apollo era that visitors can actually climb into to press buttons and throw switches. The Science Center told St. Louis Magazine that they hope the exhibit will provoke an interest in aerospace in the children and students that come to see it, maybe even inspiring them to become astronauts themselves one day.
“Destination Moon” will be at the Saint Louis Science Center from April 14 to September 3, 2018. The 49th anniversary of the moon landing will occur during this time, on July 20, 2018.
When you selenophiles come to St. Louis for this exciting interstellar event, be sure to book a room at the Moonrise. Our space-themed boutique hotel will ensure that your trip is truly out of this world from start to finish!