It is a never-ending quest to find new and exciting things to do to entertain the kiddos. You can only go to the park so many times. But sometimes, if you pay close attention to what your kids are entranced by on YouTube, you’ll get a clue.
In our house, our sons Colin and Mario are absolutely obsessed with space lately. They know the order of the planets, they know a ton of dwarf planets (including Pluto, which to me will always be a real planet), they know the largest known star in the Universe (UY Scuti, whatever the hell that is)… if it has to do with the cosmos, they are all about it.
On the search for something fun to do space-wise, we came across Illuminarium Las Vegas at Area 15. The projection-mapping destination has an attraction named Space: A Journey To The Moon And Beyond that was thankfully just extended through the end of the year. I say thankfully because, if you haven’t been, I am demanding you do.
You walk into the a large room, adorned with seats and couches and every piece of the floor and walls around you showing that you’re smack dab in the middle of a launch site, getting ready to blast off into space. A tour guide welcomes you and prepares you for your journey through space.
In no time – BLAST OFF. The ground rumbles, the rocket blasts off, and you are headed off Earth. The visuals, the sound system, it is all incredibly awe-inspiring. This alone would be enough to impress, until they open the doors.
What awaits on the other side is the real show. From floating through outer space to landing on the moon. Watching astronauts bounce around the dusty rock, drive their buggy around to collect samples and more. Then, it’s off to another adventure. This time to the planets beyond, reaching to the deepest parts of space.
Asteroids appear on the floor and you can stomp on them to break them up. A half scale model of a lunar lander smack dab in the middle of the experience. It is something that, especially if you haven’t experienced “projection mapping technology” before, will make your jaw drop.
We got the kids dressed up as astronauts for the occasion and they had an absolute blast. Yours will too. Even the kid inside you will love it.
Locals can get in for as little as $20 a ticket, with $35 getting you flexible entry into the exhibit (no set time), a souvenir poster, and a $10 credit in the gift shop. See this before it is gone because, trust me, you’ll be glad you had the experience. It’s cheaper than a SpaceX ticket.
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