'Space Adventure' exhibition to bring 300 Apollo-era artifacts to Miami

Hundreds of original artifacts from NASA's historic Apollo lunar landings are set to touch down in Miami this spring, as part of an immersive experience celebrating humanity's first missions to the moon.

"Space Adventure: The Arrival of Man on the Moon" will land at Maurice A. Ferré Park in downtown Miami, Florida on April 7, marking the touring exhibition's U.S. debut. Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke, who 50 years ago became the tenth person to walk on the moon, will attend the opening to share his experiences with attendees.

"It is a one-of-a-kind experience that you can enjoy with your whole family. I hope to see you there," Duke said in a video statement promoting the exhibit.

Related: NASA's 17 Apollo moon missions in pictures

Housed in a 30,000-square-foot (2,800-sq-meter) megastructure designed for the event, Space Adventure tells the story of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions through a series of installations that showcase real artifacts from each step toward the moon. Guests are first shown a 180-degree panoramic video to welcome and transport them into the environment they are about to explore. That is followed by the exhibition's main room, where more than 300 NASA relics are on display.

Among the original equipment included in Space Adventure are radios used for communicating between the Apollo spacecraft and Earth; astronaut spacesuits; cameras used to capture the now-iconic photographs of the lunar surface; work tools; and devices that filtered the air inside the capsules. The Apollo missions' food menu, featuring items that could be stored for decades, and products developed especially for the personal hygiene of the crew members are also part of the exhibit.

From the main room, visitors continue into the "Control Room," which displays restored consoles from NASA's mission control center. The journey then continues from the "Departure to the Moon" room to culminate in the lunar landing in the "Arrival on the Moon."

Along the way, guests come up close with large and full-size replicas of the Apollo command and lunar modules, as well as the Saturn V rocket that launched the astronauts to the moon and the lunar roving vehicle they drove across the surface. Combining education and entertainment, the exhibition also includes a series of images and films documenting the different lunar missions through the years, as well as virtual reality experiences and a 5D cinema with content related to space.

Space Adventure will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through the end of May. Tickets start at $24.99 for children, $34.99 for adults and $93.99 for VIP access, the latter including valet parking, a VR Experience, premium perks and priority access to the exhibit.

Related: Where are NASA's Apollo moon rocks now?

Following its debut in Miami, the Space Adventure traveling exhibition will tour the United States and Canada.

"Space Adventure: The Arrival of Man on the Moon" is a collaboration between Primo Entertainment, DC Set Group and the Cosmosphere Space Education Center and Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas, the latter responsible for collecting, safeguarding and managing all of historical artifacts.

Click through to collectSPACE to see more photos from "Space Adventure: The Arrival of Man on the Moon."

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