San Diego’s Official Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Celebration Set for this Saturday July 20 at the San Diego Air & Space Museum!

The San Diego Air & Space Museum will be the place to be to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the first time men set foot on the Moon

Join us for a interactive, educational and fun celebration of one of mankind's greatest achievements.

San Diego, Calif. – The San Diego Air & Space Museum will be the place to be this Saturday, July 20, 2019, exactly fifty years to the day of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins’ historic mission to the Moon a half century ago, the Museum announced today.

Apollo 11 was the first time men set foot on the Moon, one of mankind’s most incredible achievements, and the San Diego Air & Space Museum will celebrate their accomplishments in grand style. After being open during normal business hours from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the Museum will re-open at 6:00 p.m. for a special family-friendly Apollo 11 celebration with hands-on activities for explorers of all ages. At 8:30 p.m., the Museum will launch the San Diego premier of“The Day We Walked on the Moon,” a special documentary from the Smithsonian Channel commemorating the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

“More than half a billion people gathered around the world to watch the historic Moon landing on July 20, 1969, and we’re going to re-create their sense of global wonder this Saturday July 20 at the San Diego Air & Space Museum,” said Jim Kidrick, President & CEO. “What better way and place to celebrate mankind’s most historic achievement – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins’ epic journey to the Moon – than at the San Diego Air & Space Museum on the exact day fifty years to the day of one of history’s most defining moments.”

The Apollo 11 celebration is included in with the price of general admission to the Museum. Admission to the event is free for Museum Members and Balboa Park Explorer Pass holders. Also Fleet Science Center Members receive a 25% discount on admission. Tickets can be reserved for the celebration at [http://sandiegoairandspace.org/calendar/apollo11_purchase].

Museum Members will be asked to show their membership card that evening. Discounts will be applied upon registration.

In the “The Day We Walked on the Moon”, astronauts (including Michael Collins), members of Mission Control (including Flight Director Gene Kranz, Capsule Communicator Charles Duke and Guidance Officer Steve Bales) and the children of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin reveal their personal stories behind the scenes of the iconic day. Pop culture notables like Queen guitarist and doctor of astrophysics Brian May and television personality and professor of physics Brian Cox describe where they were and what they felt during that “One Small Step.” It’s a story that ranges from the deeply personal to the grand and historic, and an in-depth look at one of the most important 24-hour periods in history.

Prior to the showing of “The Day We Walked on the Moon,” all of the Museum’s galleries will be open to visitors, including the new “SPACE: Our Greatest Adventure” and “EUREKA: An Interactive History of Science” special exhibitions. The Museum’s 3D/4D Theater and simulators will be open and free of charge, and there will be interactive educational activities for kids throughout the Museum.

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The San Diego Air & Space Museum is California’s official air and space museum and education center. The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and was the first aero-themed Museum to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is located at 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101. The Museum and gift store are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with admissions until 4:30 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.