Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Space museum in Hutchinson, United States.
Description
The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a museum in Hutchinson, Kansas that focuses on space exploration and houses one of the largest collections of spaceflight artifacts in the United States. Exhibition areas spread across multiple floors with galleries, a planetarium, and a dome theater, where visitors can view both historic capsules and samples of lunar material.
History
The facility started in 1962 as a small planetarium at the Kansas State Fairgrounds and evolved over the decades into an internationally recognized center for space science. During the 1990s, the institution restored the Apollo 13 command module and expanded its collection to include both American and Soviet spacecraft.
Culture
The name Cosmosphere combines the Greek word for order with the concept of a sphere, reflecting an ambition to make the universe understandable and accessible. School groups and families regularly participate in hands-on workshops where they learn how astronauts train and what engineering makes space travel possible.
Practical
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday. Visitors should plan at least three hours to experience the main exhibitions, planetarium, and theater.
Did you know?
The collection includes the original spacesuit worn by Alexei Leonov during the first spacewalk in history in 1965. Visitors can also see parts of a German V-2 rocket from World War II, which served as a precursor to modern space technology.
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