Engines of a Saturn 1B rocket.

Saturn 1B Rocket

Installed in 1979, the 224 foot tall Saturn 1B was a forerunner of the Saturn 5 launch vehicle for NASA missions. It boosted unmanned Apollo modules and a few orbital trips.

In the late 1990s, you could stop at this Alabama border Welcome Center, stand under the engines and imagine how the blast of takeoff would feel (like Alabama in August?). Renovations to the exhibit since then prevent strolling under the rocket.

Around the periphery of the Saturn 1b, there are several plaques and displays describing "The Saturn Legacy."

Nearby, a Vietnam War Memorial -- a chevron-shaped native rock monument -- is inscribed with Alabama war dead.

The Welcome Center is now closed, and the rocket is threatened with removal in 2023; NASA never imagined that it would be standing outdoors for 44 years. See it sooner rather than later.

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Saturn 1B Rocket

Ardmore Welcome Center

Address:: 26865 Interstate 65, Elkmont, AL
Directions:: Ardmore Welcome Center, southbound I-65, on the state line just south of the Tennessee border.

Nearby Offbeat Places

Giant Chicken With Chef Hat, Elkton, TN - 9 mi.

Coke Sign Eaten by a Tree, Harvest, AL - 11 mi.

Giant Statue of a Boy, Athens, AL - 13 mi.

In the region:

U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL - 22 mi.

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