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Hall of Space Museum

People come from all over the world to see the story told by the Cosmosphere’s Hall of Space Museum. Perhaps it was best summed up by the Artemis II Crew when they said,

“Kansas has the best space museum on planet Earth!”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.​

The Hall of Space begins with the story of the WWII German rocket design that evolved to power the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. As you proceed through the galleries, you will see the story of the space race between the United States and the U.S.S.R. unfold. You’ll learn about technological and cultural differences between the two superpowers through their intense competition to be the first to reach the Moon. 

Included in your ticket price is CosmosKids, an interactive STEAM learning experience.

Remember, the Hall of Space admission is always free for residents of Reno County!*

Parts of the Hall of Space Museum at the Cosmosphere are currently under renovation and are expected to reopen in Winter 2024.

V-2 Gallery

In creating the ultimate weapons of war, Hitler’s Germany laid the groundwork for future space travel. Rare V-1 and V-2 rockets highlight this World War II exhibit, demonstrating how V-2 technology made space exploration possible.

Significant artifacts

FLIGHT-READY BACKUP
• V-1 “Buzz Bomb”
• ME-163 Comet Rocket Engine
• V-2 Rocket

X-Plane Gallery

Learn how testing supersonic speeds in aircraft prepared us for human spaceflight. The X-Plane test pilots are the first true heroes of early spaceflight.

Significant artifacts

FLOWN
• Joe Engle’s XMC-2 Flight Suit

REPLICA
• Bell X-1 Rocket Plane used in the movie The Right Stuff

GENUINE
• XLR-11 Engine
• Sonic Wind II Rocket Sled

Cold War Gallery

Chronicling the first steps of both the U.S. and Soviet space programs, this gallery brings to life the Cold War standoff between the superpowers and the early drama of the Space Race.

Significant artifacts

GENUINE
• Wernher von Braun’s Slide Rule
• Sergei Korolev’s Slide Rule

FLIGHT-READY BACKUP
• Redstone Atomic Warhead

Competition Begins Gallery

In any race, there is only one winner. See how the Soviets took a distant lead as the Space Race began and the resulting political and technological strategies.

Significant artifacts

FLIGHT-READY BACKUP
• Sputnik I

ENGINEERING MODEL
• Sputnik II

REPLICA
• Vanguard I
• Explorer Satellite

Sending Humans to Space Gallery

The Soviets advanced to the Moon, and the U.S. had a 39 percent launch success rate. Against those odds, President Kennedy issued a challenge that changed everything.

Significant artifacts

GENUINE
• Luna Sphere
• Mercury-Atlas I (MA-I)

ENGINEERING MODEL
• Pioneer 4 Cutaway

Mollett Early Spaceflight Gallery

Gallery temporarily closed for renovation. The Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft is on display in our Grand Lobby. Come face-to-face with American heroes and Soviet secrets. Actual spacecraft, hardware, spacesuits and training gear from the American and Russian programs capture the ingenuity, accomplishment, and tension of the times as two Cold War enemies competed in the race to land humans on the Moon.

Significant artifacts

GENUINE
• RD-107 rocket engine
• 109-foot Titan rocket

FLIGHT-READY BACKUP
• Voskhod with Volga Airlock

FLOWN
• Gemini X spacecraft
• Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft
• Soviet Vostok capsule

Apollo Gallery

Gallery temporarily closed for renovation. The Apollo 13 command module is currently on display during renovation. From Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the Moon, to Gene Cernan’s last steps on the lunar surface, this gallery embodies one the nation’s most amazing technological achievements: America’s presence on the Moon.

Significant artifacts

GENUINE
• One of the three Apollo White Rooms used for the launch of Apollo Missions

REPLICA
• Lunar Module
• Lunar Rover

FLOWN
• Apollo Spacesuits
• Apollo 13 Command Module, Odyssey
• Apollo 11 Moon Rock and more

Astronaut Experience Gallery

Gallery temporarily closed for renovation. Rounding out our Hall of Space Museum, this gallery showcases approximately 100 artifacts from the Shuttle program, Russian MIR Space Station, International Space Station and private and commercial space companies.

Significant artifacts

GENUINE
• High Altitude Flight Suit
• MIR Sleeping Bag
• SpaceShip One Simulator

FLIGHT-READY BACKUP
• Russian Sokol Spacesuit

FLOWN
• Tile from STS-1
• Orbiter Window from Space Shuttle Columbia

Our Universe Gallery

The solar system and the universe is the focus of this gallery. Experience our thermal-heat camera and learn about the solar system. This gallery is also home to Dr. Goddard’s Lab and the Justice Planetarium.

Significant artifacts

ENGINEERING MODEL
• Surveyor

GENUINE
• H-1 Engine

*Reno County residents receive free admission to the Hall of Space Museum with proof of ID. Please check-in at Box Office upon arrival to receive your ticket.

Go Beyond

Visit the Cosmosphere, the greatest space museum on planet Earth.

Parts of the Hall of Space Museum at the Cosmosphere are currently under renovation and are expected to reopen in Winter 2024.