The HabForum

Florida campus of U.S. Space Camp up for auction because of too few visitors

TITUSVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Space Camp in Florida is for sale because too few would-be astronauts are attending, officials said.
SouthTrust Bank in Birmingham, Ala., will complete its foreclosure of U.S. Space Camp Florida with a public auction on Sept. 18 at the Brevard County Courthouse in Viera.
The Florida Space Camp is operated by the U.S. Space Camp Foundation in Huntsville, Ala., where the original Space Camp is located.
If no one buys the Florida property at auction, the bank will assume ownership, said Mary Merritt, director of the camp and U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
The weak economy and the public’s fear of flying since Sept. 11 have hurt attendance, officials said.
The last five-day residential space camp program will end Sept. 8. Overnight field trips will continue through the week of Sept. 15, Merritt said.
‘‘If I could win the Lotto, I would want to endow this foundation to keep it going,’’ said Brenda McMillan, a marketing representative for the attractions. ‘‘I definitely don’t stand alone in that.’’
In December, the camp said it expected a 10 percent cut in total projected income in 2002, from $26.2 million to $23.7 million.
The foreclosure process began Feb. 25, bank officials said.
So far, several businesses and individuals have inquired about the property, Merritt said.
Last month, Delaware North Park Services, which operates the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, expressed interest in purchasing the property, the camp officials said.
Bank officials declined comment Monday.
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On the Net:
http://www.spacecamp.com/

Well i guess we can hope that someone will buy it and keep the camp and the astronaut hall of fame open. Their is always that small chance.

You know, the only problem I have with the AHOF is that there isn't a whole lot there. Certainly for a first time visitor but for a returning guest there just isn't a lot there. Unlike the USSRC in Huntsville that changes every once and a while the AHOF doesn't. I skipped it the last time I was over there (June 16th to celebrate my Space Camp day) because there was no real reason to.

I hope Delaware parks buys them and somehow keeps it going. KSC does good business usually. They'd get more business out of me if they offered some adult oriented programs

Well our space museum here in hampton use to have the same problem. They never changed anything and they lost alot of money. After the second year of operation they had to let alot of people go and got a new director who finnally turned it around by bringing in traveling exibits and changing some of the older ones.

You have to change or otherwise it becomes stale to those who would potentially bring in more money by visiting more.

Oh i agree 100%. Our museum has been open 10 years now and we are about to make the first major change to the museum. Over the next few months we are putting in a new 9 million dollar aviation gallery as well as updating our space gallery and other exhibit areaa.

I think I remember you telling me that. Sounds like a good idea. It's like Disney here. People complain sometimes that it doesn't change... then they complain that it's changing... change, for the most part, is good. You have to let a little fresh air in to make things a little better. Now, as in the case for the new director of the USSRC, it seems that a little change hasn't been good to them

Well the space and rocket center does need some change ,mainly to the museum and it is finnally getting it. The exhibits in the space and rocket center have pretty much stayed the same for the 11 years ive been going and some changes are needed. I have heard they are remodeling now though.

Actually, the musuem changed quite a bit from 1991 to 1995, the last time I was there. As I've mentioned on here before the museum area was totally different in 1995 - dark, black and they had some kind of stuff on Apollo (it was a special 25th anniversary of the USSRC kind of thing I think). I dunno what it looks like now.

Well their were always minor changes when i went back. But overall the museum remained pretty much the same. They added some things now and then and others left but alot of it was their year after year.