The tour buses at Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex resumed service on a limited schedule and to smaller crowds on Tuesday.
The complex closed last week in response to the attacks on New York and Washington D.C. The Visitor Complex opened Sunday.
The bus tours take visitors to several sites where shuttles are assembled and launched, as well as the building where parts of the International Space Station are built.
"The buses are only stopping at the Apollo/Saturn 5 Center after circling the Vehicle Assembly Building," said Michelle Salyer, public relations manager for the complex. "We know that the center is by far the most popular site for our guests."
Attendance was down on Tuesday, Salyer said without elaborating on exact numbers.
Along with a reduced tour schedule, visitors also faced heightened security. Signs in front of the ticket booths asked people to leave backpacks, coolers and suitcases in their cars.
As guests trickled through the ticket counters, guards in bright orange vests greeted them. The guards checked video cameras, pagers and cellular phones.
After the check, guards waved metal detector wands over each person before anyone was allowed to pass through the turnstiles.
NASA security roamed the outdoor courtyard linking the various attractions.
Waiting in line to board one of the buses, Michael Hedge said he didn't hesitate when considering a visit.
"We were going to come down last Tuesday," said Hedge, who arrived in Florida on Sept. 7 from England with his wife and two friends.
"Security hasn't been a bother," he said.
Hedge's friend Doreen Hardman, however, said the lack of people visiting today took her by surprise.
"It's eerie being in the theater, no one was there but us four," Hardman said about the IMAX Theater which is one of the complex's main attractions.
Kevin Cavender, his wife Julie and brother Keith reconsidered visiting Kennedy Space Center after watching the news coverage of the attacks. "We were worried about anything that might happen," said Julie Cavender.
"Coming through the airport, security seemed tight," Kevin Cavender said, referring to Orlando International Airport's security measures.
The Cavenders arrived on Sunday from England. They agreed the complex's elevated security is understandable.
Andre Heckscher said he didn't mind the added security during the bus trip today. "I got goosebumps hearing about the story of the Saturn 5," said Heckscher, adding that security at the Apollo/Saturn 5 Center was visible but not bothersome.
"I hadn't been here since I was a little boy," said Heckscher, who is from Germany. He is spending his honeymoon in Central Florida.
advertisement
