From the moon to the Midwest: Apollo 11 command module Columbia on tour

The spaceship that carried the first men to walk on the moon is making another journey, and this one will bring it to the Midwest.

The command module Columbia from Apollo 11 will be the centerpiece of an exhibit this spring and summer at the Saint Louis Science Center.

It will be accompanied by 20 other artifacts from that historic mission, including Buzz Aldin’s helmet sun visor and gloves, a star chart and a survival kit. Neil Armstrong and Aldrin were the first to set foot on the moon while Michael Collins orbited above.

“Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission” is a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It includes models, videos and a 3-D tour created from high-resolution scans of Columbia performed at the Smithsonian in 2016.

“The interactive experience allows visitors to explore the entire craft including its intricate interior, inaccessible to the public until now,” according to an announcement from the Saint Louis Science Center.

The exhibit will be in St. Louis April 14 to Sept. 3. Tickets go on sale March 1.

“Destination Moon” is visiting four cities across the country, but St. Louis is the only stop in the Midwest. This is the first time it has left the National Air and Space Museum since that attraction opened on the National Mall in 1976 and is its first national tour since 1970-71. The exhibit will be at Seattle’s Museum of Flight next year during the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

The Columbia command module traveled 953,054 miles to the moon and back in 1969. It’s only about 500 miles roundtrip from Kansas City to St. Louis.