The space race built this US city, and now it's become a haven for makers

Artists and engineers can co-exist - it's not rocket science.

Rounding the corner, it's hard not to gasp. The centrepiece of this giant room is a rocket. Not just any old rocket either; it's the Saturn Five, launched into space by the Marshall Space Flight Centre in the 1960s. Only this one never took off.

"When the Saturn Fives fly, we don't get them back," says guide Joey Fann. "They're not reusable, like some of the SpaceX vehicles."

It's just one of the big attractions at the US Rocket and Space Centre in Huntsville, Alabama. Outside is the Pathfinder space shuttle; inside you can find out about current advancements in interstellar travel. There are also hundreds of school kids here participating in Space Camp. In this hall, however, the focus is on the Apollo program. And Joey isn't just any guide.

"One of my first memories is watching the Apollo astronauts on the moon," he says. "That really spurred an interest of mine. I grew up not too far from here in Middle Tennessee and can remember coming here when I was just a little kid and being fascinated by all the artefacts."

That fascination eventually led to Joey working on the International Space Station Program right here in Huntsville. He's now moved into software engineering but keeps his fingers in the moon pie by volunteering.

He tells us how the space program ended up in Alabama, about the race to put a man on the moon before the Russians, and of the incredible engineering it took to make that happen. One of the smaller exhibits in this hall is the Apollo 16 Command Service Module Casper. In front of it, in a glass case, is a moon rock collected by Apollo 12.

"Sometimes I come here and just sit and stare and imagine what it would be like to be leaving Earth's orbit - going through the hatch to the lunar module, landing on the moon and coming back," he tells us then snaps back into informational mode and indicates Casper. "This is the only part with heat shields. You can see the honeycomb structure. Each cell was hand-injected with a composite material designed to react with the atmosphere coming back in. It would burn away taking the heat with it to keep the astronauts safe inside."

As tempting as it is to listen to Joey's stories of exploratory feats for hours, there's more to Rocket City than spacecraft.

In the 1800s, Alabama was cotton central and led to Lowe Mill opening in 1901. Conditions were appalling - the work, carried out by children as well as adults, was hard and dangerous. Eventually the mill became a shoe factory then a warehouse until it was boarded up in 1970. It sat derelict until 2001 when geneticist Jim Hudson bought the site determined to create an arts centre. Today, Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment has 153 studios housing more than 200 working artists.

There are gallery spaces, cafes, stores, barbers, printers, a theatre and even a meadery. The old dock hosts music events. Then there are the makers: jewellers, sculptors, painters, designers and more. Missy Richey creates Muppet-style puppets and Danny Davis of Tangled Strings Studio left a career with NASA to create beautiful custom guitars. Another former rocket engineer, Jeff Mello, also makes stringed instruments, although more modest ones.

"I made one cigar box guitar then a few more and was hooked on them," he says.

When the Cigar Box Guitar Store in Lowe Mill was put on the market, he and his wife Tara bought it. They now also run the world's longest-running cigar box guitar music festival - 20 years and counting - each summer. In the store, there are handmade instruments hanging from the walls and propped on stands.

"Alright, grab a guitar," Jeff says, organising an impromptu beginners' jam. He hands around a box of picks for us to help ourselves.

He's open tuned all the guitars, just like Keith Richards. We practise strumming in open G. Next, we work on placing our fingers on the frets, add strumming then moving our fingers along the frets.

"You don't need to know how to play," he says. "As long as you all strum in time it'll sound like music."

Soon we're playing 12-bar blues. Would we be asked to open for the Rolling Stones? No. Is it recognisable as a tune? Sure.

Lowe Mill isn't the only repurposed building in Huntsville. An old appliances factory is now Stovehouse. It's one of those places you can buy fresh flowers, take a swing dance class and meet friends for a craft beer. The Co-Op Brew Pub has what the owners claim is the longest bar in Alabama and 40 beers on tap from a variety of local brewers.

Then there's Campus No 805, once Stone Middle School, now an adult playground. Take out your frustrations at Civil Axe Throwing, play the pinnies at Ronnie Raygun's, try your hand at classic arcade games at Pints & Pixels, catch a band at Lone Goose Saloon or grab some dinner at Rock N Roll Sushi. There's also a couple of breweries on site, including Straight to Ale.

Read more on Explore:

Getting there: Qantas flies from Sydney to Dallas connecting with partner American Airlines to Huntsville. Connections are available from Canberra and other cities.

Staying there: The Embassy Suites Huntsville Hotel in the city's downtown region offers spacious, updated suites, an indoor pool and fitness centre, and onsite restaurant and cafe. Rooms start at about $285. See hilton.com

Explore more: huntsville.org

The writer was a guest of Travel South and the Alabama Tourism Department.