Day trips from Nashville · Town
Huntsville and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center
111 miles from downtown Nashville · about 1 hour 50 minutes
Madison County, Alabama
Huntsville built the Saturn V, and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center is the official visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center as well as the home of Space Camp. The Saturn V hanging in the Davidson Center is worth the drive by itself.
- Address
- One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL
- Admission
- Adults $30, children 5 to 12 $20, seniors 65 and up $20
- Hours
- 9am to 5pm
- Phone
- 256-837-3400
Permits, fees and access
Admission covers the Saturn V Hall, Rocket Park, Shuttle Park, Spark!Lab and the featured exhibits. The planetarium is a separate ticket. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
One thing to know first
This is a full day for anyone who engages with it, and half of it is outdoors in Alabama heat. Do the outdoor rocket parks first and save the indoor halls for the afternoon.
Access rules, fees and closures verified August 15, 2026 against the agency that manages this place. They change, sometimes without notice. Check before you drive.
I keep this list because it is genuinely how people spend weekends here, and because almost every guide to it is out of date. If you are weighing a move to Middle Tennessee and want to know which part of it puts you closest to the things you actually like, ask me. No pitch.