Heritage + History 2023 - 32

INNOVATION
Gaze up at the
massive Saturn
V Rocket at
Kennedy Space
Center Visitor
Complex (left);
Check out the
" Revolution: The
First 2000 Years
of Computing "
exhibit at the
Computer History
Museum in Mountain
View, California
(below).
launch from U.S. soil. " The Space Coast is
the birthplace of America's space program,
and it's a part of the culture here, " says Peter
Cranis, executive director at Space Coast
Office of Tourism.
" Visitors have the ability to touch a moon
rock, see a space shuttle up close, learn about
space history straight from astronauts and
former technicians, and watch history in the
making with frequent launches, " he continues.
Popular space institutions in the area
include Kennedy Space Center Visitor
Complex, Cape Canaveral Space Force
Station, and American Space Museum &
Space Walk of Fame.
Another out-of-this-world space destination
is Huntsville, Alabama, nicknamed
the " Rocket City " for its contributions to the
development of rockets that put American
men on the moon in 1969. A visit to the
U.S. Space & Rocket Center is a must-it's
the most popular attraction in Alabama,
after all, and the largest space museum in
the world. And let's not forget about Houston,
Texas, home to Space Center Houston.
The center's NASA Tram Tour takes guests to
NASA's Johnson Space Center for a behindthe-scenes
look at human space exploration
and a visit to Mission Control.
32 HERITAGE & HISTORY 2023-24
AMERICAN INVENTIONS
The pursuit of new ideas is a common
thread that binds even the earliest history
to the present and future. Innovation
is inevitable as society continues to challenge
itself to evolve. From the most influential
inventions of all time to some of
the sillier entrepreneurial pursuits found
on " Shark Tank, " developing new ideas is
an American pastime.
" Places of Invention, " an exhibition at the
National Museum of American History in
Washington, D.C., shares stories of U.S. communities
to showcase what we can achieve
when inventive people have a little luck and
the right resources. One such community
is Silicon Valley, California, an epicenter for
new technology. At the Computer History
Museum, visitors see the world's biggest
computer chip and experience the sights
and sounds of classic computing, while the
Intel Museum presents the science behind
the semiconductor industry. Another way
to experience Silicon Valley is with a driving
tour of famous garages where early tech
was born, like the HP Garage, the Steve
Jobs Garage, and Google's First Home.
(While most can't be toured, they certainly
make for fun photo ops.)
Across the country in West Orange, New
Jersey, Thomas Edison National Historical
Park features the inventor's home and laboratory
in original condition. Another Edison
site, Edison and Ford Winter Estates in
Fort Myers, Florida, includes the famous
inventors' winter homes, a research laboratory,
and a museum full of inventions.
The beauty of innovation and travel is
that every destination has a story to share,
no matter how small it may seem. Factories,
railroads, agriculture, architecture, and even
infrastructure can provide inspiration for
innovation-themed tours.
ABOVE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VISITOR COMPLEX BELOW COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM
Heritage + History 2023

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