Space Camp for Little People
Space Camp for Little People
Our 2011 visit to Space Camp — what it was like for an LP child and family, plus an update on the program’s current status.
⚠️ Program Currently on Indefinite Hiatus
The Space Camp for Little People special program has been on indefinite hiatus since 2015. As of 2026, no revival has been announced. The review below documents our family’s experience attending in 2011 and is preserved for historical interest and for anyone hoping the program returns.
Space Camp does offer special programs for deaf children and those with visual impairments. The regular Space Camp program at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama is fully open and worth considering for LP children who meet standard program requirements.
If you have current information about the program’s status, please share it in the comments below — this page is still visited by LP families hoping for an update.
The dream of going to space is a common fantasy shared by children and adults alike. And for those of us who grew up in the 1980s watching the Space Camp movie, actually attending Space Camp as a camper was another dream entirely. Fast forward to being a dad with a dwarf son who is a space/rocket/jet/missile/airplane fanatic — and then discovering Space Camp for Little People. We just knew this was something we had to provide for our son (and, okay, for dad as well). We attended in 2011 and our review is below.
The Space Camp Experience
Overall, Space Camp is loads of fun for both campers and adult chaperones. Space Camp for Little People was an abbreviated 3-day, 2-night version of the regular Space Camp program attended by kids aged 9 and older. The special LP program ran over a weekend with each dwarf child accompanied by one parent. The smaller group size meant less downtime waiting in line, so we were able to enjoy most of the regular camp experience. Space Camp is located on the grounds of the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Arriving at Space Camp
Arrive in Huntsville the day before Space Camp to ensure on-time registration. The Huntsville Marriott is essentially on the grounds of Space Camp — within walking distance — and offered affordable nightly rates when we stayed. The rooms were comfortable and a reasonable breakfast buffet was available in the restaurant.
Flight Suits: Buy Ahead and Alter
Most kids and parents wore matching astronaut flight suits for the duration of Space Camp. While optional, it’s a genuinely fun way to add to the experience — I was actually approached for directions by museum visitors who thought I was a staff member. The flight suits are available at the Space Camp gift shop, but for LP children and adults, buy ahead of time so arms and legs can be altered before you arrive.
Flight Suits by Size — Order Ahead for Alterations
Available from Aeromax in several sizes. The flight suits are a nice dark blue — some older photos online show light blue but those are outdated. You can also order personalized versions with your child’s name direct from Aeromax Toys, though Amazon is typically cheaper.
💡 The flight suits also make fantastic Halloween costumes. Real astronaut-style name tags with velcro backing were available at the Space & Rocket Center Gift Shop for $5 when we visited.
Room and Board
The Space Camp facility looks just like it did in the movie — and I genuinely don’t think they had refurbished anything since the 1980s. The camp has two separate Habitats containing dorm-style rooms with 7 bunk beds. Each child and parent had one of these rooms to themselves rather than sharing with other campers. Restroom and shower facilities are shared at the end of each hall.
The bedroom and bathroom facilities are probably the only real disappointment of the weekend — they have clearly not been updated in many years. But camp isn’t supposed to be about comfortable beds and new bathrooms. Our son insisted on sharing dad’s twin bed despite having several empty beds available.
Meals are included in registration and served cafeteria style. Dinners were spaghetti the first night and chicken the second. Breakfasts included scrambled eggs and sausage biscuits. A salad bar was available at dinner and small ice cream cups for dessert. Milk, juice, and Coke brand soda dispensers were available at lunch and dinner.
The Rocket Launch
Our son’s absolute favorite activity was the rocket launch. Each child and parent built their own model rocket the first night — a custom model with Space Camp stickers similar to the Estes Nova Payloader design. Space Camp has a huge grass field with two large launching bays capable of holding 30 rockets. For safety reasons only one rocket launched at a time.
The launching field is surrounded by tall trees that are hilariously decorated with model rockets that never quite made it back to the ground — a fate suffered by both our son’s rocket and dad’s. Since our son’s rocket was lost in the treetops, a model rocket starter set ended up being the perfect follow-up gift.
Keep the Rocketry Going at Home
Estes Tandem-X Launch Set
Our top pick for continuing the rocketry experience at home. Includes two rockets and a launch pad. Note: engines, recovery wadding, igniters, and igniter plugs are sold separately.
Estes Educator Bulk Pack
The same style pack Space Camp used for group launches. A significant cost savings if you plan to launch many times — great for a class, scout troop, or family that catches the rocketry bug.
The Simulators
Dad’s favorite part of Space Camp was the large simulator building. Here’s what to expect:
- MAT (Multi Axis Trainer): Simulates disorientation by spinning in multiple directions — turn, pitch, and yaw. The Space Camp version has no control joystick (unlike the Mercury version it’s based on). Supposedly impossible to get sick since the center of gravity doesn’t move and you never spin more than twice in the same direction. Adults and larger kids enjoyed this immediately after eating — nobody lost their dinner.
- 1/6th Gravity Chair: Hangs from the ceiling and lets the trainee hop over a mock moon terrain. The counselors deliberately prevent your feet from going fully flat so you don’t jump too high — though you can still go remarkably high with minimal effort.
- MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit): Simulates a spacewalk. The chair rides on air like a puck on an air hockey table to create a frictionless environment. Younger kids enjoyed this, though some didn’t like the feeling of being angled toward the ground.
- 5DF Chair: Simulates 5 degrees of freedom in a frictionless environment, demonstrating Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Also rides on air.
The Rides
- Space Shot: Similar to a free-fall ride — riders experience 4G’s on acceleration and a couple seconds of weightlessness. Riders must be 54″ tall. There is a smaller version for younger children, though the frequent up/down motion may be a concern for LP children with neck sensitivities.
- G-Force: Similar to a carnival Gravitron — you lean back against the wall while the ride spins fast, generating 3G’s of centrifugal force that pushes riders up the wall.
The Space and Rocket Center Museum
Part of the camp experience includes educational sessions covering the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions, plus time at the Space and Rocket Center museum. The exhibits are genuinely impressive — a Saturn V rocket prototype displayed horizontally (walking beneath it gives you a visceral sense of its scale), the actual Apollo 16 command module, an Apollo 12 moon rock, the original Mercury and Gemini capsule trainers, a Skylab fragment, a Lockheed A-12 Blackbird, and much more.
Also on the grounds is the burial site of Miss Baker — one of two monkeys sent into space and returned alive in 1959. Our group placed a signed banana on top of her memorial. It remains one of the best moments of the trip.
Overall Verdict: Awesome
One word: awesome. Our son was already talking about going back before we’d even left. The smaller group size, the parent-alongside-child format, and the genuine accessibility consideration built into the LP program made it a uniquely special experience. The facilities are dated, the food is basic, and the beds are twin sized — but none of that mattered. This was camp, and it was exactly what camp should be.
Relive the Magic: The Space Camp Movie
The 1986 film that put Space Camp on the map for a generation of kids. Watch it before you go — or after — for full nostalgia effect. Our son had seen it multiple times before we attended and it made every simulator feel that much more real.
Have you attended Space Camp with an LP child — through the special program or the standard program? And if you have any current information about whether the Little People program may be returning, please share it in the comments below. This page is still visited by LP families hoping for an update.
Very excited to reach new heights