Ok, so consider a membership if you live near Houston—it is not much more than one time tickets and you get free parking and just one other trip in a year makes it worth the price.
Try to reserve the tram tours and do these first. Right now they have a white tram tour (the Mission Control-the best), a blue tram tour (astronaut training) and a red tram tour (rocket park). Do them in this order if possible but not a big deal. Three separate lines now. Arrive early if you can’t get a timed tram or if you time tour is later in the day and turn to the right and go to the Visitors desk and reserve your tram. They will only let you reserve one tram at a time for your group which means by the time you come back the other trams will be booked and you only get to do one tour!
BUT they just take your name and number of people. So, at 9:00am, Jill can reserve 4 spaces for the first white 9:30 tram, and them John can go and reserve 4 spaces for the 11:00 red tour— duh.. if they are going to be so badly managed as to not have only one tour where you get to see everything, them I had no problem figuring out how to see it all myself. Sorry.
If you are late for your timed tour, they likely will still let you in by the way if you are polite and beg.
Also, they drop you off each time at the International Space Green and you have to walk through that exhibit some to your right, around the corner and to your right again, back to the tram tours! Really, they can put a man on the moon but not make this simpler?
After you do the trams, eat at the expensive cafeteria and then see the other exhibits. Start with the Destiny show as it puts you in the mood esp. after the hot tram rides. The walk through the old Apollo stuff, touch a moon rock and then go outside to visit the shuttle. Finish with the uniforms and cool gift shops!
Plan to spend 7 hours believe it or not— the day flies by… it is worth the admission price. Well done except the tram organization—
(also they need to work in this as well as replacing the young man that does the Mission control tour. Bad attitude.
Oh, and whoever thinks it is a good idea to make us leave our purses unattended on a table where anyone can put a tracker tag or steal a billfold is just crazy in this day and time! And telling us that “this is a government location with cameras” so it will be safe just made us laugh out loud. Be advised.. leave your purse in the trunk and stuff your pockets if you go on Mission Control tour. )