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 STEM learning experience.
Remember, the Hall of Space admission is always free for residents of Reno County!*
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
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
• Soviet Vostok capsule
Apollo Gallery
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
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.
