You can’t look ahead without understanding where you've been, so Beyond Planet Earth starts with a look back at the short but storied history of space exploration, the space race, historic lunar landings and expeditions to Mars. Kids can check out reproductions of Sputnik 1, the Vostok space capsule that helped Yuri Gagarin become the first human in space in 1961, the Hubble Space Telescope and a Mars Rover. As you walk through this area, you'll hear an audio loop of archival radio broadcasts and transmissions that let you relive the excitement of those early days when anything seemed possible. There are also lots of multisensory activities. Kids can smell moon rocks and touch many artifacts and prototypes. You can also check out models of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo which, if all goes according to plan, will soon fly regular folks to the edge of space—for a mere $200,000 a ticket! (Apparently Katy Perry has already bought a ticket for her husband.)

Once you leave the historical section and head toward the future, things get really trippy. The Returning to the Moon section has the look and feel of Shackleton crater, which is near the Moon's South Pole. Kids will love examining the model of a possible moon habitat for humans with its lunar elevator that carries equipment from a docking station to the surface via cable car! (Eat your heart out Roosevelt Island Tram.)

The Voyaging to Mars area will likely captivate kids most, since it's about the possibility of humans living on the planet. Kids can check out a full-size model of the latest rover Curiosity and look inside a mini-version of Nautilus-X, the space ship NASA is developing to carry astronauts on their nine-month journey to Mars. You can also see what an astronaut will wear on these trips; no more Michelin Man space suits! These outfits are tight and sleek. You can even take a photo of your junior astronaut in one. Other attractions include the Mars flyover video console that shows a 3D landscape of the red planet; the Terraforming Table game where the goal is to make Mars more like Earth and a quiz that lets you decide if a trip to Mars should be in your future.

There are also sections on asteroids and the outer solar system, but the real fun for kids is contained in the three sections described above. You'll move through these others pretty quickly.

For a more in-depth experience, download the free augmented reality app, which works on any iGadget with a forward-facing camera. Scan the 11 icons located throughout the exhibit and you'll see a 3D-animated overlay that gives you additional information and content. Talk about out of this world!

Beyond Earth: The Future of Space Exploration is on view at the American Museum of Natural History Saturday, November 19-Sunday, August 12, 2012. Tickets are timed and cost $25 for adults, $14.50 for children.