Launch Complex 26

Launch Complex 26. LC-26 Exhibit Hall. , One of the original buildings at Launch Complex 26, the Exhibit Hall was built as a pressurized gas storage facility. It was used for that purpose from 1957 through 1963 while the Complex was an active launch facility, supporting numerous launches including America's first successful satellite, Explorer I, and some of the earliest Bioflight missions. When the complex was deactivated in 1963, the pressurized gas tanks were removed and the building was used as an open-front parking revetment with three bays. In 1968 the front was enclosed and the building was renovated into its present configuration as an Exhibit Hall. It was opened to the public in 1970., In 1984 the Exhibit Hall, along with the rest of Launch Complex 26, was designated a National Historic Landmark. The three galleries within the Exhibit Hall continue to document and educate the public on the history of Cape Canaveral and the Eastern Test Range Since its opening in 1965, millions of guests from around the world have visited the site to learn about America's space and missile programs., (captions) , The Exhibit Hall as it looked as a high pressure gas storage facility in 1961. A variety of pressurized tanks populated the three-bay, open structure. Underground pipelines connected the tanks to the launch pads., The deactivation of Launch Complex 26 transferred ownership of the facilities to the U.S. Air Force, which reassigned it to museum status. The tanks were removed from the Exhibit Hall and the open bays were used to display several aerospace vehicles, as seen in this 1965 photo., By 1970, the Exhibit Hall was enclosed, with restrooms added to the back. It opened to the public that year as a three=gallery exhibit space. This 1975 photo shows that modification to the structure.