Tours
Kennedy Space Center
Wednesday, May 30
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost is $88 and includes transportation, entrance to the IMAX theater, exhibits, live action theatrical shows, the self-guided bus tour, and all applicable taxes and service charges. Lunch is on your own.
The Kennedy Space Center is located just 45 minutes from the Gaylord Palms Hotel Convention Center. Each year, visitors from all over the world visit this hub of technology where some of mankind's greatest accomplishments take place. Explore the center at your leisure, view the IMAX space film, and see NASA's launch and landing facilities, the Rocket Garden, a full-size Space Shuttle mock-up, and live action theatrical shows. You will definitely want to take the self-guided bus tour. This tour departs from the Space Center bus center every 15 minutes and runs approximately 2.5 hours.
Note: You may be doing a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes. Lunch is not included; however, there are numerous self-service dining areas and specialty food locations throughout the center. The KSC is wheelchair accessible. Please notify the officeof.meetingmanagement@scouting.org if you will need assistance.
Center for Great Apes Private Tour
Offered Friday, June 1
9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Cost is $100 and includes transportation, a one-year membership to the center, and a boxed lunch. All applicable taxes and service charges are included. The Center for Great Apes provides permanent refuge for orangutans and chimpanzees who have been retired from the entertainment industry, from research, or who are no longer wanted as pets. In need of lifetime care, these primates live in a safe, healthy, and enriching environment. The sanctuary is not open to the public. Set on 120 acres of beautiful, tropical wooded habitat and surrounded by orange groves, the sanctuary rests in a small rural community in south central Florida. Take the private tour arranged specifically for participants of the 2012 Boy Scouts of America National Annual Meeting. This tour is limited to 50 people. See www.CenterForGreatApes.org for more about this wonderful haven. Special notes: The center is located in Wauchula, approximately 1.5 hours from the Gaylord Palms.
You will be outdoors for the duration of the tour. Dress comfortably—closed-toe shoes are preferred. This tour is not recommended for children younger than 8 years old. No direct contact with the chimpanzees and orangutans is permitted. The center is wheelchair accessible. Please notify the officeof.meetingmanagement@scouting.org if you will need assistance.
The Gaylord Palms Relâche Spa is offering a special discount on spa services to attendees of the meeting. Click here to see what services are included and how to make an appointment.
Florida LIVE! Alligator Feedings
Watch as animal care specialists from GATORLAND® feed the alligators in Gator Springs. To see the action, head over to the St. Augustine atrium on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. (subject to change).
Florida LIVE! Fish Feedings
Our Key West lagoon is home to Stingrays, Tarpon, Redfish, Snook and a few other species of saltwater fish. This exhibit is a one-of-a-kind habitat created by Bottled Ocean, Inc., a leader in aquatic management and conservation. Stand on the Marlin Dock, located in the Key West Atrium, and watch the fish feedings Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m. (subject to change).
Florida LIVE! Baby Grunt Feedings
Watch as our animal care specialists from Bottled Ocean give you an up close and personal interaction with a Baby Grunt. To see these alligator hatchlings, head over to the Sawgrass Shack in the Everglades Atrium, immediately following the Fish Feedings every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (subject to change). To find more ideas of things to see and do in the surrounding area, contact the Gaylord Palms Concierge at the following link: GaylordPalmsConcierge@GaylordHotels.com.