Exciting news for space fans in New York: The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum’s Space Shuttle Pavilion will open this Thursday, meaning the Enterprise will finally be open to the public. According to city website Gothamist, the shuttle will be displayed in "a climate-controlled and fully-accessible Space Shuttle Pavilion located on Intrepid’s Flight Deck, and sits just 10 feet off the ground allowing visitors to walk directly underneath it or ascend to a viewing platform near the nose to get an up-close look." The pavilion will also include images and video stations with information about the original NASA orbiter and prototype space shuttle.
Best of all, tickets are still available for opening day.
On Wednesday, the Intrepid will host a "SpaceFest," which will include a free concert on the Flight Deck followed by more than 40 interactive displays, activities and exhibitions from Thursday through the entire weekend. This will include a free screening of Star Trek outside the Space Pavilion on Intrepid’s Flight Deck (Friday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m.); robotics demonstrations and Space travel simulators.
Wednesday's concert will start at 7 p.m., and include sets from MNDR, Javelin, Delicate Steve and Red Baraat. Astronauts Jeffrey Hoffman, Garrett Reisman, Kevin Kregel, Ellen Baker, Mario Runco, Jr., Charles Camarda, Michael Massimino, Karol Bobko and Lee Morin will also be on hand. Visit www.intrepidmuseum.org for a full schedule.