Houston Celebrates: The Eagle Has Landed

On July 20th, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong announced, “Houston.  Tranquility Base here.  The Eagle has landed.” And Houston celebrated.

Forty years later, Houston, home to Johnson Space Center and Mission Control, celebrates again, with a variety of events, attractions and exhibitions  commemorating the lunar landing and our fascination with space.

Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11

Discovery Green:  Spacefest – The downtown park partners with NASA and Rice University to host activities that celebrate the historic lunar landing.  Exhibits and films are designed for education and for fun.  July 17-20th.  FREE.

Houston Astros – For the July 20th game, the Astros will wear caps that feature the Apollo 11 mission patch, and give away replica caps to the first 10,000 fans.  Pre-game activities will feature residents who played an important role in the Apollo space program.

Space Center Houston – The Official Space Museum, sponsored by NASA, visitors can take a look at Apollo 17 and A Saturn V rocket.  Lots of great exhibits including a chance to touch moon rocks.  Visitors can also sit in the gallery of Mission Control, imagining what it must have been like to experience the moon landing from the nerve center of it all.  Tickets are $19.95 for adults, $18.95 for seniors, and $15.95 for kids.  A variety of discounts and promotional rates may be available.  Additionally, Space Center Houston is a Houston City Pass attraction.

The Health Museum – With its Facing Mars exhibit, visitors will have a chance to explore more than 28 interactive stations.  You can walk on Mars, with an exhibit that simulate Martian gravity, or become a rocket scientist for a day with an opportunity to test and launch rockets.  Lots to look at and think about as you ponder the challenges involved in journeying to Mars.  The exhibit runs through September 20th, 2009.  Admission is $8 for adults, and $6 for seniors and kids.  The Health Museum is also a Houston City Pass attraction.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston – An upcoming exhibit titled, The Moon:  Houston, Tranquility Base Here.  The Eagle has Landed, celebrates the Apollo space missions, and the relationship the missions and astronauts had with the moon.  Approximately 30 works of arts pay tribute to the moon.  Additionally, some 17th-century telescopes and other scientific implements will be on display.  The exhibit runs September 27th, 2009 through January 10th, 2010.  Admission is $7 for adults, and $3.50 for kids and seniors.  FREE admission on Thursdays.  The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is also a Houston City Pass attraction.

Houston Symphony – The symphony joins with NASA to present The Planets – An HD Odyssey.  Merging classical music with a giant screen with images from the Mars Rover, Hubble telescope, and past missions to Mars, this performance is an visual and audio masterpiece.  January 21st, 23rd, and 24th, 2010.

I remember following the Apollo 11 mission on television with my family.  It still gives me chills watching the original footage today.

Photo credit:  wikimedia