You kind of forget how sizzling an Orlando summer can be. I wilted after one theme park hour one morning last week and sweated out a list of indoor (translation: air-conditioned) alternatives. There are many in town that mix well with an afternoon in the pool, but I leaned into Central Florida attractions with something new since last summer.
Of course, indoor spaces have had their own challenges during the pandemic. Before you go, check the websites for current information about masking advisories and the possibilities of timed reservations.
Madame Tussauds Orlando
What’s cool: Fool your friends by posing with wax figures of famous folks. They might catch on as you help Superman with a helicopter in peril or chat with Walt Disney, but there are plenty of real-life (and live) celebs ready for close-ups.
What’s new: Recent additions include Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, singer Ariana Grande, actor Dwayne Johnson and Colombian singer-actor Maluma.
What to know: Tussauds operates out of Icon Park, 8387 International Drive in Orlando. Tickets start at $34.99, and there are multiple combo-ticket deals with nearby attractions. Go to MadameTussauds.com/orlando.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
What’s cool: They go big on the Space Coast, with equipment that has left Earth, including Space Shuttle Atlantis, dramatically displayed.
What’s new: Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Experience opened this month with an emphasis on collaborative space exploration, including the massive SpaceX Falcon 9 booster that hovers above the main hall. Upstairs are space-travel simulators inside Spaceport KSC.
What to know: The visitor complex is in Brevard County, about 60 miles from downtown Orlando using State Roads 408, 417, 528, 407 and 405. One-day tickets are $75 ($65 for ages 3 to 11). Go to kennedyspacecenter.com.
Orlando Science Center
What’s cool: The Loch Haven Park museum’s exhibits include DinoDigs, Our Planet, Kinetic Zone, Hive: A Makerspace, Science Live! programs and others. There are big-screen films in two theaters.
What’s new: Traveling exhibit “Bionic Me” spotlights the role of technology in improving the lives of humans. Think bionic eye and biomechanics.
What to know: The science center is located at 777 Princeton St. in Orlando. Admission is $24 ($18 for ages 2-11). Go to OSC.org.
Orange County Regional History Center
What’s cool: The downtown Orlando museum casts a wide net to present the times of Central Florida, from indigenous people through cattle and citrus and into the theme-park era.
What’s new: Upcoming Lunch & Learn sessions include the history of sinkholes (July 1) and Central Florida man (Aug. 5).
What to know: The history center is at 65 E. Central Blvd. in Orlando. One-day tickets are $8 ($6 for ages 5-12). Go to thehistorycenter.org.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
What’s cool: The I-Drive attraction has about 200 artifacts that were recovered from the 1912 wreck site of Titanic. It also features full-scale room re-creations. Guided tours and a dinner gala with characters are options.
What’s even cooler: Near the end of the two-hour experience is a room that replicates the below-freezing conditions of the sinking, followed by a 2-ton section of the ship’s hull.
What to know: Its address is 7324 International Drive in Orlando. Admission is $21.95 ($15.75 ages 11 and younger). Go to titanicorlando.com.
Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theme park news? Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters or the Theme Park Rangers podcast at orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-podcast
