Plan Your Trip
Yes. Drive State Highway 4 from Brownsville and see Starship from the public road. The factory and the pad are private, and the city closes the road for launches and tests.
Highway 4 closes from 11:59 p.m. today
Pad to Production. Plan your drive outside the window.
Highway 4 today
Road Delay
from 11:59 p.m.
Boca Chica Beach
Closed
Boca Chica Beach closures.
Next launch
Starship Flight 14
Monday, September 28, 2026, 7:15 a.m. CT
Viewing now
Good
Good overall, though expect high heat.
Closures checked 2026-09-26 · Source: City of Starbase, Texas
Starbase is SpaceX's Starship factory and launch site at the end of State Highway 4 on the Boca Chica peninsula, about 20 miles east of Brownsville. It became an official Texas city in 2025, and it's become a bucket-list stop for space fans. Here's what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of a visit.
Yes, with one important caveat. You can drive Highway 4 out to the Starbase area and Boca Chica Beach and see the rockets from the public road whenever the highway is open. The factory grounds and launch pad are private and closed to the public, and the City of Starbase shuts the highway and beach entirely during testing and launches. So the golden rule is simple: check road closures and the weather before you drive out.
When State Highway 4 is open, you can drive right past the SpaceX build site and stop along the public road to see Starship and Super Heavy hardware, the high bay, and the launch towers in the distance. It's the closest the public can legally get.
The main event. Launches and engine tests are visible from miles away. The best public viewing is across the bay on South Padre Island. See our map for the exact spots and sightlines.
A quiet, undeveloped Gulf beach at the very end of Highway 4, just past the launch site. Great for birding, shelling, and photos, but it closes during testing and launches, so check closures first.
The 'rocket town' build site, the orbital launch and catch towers, and the retired Starship prototypes make for unforgettable photos. Sunrise and sunset light up the stainless steel.
Make a weekend of it: South Padre Island has beaches, restaurants, and the Sea Turtle rescue center, while Brownsville offers hotels, the historic downtown, and Resaca de la Palma State Park.
Yes, you can drive State Highway 4 from Brownsville out to the Starbase area and Boca Chica Beach, and view the SpaceX build site and rockets from the public road whenever the highway is open. The factory grounds and launch pad themselves are private and not open to the public, and the road and beach close during testing and launches.
The main things to do are seeing Starship hardware up close from Highway 4, watching a launch or engine test (best viewed from South Padre Island), visiting Boca Chica Beach, and photographing the build site and launch towers. Many visitors combine it with a stay on South Padre Island or in Brownsville.
SpaceX does not currently run public tours of the Starbase factory or launch pad. The publicly accessible experience is self-guided along Highway 4 and Boca Chica Beach. Some third-party guides and local operators offer area tours, and community groups occasionally organize meetups. Check our events calendar for anything currently scheduled.
Yes. Starbase was officially incorporated as a city in Cameron County, Texas in May 2025. It's a small community of a few hundred residents (most of them SpaceX employees) centered on the Starship development and launch facilities at Boca Chica.
Fly into Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport (BRO), then drive about 20 miles east on State Highway 4 (Boca Chica Boulevard) to reach the Starbase area and beach. There's no public transit, so a rental car is essentially required.
Time your trip around a launch if you can. That's the most exciting experience. Weather-wise, late fall through early spring is the most comfortable. Whenever you go, check the launch schedule and road closures, since Highway 4 and the beach close during SpaceX activity.