Simatrix LLC, Clearwater

To get to space, you could pay tens of millions of dollars and wait years for your trip to actually occur. Or you could simply head to SimCenter Tampa Bay and step into its 360-degree 3-D space simulator.

With the help of virtual reality, aspiring astronauts pilot a futuristic space ship from an orbital carrier and explore our solar system. Adventurers can fly to the International Space Station, zip around the moons of Jupiter, and steer through Saturn's rings. They can also get close to a comet, visit deep space, and tell aliens about any crazy UFO conspiracy theories they've come across.

SimCenter Tampa Bay boasts other simulators, too, including a realistic Boeing 737 simulator that has garnered mentions on the website of Plane & Pilot.