In July 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first two people to step foot on the moon. Now, 50 years on, it’s amazing how far the space program has come – and how far we have left to go. To mark the occasion, there are a variety of commemorative Apollo 11 events around the country. These “Apollo 50th” Anniversary events are happening at some of the best space museums and NASA facilities and are open to all ages!
Note: We’ve gotten emails about lots of new Apollo 11 Anniversary Events, and many of them are listed in the comments. Be sure to read the comments to see those events too!
Apollo 11 Mission Timeline
Before we launch into the list of events, it’s helpful to know the exact timeline of the Apollo 11 mission. Most of the Apollo 50th Celebrations happen on the anniversary of these dates:
- July 16, 1969 – Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. Three astronauts (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins) set out on the three-day journey to the moon.
- July 20, 1969 – Lunar Landing. After several maneuvers, astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin take the Lunar Module to the Moon.
- July 21, 1969 – First Man on the Moon. After a few hours of rest, Armstrong and Aldrin begin a multi-hour EVA on the surface of the moon.
- July 24, 1969 – Splashdown. Armstrong and Aldrin launch from the surface of the moon, rejoin Collins aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft and make their journey home. The crew splashes down just over 8 days after they left earth.
Keeping those dates in mind, let’s dive into the list of Apollo 50th Anniversary celebrations around the country!
Table of Contents
Apollo XI 50th Anniversary Gala – Simi Valley, California
Photo credit: roadtoapollo50th.com
- Where: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
- When: July 13, 2019
- Website: link
There’s only one event where you can celebrate with an astronaut who was actually on the Moon for the whole thing! Buzz Aldrin is holding a special 50th Anniversary Gala in southern California, and it’s one of the first events to kick off a two-week window of festivities around the country.
Aldrin’s gala tickets aren’t cheap: the lowest tier starts at $1,000 per person but includes a meet-and-greet, photo of you with the Apollo 11 astronaut himself, a multi-course meal, and auction. The proceeds of the event will support Aldrin’s nonprofit, Human SpaceFlight Institute which focuses on utilizing a collaborative approach to advancing human spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit. So it’s for a good cause and an Apollo 11 enthusiast’s dream opportunity to meet Buzz Aldrin!
Apollo 50th Anniversary Celebration Events – Huntsville, Alabama
Photo credit: U.S. Space & Rocket Center
- Where: U.S. Space & Rocket Center
- When: July 13-20, 2019
- Website: link
If you’re looking for a week of festivities, look no further than Huntsville, aka Rocket City! From July 13th to 20th, there’s a full schedule of events, including a car show, a celebration dinner, and the Rocket City Summer Fest (a moon landing concert). Oh, and bring your model rockets: on July 16th, Rocket City will attempt to set a Guinness World Record by launching 5,000 model rockets simultaneously (part of Global Launch Day!).
Apollopalooza – Denver, Colorado
Photo credit: Wings Over the Rockies
- Where: Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
- When: July 13-20, 2019
- Website: link
For an entire week surrounding the Apollo 11 mission, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum is hosting a variety of events, lectures, seminars, and other space-y activities. You can hear from Apollo 17 astronaut Dr. Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, who was one of the last men to walk on the moon, or meet with folks from Spaceport America to hear about the future of space travel. If you’re in the Denver area, this is the place to be to mark the Apollo anniversary!
Apollo 50th Gala – Merritt Island, Florida
Photo credit: Kennedy Space Center
- Where: Kennedy Space Center
- When: July 16, 2019
- Website: link
Kennedy Space Center is understandably one of the epicenters for Apollo 11 50th Anniversary celebrations. After all, this is where liftoff took place on July 16, 1969!
To mark the occasion, KSC is hosting a 500-guest gala at the Apollo Saturn V Center. Your fellow guests will include Apollo, Shuttle, and ISS astronauts, flight directors and space legends, Apollo families, NASA executives, celebrities and global movers and shakers, international media, space collectors and educators. The best part? The dress code is “Golden Galactic” (black tie with a twist!). Oh, there’s also an after party and brunch the next morning for certain ticket tiers.
Apollo 50 – Washington, D.C.
Photo credit: National Air & Space Museum
- Where: National Air & Space Museum
- When: July 16-20, 2019
- Website: link
If you’ll be in the nation’s capital for the Apollo 50th Anniversary, head to the National Mall! There, based around the National Air & Space Museum, there’s a series of fun events for all ages. On July 16th, Neil Armstrong’s suit will be put on display for the first time in over a decade. On July 20th, stay late at the museum to celebrate the exact moment the first steps were taken on the Moon with an evening of activities until 2:00am! And in between, from July 16th to 20th, there will be other events along the mall, too. Your calendar can be as full as you want it to be!
Apollo 50th Anniversary Events – Houston, Texas
Photo credit: Houston Museum of Natural Science
- Where: Space Center Houston
- When: July 16-20, 2019
- Website: link
Houston, like Huntsville, is the other epicenter of Apollo 50th celebrations. In addition to celebrating Space City Month all July, there are hotel and restaurant specials all over town, especially during the week of the Apollo mission. From a Lunar Landing Party to outer space trivia nights, local businesses are getting into the spirit. Space Center Houston will have pop-up science labs, briefings about the Apollo 11 mission, and a special tram experience at nearby Johnson Space Center.
(STG Founder Valerie will be in Houston all week for the Apollo 11th celebrations!)
Summer Moon Festival – Wapakoneta, Ohio
- Where: Armstrong Air & Space Museum
- When: July 19-21, 2019
- Website: link
Each summer, the town of Wapakoneta hosts a Moon Festival, but this year is a particularly special one. Neil Armstrong’s hometown is pulling out all the stops to celebrate their most beloved citizen’s monumental milestone as the first man on the moon. Enjoy presentations from astronauts, exhibits from NASA, aviation inflatables, free activities, science demonstrations, the Run to the Moon races, and more. A full schedule of events and activities is forthcoming, so keep an eye on the website if that’s where you want to celebrate the Apollo 50th Anniversary.
One Giant Leap Festival – Raleigh, NC
Photo credit: North Carolina Museum of History
- Where: North Carolina Museum of History
- When: July 20, 2019
- Website: link
There are possibly no more momentous words spoken in human history: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
To mark 50 years since Neil Armstrong spoke those words after his boots touched down on the lunar surface, the North Carolina Museum of History is hosting the One Giant Leap Festival. On July 20th, you can try your hand at hands-on crafts, demonstrations, and activities. You’ll be able to step into a virtual-reality lab where you can “travel” to space and be on the moon and enjoy a bungee-jumping station where you, too, can experience weightlessness, like real astronauts. More details coming soon.
Apollo 50th Anniversary Flight – Merritt Island, Florida
Photo credit: ZERO-G
- Where: Space Florida’s Launch & Landing Facility
- When: July 20, 2019
- Website: link
Curious what it was like on the moon? Here’s your chance to experience it! On July 20th, board the ZERO-G plane for a specialized anniversary flight that will demonstrate the feeling of exploring the moon’s surface by recreating lunar gravity and allowing you to float with the ease of carrying one-sixth your normal body weight (aka moon gravity!). Astronaut Scott Kelly will be aboard the flight to mix and mingle – and (probably) answer all your deep burning space questions.
Moon Landing Anniversary at JGAP – Logan, Ohio
- Where: John Glenn Astronomy Park
- When: July 20, 2019
- Website: link (event link on Facebook)
From 4pm to 1am on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, head to the plaza at John Glenn Astronomy Park (JGAP) to celebrate. As the afternoon turns to evening, learn about the events of the first landing and moonwalk exactly 50 years after they happened – down to the minute. After sunset, stargaze and learn about objects in the sky. Then, when the moon rises, soon after midnight, peer through the JGAP telescope to get a closer look at the place where it all happened.
Space Out Saturday & Landing on the Lawn – Hutchinson, Kansas
- Where: Cosmosphere
- When: July 20, 2019
- Website: link
Even Midwest space enthusiasts have fun ways to celebrate the Apollo 50th Anniversary! Following their standard Space Out Saturday event (which usually happens on the 3rd Saturday each month), stay for Landing on the Lawn. Bring the whole family and attend a puppet show, lab demos, a Moon “selfie” station, giant lawn games, a showing of the CBS footage of the lunar landing… and loads more! This is perfect for young children to grade school age kids.
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary – San Francisco, California
- Where: The Exploratorium
- When: July 20, 2019
- Website: link
On July 20th, San Francisco’s Exploratorium science museum will host a day of festivities to mark the lunar landing. Opening at 10am, the museum will stay open until midnight with a chance to view restored footage of the 1969 landing or bask in the glow of a detailed 16-foot spherical sculpture of the moon. There are other events and exhibits that will be on display as part of Moon Month, too.
Destination Moon – Seattle, WA
- Where: The Museum of Flight
- When: April 13 – September 2, 2019
- Website: link
If you love the moon, head to The Museum of Flight! From now through September 2nd, you can see the Destination Moon exhibit during its only west coast stop. The exhibit includes a giant moon (part of the Museum of the Moon exhibits elsewhere), one-of-a-kind artifacts from the Smithsonian, many flown on the historic mission, plus dozens of NASA and Russian spaceflight additions from the Museum’s renowned collection. The Apollo 11 capsule is also on display. During the weekend of the Apollo 50th anniversary, there will be a festival to mark the lunar landmark.
Flagstaff’s Lunar Legacy – Flagstaff, Arizona
Photo credit: Flagstaff
- Where: Across Flagstaff
- When: throughout 2019
- Website: link
You might not think of Flagstaff as a part of the Apollo lunar program, but it actually was. NASA astronauts including Neil Armstrong, Alan Shepard, Buzz Aldrin, and Jack Schmitt (who hails from Flagstaff) all trained in the craters surrounding Flagstaff. To mark the anniversary year, Flagstaff is hosting lectures and events that focus on moon science, the Apollo missions, and the future of human spaceflight. Check the calendar for full details.
Have you heard of other great Apollo 50th Anniversary Celebrations? Which one do you plan to attend? (Source: https://spacetourismguide.com/apollo-50th-anniversary-events/ )