The Sky’s The Limit At McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center In New Hampshire

A fair few notable people hail from New Hampshire. While we're proud of them all, NASA's first teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe, is particularly special. Killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, she's a local hero. Today, we're telling you about a special discovery center named partially in her honor. There's so much to do and explore here, you'll probably want to devote an entire day!

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord is an air and space museum offering tons of ways to learn more about the world of space.

It's named for Alan Bartlett Shepard, who was the first American to travel to space and Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space.

In the spirit of their intrepid curiosity, the museum offers a chance for visitors to have hands-on fun, while learning about the history of the country's space program.

There are a number of interactive exhibts, a planetarium, an observatory, and lots of educational programs.

There are two fun floors of permanent exhibits that offer interaction on things including astronomy, aviation, Earth and space science, space history, general science, and engineering.

We love the exhibits that show actual machinery and equipment used in our space and air history.

There are also ongoing programs, including summer STEM camps for kids.

Visitors also look forward to AerospaceFest, the annual aerospace festival taking place the 1st Saturday of May. There's also Super Stellar Fridays, which includes special programming the 1st Friday of every month.

There's so much to see here, including a wonderful planetarium, that you'll want to plan on a full day exploring the exhibits and taking part in the programs.

And lest you think this is all about learning and education, don't worry! There are plenty of ways to be silly here, too.

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The first Friday of every month they're also open from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. During school vacation weeks and the summer, their days open vary so be sure to check their website for hours and ticket costs. Tickets range from $8.50 to $11.50 depending on your age and the size of your group. For other questions, you can call them on 603-271-7827.

Address: 2 Institute Drive, Concord, NH 03301

Looking to learn more about New Hampshire's museums? Click here for 8 that are all lesser-known and where admission is free!