The U.S. Space & Rocket Center celebrated its 45th birthday at Thursday's Biergarten at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The Center opened March 17, 1970, as the Alabama Space & Rocket Center and has had 16 million visitors since that time. The No. 1 tourist attraction in the state, the Center had 626,000 visitors in 2014.

In 1968, the state's citizens voted to finance construction of the Center, which houses the National Historic Landmark Saturn V Moon Rocket, the Apollo 16 Command Module, the Pathfinder space shuttle display and many other exhibits. The Center is a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum and is the Official Visitor Center for Marshall Space Flight Center.

In 1982, the Center launched its Space Camp program, which has more than 650,000 alumni from around the world, including five astronauts. Aviation Challenge Camp with its leadership and fighter-pilot training opened in 1990, and Space Camp Robotics began in 2013.

Thursday's birthday celebration included a photographic retrospective from the Center's archives, games and educational activities as well as a rocket-themed birthday cake created by the Center's Chef Clementine De Roode.

Biergarten takes place in the Saturn V Hall in the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. Admission is free, and authentic German food, wine and beer are available for purchase.