One Family's 13 Year Journey Alongside Us
- 30th Jun 2026
- Author: Elliott Langley - Marketing Administrator
Over the past 25 years, we have welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors, many becoming familiar faces who we are always happy to see.
Among them is one family who have gone above and beyond, supporting focus groups, sharing feedback, joining photo sessions for our marketing materials, and visiting us time and time again over the last 13 years.
So as we celebrate our 25th birthday today, rather than just focus on ourselves, I wanted to shine a light on Sarah, Karl and their daughter Isabella, for whom the National Space Centre has become a huge part of their own journey.
Thanks for joining us on our big birthday! Can you remember what made you visit for the first time, all those years ago in 2013?
Sarah: Isabella had already shown an interest in space from the age of two, so we decided to give the Centre a go. It also helped that it’s indoors and the weather was bad outside! I wasn’t as into space at that point, but that first visit quickly changed my mind.
Karl: I’ve always loved space. I remember my parents sharing their memories about the lunar landing, so I think Isabella got that from me. One of my best memories is spotting Halley’s Comet in 1986 through a telescope. I wanted to make sure Isabella had that opportunity too.
Isabella: Dad helped me stand on a step so I could look through the telescope in the back garden and see the stars in the night sky.
Awesome! What can you remember from that first visit?
Karl: I couldn’t come, unfortunately. I dropped you both off at the entrance, so it was a nice mother/daughter day out for the two of you.
Sarah: Yeah, you loved it instantly, Isabella. I’ve still got photos from the day and a written diary entry, so we’ll never forget it. You loved the under fives dressing up costumes, especially the caterpillar one. And you also loved spinning the dome that showed weather patterns. The whole day was made up of sensory moments like that, so it was an instant hit with us.
Karl: And having the Annual Pass was great, it meant we could start coming back as often as we liked.
And you’ve certainly got good use out of it! We see you at all our events, from sleepovers to science fiction weekends. What makes you keep coming back?
Isabella: It feels like my second home!
Sarah: That’s because it basically is! We’ve been to film clubs, Space Lates, astronaut visits, To Boldly Game, Brickish, school holidays... we just keep coming back! I think it’s the fact that everything’s so accessible, so we never need to worry about anything. It’s not like a traditional museum, there’s less reading and so many immersive parts, like the smoke effect in Boosters. It’s so sensory and perfect for Isabella.
Karl: Yeah, and we know we’ll always be looked after. If there is anything extra we need, we know we can ask someone and it won’t be a problem.
Isabella: And there’s always something new to do here.
Sarah: Exactly, you stay current, like with the Artemis II launch event recently. We can take part in things here that we can’t do in other places.
Isabella: And the sleepovers as well!
Sarah: Yes we love those! We’ve been to quite a few now, and we’ve always been able to make adjustments to ensure Isabella is comfortable.
And from all those visits, do you have any particularly fond memories that stand out over the years?
Sarah: There’s so many to choose from, but there’s one moment from a few years ago that really stands out. Isabella had an unplanned three-month stay at Great Ormand Street Hospital, which wasn’t an easy time for us. But when she was well enough to come home and finally have a day out, we asked her where she wanted to go first.
Karl: I bet you can guess where it was!
Sarah: So we came back to the National Space Centre for a visit, and it was that feeling of normality and familiarity after what had been a very tough few weeks. The moment that I will always remember is what you said to me when we were going up the lift in the Rocket Tower, can you remember Isabella?
Isabella: I said, “I can’t believe I’m actually here, mum.”
Sarah: It just felt like we’d all overcome a huge challenge, and being back here for a day out was the victory.
That is such an amazing story, thank you for sharing it with us.
Isabella: I also liked playing with the voice machine [in the old Orbiting Earth gallery] where you could see your voice on the screen. I used to spend lots of time making noises to change the patterns with the sound wave.
Sarah: And for me, seeing the actual spacesuits up close for the first was amazing. That was definitely a highlight.
More recently, you’ve got involved in our Family Advisory Group, as well as focus groups and photoshoots for our online channels. How did that all come about?
Karl: We happened to be in on the day Tetrastar Spaceport launched. Aaron from the Creative team approached us and asked if Isabella could test the new area as a wheelchair user. So we went around with him and tested out the new experience and gave him our insights, which he found helpful.
Sarah: From there, we joined some focus groups and got more involved. We later saw the Family Advisory Group being advertised and knew we wanted to be a part of it.
Karl: We’ve helped advise on different things, especially around accessibility and the visitor experience
Isabella: My big moment was when I saw myself on the posters and pictures that get used around the Centre and on social media.
Sarah: We came in and worked with the Content team, who captured loads of beautiful photos of us to use on social media. It blew our mind when we saw ourselves in a summer advert for the Centre.
Speaking of our team, our Content Producer, Claire, loves a good romance story. As a 25th birthday present to her, what’s the tale of how you both met?
Sarah and Karl (laughing): Oh goodness!
Isabella: Uh-oh…
Karl: I was working in a pub at the time, and Sarah was working in a pizza restaurant that backed onto it.
Sarah: My manager told me I had a pizza to deliver there, and I remember thinking whoever had ordered it was weird for having jalapeños on it!
Isabella: And lazy for not collecting it.
Karl: Hey, it had been a long shift! Anyway, the doorbell rings, and there’s my pizza waiting for me… along with my future wife.
Sarah: And a few years later, Isabella showed up!
Isabella: And now we have a pet guinea pig called Romulus and a leopard gecko called Sweetcorn.
Lovely stuff! Thank you so much for supporting the National Space Centre for all these years, and for allowing us to be part of your journey! Do you have a final birthday message for the staff here?
Sarah, Karl, and Isabella: Happy Birthday to the National Space Centre! As a family, we absolutely adore visiting you. Thank you for your amazing hospitality and the incredible events you host year after year. You make learning about the universe an unforgettable adventure for all of us. Here is to many, many more stellar years of inspiring the next generation of space explorers!
Thank you so much to Sarah, Karl and Isabella for taking the time to meet and share their story and personal photos with me, and for supporting the National Space Centre for all these years.
Our Family Advisory Group meets throughout the year to provide feedback and input on the visitor experience at the National Space Centre. Spaces are very limited, but if you are interested in finding out more about the group or applying to join in, then please do get in touch.
