free tickets to Kennedy Space Center

[vvv]

We contacted our MN Congressman this past week requesting tickets for our travel dates which are December 14-24, 2012.

The first response we received from his office was that they do not supply these tours and that there are several nice beaches around Kennedy Space Center which are available for viewing. This of course told me that she was refering to launches and not tours so we replied to her email and explained again what we wanted. She then understood and put our request in to the proper people.

We were notified today that all of the tickets have been distributed for December and they are now taking requests for January and February only so we were supposed to let them know if we were interested in changing our travel dates.

 

[eacdabney]

We contacted our MN Congressman this past week requesting tickets for our travel dates which are December 14-24, 2012.

The first response we received from his office was that they do not supply these tours and that there are several nice beaches around Kennedy Space Center which are available for viewing. This of course told me that she was refering to launches and not tours so we replied to her email and explained again what we wanted. She then understood and put our request in to the proper people.

We were notified today that all of the tickets have been distributed for December and they are now taking requests for January and February only so we were supposed to let them know if we were interested in changing our travel dates.

I guess that means we won't get tickets either. I sent an email to our VA congressman (Eric Cantor) two days ago. I got a response today saying that they sent my request and would let me know if there were tickets available in December. Guess the answer will be no unless the allot a certain number per each state?

 

[budbeerlady]

I put our request in at 6 months out and just heard back that we have tickets. I am so excited, Dd will LOVE this! Last time I tried they were not available.

 

[magicmommy]

We got our requested dates in October for a party of two.

 

[lucifie]

I heard about this in another thread and thought I'd try. I emailed my congressman last week and got a response from one of his staffers yesterday:

Apologies for the delay in a response to your email.

Tickets to the Kennedy Space Center can actually be purchased online. The link to the purchase page is below:

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/buy-tickets.aspx?gclid=CLPzzaa557ICFVSd4Aodx24AZg

Enjoy your trip!

So I responded (trying to sound humble and polite so he would want to help me):

Perhaps my information is incorrect, but I was told that Congressmen are allotted a certain number of tickets each year to distribute as they see fit. The person to contact to obtain such tickets for your constituents is Lisa Gibson Legislative Affairs Specialist NASA Headquarters Office of Legislative & Intergovernmental Affairs 202-358-1067 (office) 202-358-4343 (fax). I apologize if I was given incorrect information. Thank you for your help.


Today I got a response:

Interesting. I’ve never had a constituent request this before but I’m happy to look into it. How many adults and how many children, and when were you hoping to go?

So I sent him my information. We'll see what happens. We're not sure if we we're going to go, but I figured I would give it a shot and if we get the tickets we'll go.

 

[jcarwash]

I contacted my congressional office in April 2012 for a February 2013 KSC visit.

They told me the KSC office takes requests six months in advance and so they would resubmit my request in August, which they did.

I've now been told that my request is set for the date I wanted and that a confirmation number is typically sent a month in advance of the visit.

They also told me that in addition to admission to the KSC center and attractions, the passes include a second day at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

 

[JayT]

Has anyone had luck getting complimentary tickets in 2013? My congressmans office says they stopped this after December 2012.

 

[zacaronius]

I asked my congressman about a month ago for tickets to KSC for January. I got an email a week later asking for a date and a backup date if needed and who and how many and they would submit the request to KSC, the next day I got an email that I got the tickets and in December I would get a confirmation number to pick up my tickets with.

 

[FLbadders5]

Has anyone tried this who lives in FL? I emailed three different offices and got only one response. Which was this:

Unfortunately, you have been misinformed. The KSC tours and facilities that are open to the public are run by a private company. We have no way to obtain free tickets to tour. We occasionally are invited as an office to tour for a specific reason, such as the first launch of a new rocket or the last launch of the shuttle, but those are few and far between and they are very restrictive with the number of people allowed. I am sorry we are unable to help you with your request, but this is a tour worth paying for, believe me!

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/visit-us.aspx



My email was something like this :

We were told that if we contacted or representative, we may possibly be able to receive complimentary tickets to the Kennedy space center. If this is something that is possible, please contact me at___. Thank you.

Guessing it is since we live in FL?

 

[jilljill]

Has anyone tried this who lives in FL? I emailed three different offices and got only one response. Which was this:

Unfortunately, you have been misinformed. The KSC tours and facilities that are open to the public are run by a private company. We have no way to obtain free tickets to tour. We occasionally are invited as an office to tour for a specific reason, such as the first launch of a new rocket or the last launch of the shuttle, but those are few and far between and they are very restrictive with the number of people allowed. I am sorry we are unable to help you with your request, but this is a tour worth paying for, believe me!

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/visit-us.aspx



My email was something like this :

We were told that if we contacted or representative, we may possibly be able to receive complimentary tickets to the Kennedy space center. If this is something that is possible, please contact me at___. Thank you.

Guessing it is since we live in FL?

Pst #425 above has the contact person's name to give your rep's office so you sound like you know what you are talking about. It shouldn't matter that you live in FL or not.

 

[jcarwash]

Has anyone had luck getting complimentary tickets in 2013? My congressmans office says they stopped this after December 2012.

My congressional office is telling me to expect tickets for my requested date in February 2013. There was no mention of an end date.

 

[zealandsmom]

Pst #425 above has the contact person's name to give your rep's office so you sound like you know what you are talking about. It shouldn't matter that you live in FL or not.

I can't see the post numbers on my iPad mind reposting the link puh-lease!!

 

[jilljill]

I can't see the post numbers on my iPad mind reposting the link puh-lease!!

Has anyone tried this who lives in FL? I emailed three different offices and got only one response. Which was this:

Unfortunately, you have been misinformed. The KSC tours and facilities that are open to the public are run by a private company. We have no way to obtain free tickets to tour. We occasionally are invited as an office to tour for a specific reason, such as the first launch of a new rocket or the last launch of the shuttle, but those are few and far between and they are very restrictive with the number of people allowed. I am sorry we are unable to help you with your request, but this is a tour worth paying for, believe me!

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/visit-us.aspx



My email was something like this :

We were told that if we contacted or representative, we may possibly be able to receive complimentary tickets to the Kennedy space center. If this is something that is possible, please contact me at___. Thank you.

Guessing it is since we live in FL?

Here you go, it was only up 6 or 7 posts.

 

[JayT]

Thank you - I emailed them back and they said he's retiring in January and to ask the new congressman. Well that makes more sense instead of "we're not getting any for 2013" Maybe I'll try my senator in the meantime. (we're going in Jan) Anyone try their senators office?

 

[zealandsmom]

Here you go, it was only up 6 or 7 posts.

Thanks! Not sure why I can't see post numbers??? Weird! But thanks so much!!!!

 

[jcarwash]

Thanks! Not sure why I can't see post numbers??? Weird! But thanks so much!!!!

If you're using the DISboards iPad application rather than Safari to view the web site, the app doesn't show the post numbers like the web interface does. Wish it did...

 

[zealandsmom]

If you're using the DISboards iPad application rather than Safari to view the web site, the app doesn't show the post numbers like the web interface does. Wish it did...

Aha! Yep thats it!!

 

[budbeerlady]

Can anyone who has visited report back on what the visit was like? What are things not to miss?
I am shocked tickets by purchase are around $50 and I am not sure what things we must see while we are there. At $50 we most likely are not getting back anytime soon! Thanks!

 

[pershing]

I wanted to share my recent experience in emailing my local representitives for free tickets.

I'm in the 10th District of Massachusetts. My local representative is Congressman Keating, who is up for re-election. My 2 Senators are Scott Brown and John Kerry. Scott Brown is in the middle of a tough re-election.

We were asking for tickets in April and I emailed all of them. Here's what happened.

Scott Brown's person emailed back right away stating that his office does not deal with requests of this nature in any way. Prompt but disappointing! I can see maybe his disapproval of expending tax dollars in this manner. Oh well! He's still one of the most handsome Senators in DC!

Kerry's office has not responded yet at all. He's the only one not running too. Although, he was supposedly helping Obama practice for the debates. Why, I don't know. Never thought of Kerry as a great debater.

Keating's office responded last by stating they signed me up for the tour....the DC Tour!!!! Emailed them back saying we weren't going to be in Washington and explaining that we were asking for Kennedy Space Center. I just received a response, they apologized and said they'd put in a request with NASA and will email me when they hear back. Whew!

I was wondering if the Space Center had switched from public to private hands and that's why people were having issues lately getting tickets. Now, I think it's just sporadic like another poster said. Some reps will do it, others won't. But whoever said start with your Congressman and not the Senators might be accurate. If you think about it; They are after every single vote in your small district as opposed to the Senators and maybe more willing to put out the effort.

I'll post back what happens next.

 

[pearljammer]

This past May we went to the space center after getting free tickets from our local congressman (thanks to tips here). Our son was almost 5 at the time and though it was a good experience, I'm glad I didn't pay for it. The best part of the entire thing was the Apollo area that has a eating area inside. My DH and I discussed it afterwards and I would have been ticked if I had paid the kind of money they want to visit there. Again, it's cool and all for free but I don't know if I would have said that if I'd paid over $100 for the 3 of us to go. If I WERE paying, I'd wait until my child were older so he'd really get it.

We spent half the day there, a small portion of that with our child playing in the play area.

FYI - the tickets were waiting for us at the roll call window.