‘Apollo: When We Went to the Moon’ nearing conclusion at The Henry Ford

Guests to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation can go back in time and relive the excitement of the space race through May 8.

The limited-exhibit “Apollo: When We Went to the Moon” features more than 100 objects and artifacts from the archives of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

Kate Morland, The Henry Ford’s senior manager of exhibits, spoke about the exhibit the day before it opened.

She said it was an exciting time in history, and thanks to the timing, there were lots of photos and videos to document the history.

The limited-engagement exhibition examines the cultural, technological and political context of the Apollo era that inspired generations of Americans to reach for the stars.

“At one point, there were more than 400,000 people working on the space program,” Morland said.

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center organized the traveling exhibit, which explores the triumphs of human space exploration from the beginning of the heated space race to the collaborative spirit of the International Space Station, and on to the next giant leap — a return to the moon.

Visitors will see real pieces of the Apollo 11 lunar module, detailed scale models of the Apollo command module, authentic spacesuits, uniforms and lunar maps. Visitors also will have the opportunity to experience an immersive launch simulation and pose for a photo in the lunar rover.

The exhibit walks through the world’s space exploration chronologically from 1957 when the Russian satellite Sputnik launched, and goes through modern-day and the International Space Station.

Much of the exhibit is replicas due to the fact that most things shot into space are left there, including the space rover vehicles.

“On early missions, astronauts only traveled about two miles from the landing site,” Moreland said. “With the moon rovers though, they could go up to 22 miles. That really opened up for exploration.”

For more than 50 years, Apollo 11 has been a symbol of humankind’s desire to do something no one has ever done before. Apollo gives visitors a chance to explore the innovative time through the eyes of the engineers and the boots of the astronauts who continue to rocket us forward.

Included in the exhibit
•Relive the excitement of the Apollo era with an immersive Apollo 11 launch experience.

•See Apollo-era artifacts and media memorabilia from one of the most exciting decades in space history.

•Snap a selfie atop a lunar rover and imagine what it must have felt like to drive on the moon.

•Explore more than 100 items and artifacts on display throughout the exhibit from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center archives.

•Learn about the cultural and political forces that fueled the Space Race and chronicled the Apollo era.

•Observe intricate satellite, spacecraft and rocket models, including Sputnik, Shuttle-Mir and more.

•Learn about the future of human space exploration, like the Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the Moon.

Admission is free for members and included with Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation ticket purchase.

For updates on hours, tickets and more, visit thf.org or follow The Henry Ford on social media @thehenryford.