“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Neil Armstrong transmitted these famous words to Mission Control in Houston upon landing on the moon.

The Apollo Mission Control Center at NASA Johnson Space Center is the site where NASA’s flight control team planned, trained, and executed a series of human spaceflight missions to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth.

On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission achieved that historic goal – one of the most significant achievements in human history.

The Mission Control Center was used for nine Gemini missions, all Apollo missions, and the early Space Shuttle Missions.

In 1985, the Historic Mission Control, a “cathedral of engineering,” was named to the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historical significance.

Passing years, wear and tear, and budget decline took a toll on this much-revered site. The result was the condition of the Apollo Mission Control Center deteriorated to the point that the National Park Service listed it as “threatened” in 2015.

In 2017, The City of Webster funded a two-year project to restore the landmark Mission Operations Control Room. The room appears just like it did in 1969 with the historic Apollo 11 spaceflight to the Moon. New Old Stock carpet and wallpaper were located, period-correct ashtrays and coffee cups were obtained, and electronics were made to function once again.

In 2019, the Apollo Mission Control Room reopened to visitors on Space Center Houston’s tram tours.

In 2020, COVID-19 restrictions forced the closure of the historic Apollo Mission Control Center to public tours.

Today, restrictions at the Christopher C. Kraft Mission Control building have been relaxed and the iconic Apollo Mission Control is once again on the Space Center Houston Tram Tour.

Space Center Houston Tram Tour

The Tram Tour is your chance to go on-site at NASA Johnson Space Center for a behind-the-scenes look at human space exploration and is included in admission to Space Center Houston.

In addition to the Historic Mission Control, visitors may tour ROCKET PARK where one of only three of the remaining actual Saturn V rockets is displayed, along with other rockets that propelled space exploration and the ASTRONAUT TRAINING FACILITY where NASA astronauts train for missions and scientists develop the next generation of space exploration vehicles.

Boarding Passes

A FREE NASA Boarding Pass is required to visit Apollo Mission Control Center. Guests can obtain a boarding pass the day of their visit via the Space Center Houston app or at the Guest Services Desk.