Skip to Main Content

Huntsville, Alabama: Grave of Miss Baker, Space Monkey

RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Address:
One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL
Directions:
U.S. Space and Rocket Center. I-65 exit 340, then 15 miles east to I-565 exit 15. On the south side of the freeway; you'll see the big rocket out front. The headstone is in a little clump of trees next to the museum entrance.
Phone:
256-837-3400
Save to My Sights
Grave of Miss Baker, Space Monkey

Miss Baker, along with fellow monkeynaut Miss Able, was the first U.S. animal to flying into space and return alive.

Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Visitor Tips and News About Grave of Miss Baker, Space Monkey

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.

Miss Baker grave and banana offerings.

Grave of Miss Baker, Space Monkey

Stopped by to see Miss Baker's stone at the Space and Rocket Center. It is outside and well marked. We found three bananas on top. Her husband, George, has a marker to the right of hers.

[EC, 05/10/2023]

Miss Baker grave.

Grave of Miss Baker, Space Monkey

Grave of the space monkey at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

[Lara Werning, 06/29/2019]

The grave marks an accomplishment both ominous and uplifting (RIP, pre-Miss Baker astro-animals!). If Miss Baker was still with us, last month she'd have celebrated the 60th anniversary of her 1959 return from space.

Miss Baker grave.

Grave of Miss Baker, Space Monkey

I was passing the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville and decided to stop and pay my respects to Miss Baker. I remember seeing her as a child at the museum. Due to her accomplishments we are exploring the universe. I'd say stop by and see the spot where space exploration began.

[Buffett 2010, 09/29/2018]

Grave of Miss Baker the Space Monkey.

Grave of Miss Baker, Space Monkey

Miss Baker is a squirrel monkey buried at the entrance to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. She was one of a pair of monkeys rocketed into space and returned alive, on May 28, 1959. Upon her return, she was rewarded with a banana and a cracker snack; she then rolled over and took a nap.

Miss Baker is interred outside the museum along with her husbands, Big George and Norman. There is no admission to visit her grave. Children attending Space Camp place a banana on her monument in her memory.

[Vincent Astor, 06/30/2011]

Nearby Offbeat Places

U.S. Space and Rocket CenterU.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL - < 1 mi.
Little Richard's GraveLittle Richard's Grave, Huntsville, AL - 2 mi.
Black Simon Helps Suffering JesusBlack Simon Helps Suffering Jesus, Huntsville, AL - 3 mi.
In the region:
One-Millionth Fire Hydrant, Chrome-Plated, Albertville, AL - 40 mi.

Latest Tips Across Roadside America

Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.

Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!

Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Save Cool Vacation Destinations! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Alabama Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

JFK's World Famous Twine Ball, Highland, Wisconsin (Mar 18-24, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings