OK... nobody's watching! Let's just do everything but get inside this puppy!

Once again, I'm struck by how very "cheap" the whole thing appears! Nothing more than a soda can... with jump seats and toggle switches! Can you image how very brave the first astronauts had to have been to risk their lives on theory??

On the inside...

Homing in on the inside of the Gemini...

Buckle your seat belt...

And let's blast off!

Whoooooweeee! Looks scary to me!

Let's go, eh? ;)

The powerhouse...

Not too far away sits a piece of one of the original booster engines. I am not a small person, and this bit of space trivia literally dwarfs me!

This is much more solid... a more "real", tangible part of what makes up a spacecraft. No aluminum can here! Every line and part on this exhibit speaks of durability...

And makes you want to fly!

Mission Control... We have lift-off!!

Now the tone of the exhibits have begun to change... and from mysterious sources, the radio transmissions aboard the Apollo 11 flight plays. We are now into the men, the things, the equipment that comprised that historic flight...

Quietly lighted...

The tasteful exhibits follow along the career of Neil Armstrong and the crew of Apollo 11.

Outstanding paintings, photographs, and sculpture are set aside in a comfortable alcoves...

Original equipment...

Displays include the hatch that seperated the "Eagle" from orbiting space craft... and even the very "joystick" that helped to land Armstrong and Aldrin on the surface!

Hungry for more?

There were even displays of some of the foodstuffs that had "been there and back"! From things dubiously labeled... roast beef, to that infamous "Tang", (we just had to have as kids!) the diet appeared pretty spartan!

(Remarkably, they greatly resemble things I've (shudder...) been forced to eat from vending machines from time to time... ;)

Fashion statements...

One area is dedicated solely to the attire that followed the men to the Moon. Along the walls are gloves, caps and stockings wore by the astronauts. In one sealed area is the original "sleeping harness" worn by Armstrong.

The clothing on display seems quite complicated in light of today's modern flight suits! But as with all things historic, their very presence inspires awe...

Behind the suits, you can see on the wall a 'flip-file' of newspapers covering the mission. They come from all around the world! (Part of me guilt trips a bit here, because I have a Marion Star dated July 20, 1969... Still in reasonable condition, I have held onto this newspaper since my childhood... Never dreaming of how much it would come to mean to me one day!)

Forever sealed...

Encased in lucite, one of the original mission flags is on display...

It is just one of the trivia points, like the display of newpapers from around the world, that gives one a moment to pause and reflect on that great adventure.

How well I remember as a child! Being glued to the TV screen... watching history unfold before my eyes!

"The Eagle has landed..." And oh, how well I remember those very words!!

Treasure returned....

It my was intense pleasure to find on a subsequent visit to the Museum that the original spacesuit worn by Commander Armstrong has been returned to its' rightful place.

Home again, in Ohio....

To touch another world...

Is the dream that each of us holds...

And how proud I am to be able to just be near that which has journeyed into the beyond and back again...

On the surface...

Displays in this area are now consumed by the equipment used upon the surface of the moon.

It's all here... from the things they held in their hands, to one very special one they brought back "home"...

Magnificent...

For me, this particular display was what I came for... just to see with my own eyes!

A Moon rock...

It was like nothing I've ever seen. It faintly resembles a piece of dolomite, shot through with sparkling crystals. Although I am far from a geologist, this sample looks volcanic to me!

(And like the proverbial "Pink Panther", I simply long to reach inside the glass and hold it in my hand! No wish to keep it for myself, because that belongs to all people... but how I'd love to touch it!)

Close up...

"It's time for my close-up, Mr. DeVille..."

This is one very inspiring piece of rock! Sure... you might not think so, but I dare any single one of us interested in astronomy NOT to be glued to this display case! ;)

Science in action...

Around the walls of the room are displays containing the scientific equipment that went along on the journey.

(Can you imagine standing on the surface of the Moon, trying to dedicate yourself to drilling for core samples, with all those great stars above you??)

Sure, these displays are cool. The cameras that were used on the mission are here too... looking like prototypes for the original camcorders! Sample vials, collection instruments, etc... There is even a large meteor that can be touched, but how can you pay attention to that stuff with the Moon rock right here in the same room?!

Original equipment...

It almost staggers my imagination to see how much technology has changed in just my lifetime.. (and it ain't over yet! ;) Before me are the cameras that have journeyed to the Moon, and how clunky they seem compared to the sleek, almost hand-sized bit of equipment this video clip was taken from!

Amazing....

The Infinity Room...

What a rush! A dark corridor filled with ten thousands points of light...

"Take a look at the stars in your head... Feels like space, kid!"

Now we've reached the great dome in the center of the museum which harbors a planetarium... (No! NO!! I don't want to go on... Just let me drool on the Moon Rock a bit longer, ok?) A bit disappointed that the original spacesuit had been sent to the Smithsonian for preservation, (but totally understanding) I linger on and on at the display... Hearing the program automatically come on in the ampitheatre, it's time to take a walk through an "infinity" room, and into a planetarium... where the familiar patterns of the night are etched on the dome. It's quite comfortable in here... and we may sit where we like! Eventually the procession of the stars end, and a program dedicated to the Apollo 11 mission plays as a "slide show" against the backdrop of stars. What a walk through nostalgia! (I would love to give you a sense of the program... you will find many of the presentations here, and I urge you to take the time to reflect upon them!)

Onwards and upwards...

(OK... I sat through the program twice, all right? Who can resist?? ;)

From there we move on into the realm of the modern... past a gallery of great images courtesy of the Hubble! On display are items currently used on board the space shuttle.

(and speaking of which.. what's that over there?!! yes! let's go play some more....)

Lunar Landing Simulator...

YAHOO! And no kids around to show off and spoil the fun! (except for maybe... just one large one! ;)

The Lunar Landing Simulator was my cup of tea! Although I tend to lack a bit of hand/eye coordination, I had a wonderful time setting down on the surface of the Moon... first time!

Look out world!

"the astronomer" is coming in for a landing!!

On board the Challenger...

The Space Shuttle Landing Simulator came next...

I guess I was meant to fly in the past, because I sure didn't cut it in the future! Crashed that baby three times coming in for a landing!!

(I can only imagine what the nice young Brittish lady behind the ticket counter thought with all that lunatic laughing coming from the simulator displays! ;)

Wall of fame...