Want to learn what it’s like to travel into space? The U.S. Space & Rocket Center takes you as close as you can get without leaving Earth’s atmosphere. Visitors get a taste of astronaut life through flight simulation experiences, such as the G-Force Accelerator and a rocket-launch simulator. As the home of Space Camp, the Aviation Challenge, and Robotics Camp, the center is also a training ground for budding astronauts. Outside the museum stands the world’s only full-scale display of a Space Transportation System: a massive space shuttle, complete with rocket boosters. —Rebecca Katzman