Museum of Science & Industry-Tampa
Visitors are encouraged to investigate, learn, speculate, and otherwise fully immerse themselves in any and all aspects of science and technology while they are at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa. The exhibits begin with the fundamentals of physics, mathematics, and other scientific principles, and then progress into a wide variety of subject areas.
Children will have a great time participating in a life-size game of “operation” while also learning about the inner workings of the human body and the ways in which modern technology enables people to have healthier, longer lives. The Idea Zone offers visitors the opportunity to participate in hands-on projects, while the Connectus display provides attendees with the unique opportunity to test out cutting-edge technology before it is made available to the general public.
A model of NASA’s concept for human living in space is also on display, and visitors will have the opportunity to engage with all types of harsh weather. An exhilarating ropes adventure course, a life-size model of the Mercury spacecraft, and an IMAX cinema are just a few of the many additional activities that are available to visitors at the museum.
MOSI was established in 1962, when Hillsborough County initially granted financing for a children’s museum to be located in Sulphur Springs. It was known as the Museum of Science and Natural History, and it offered educational activities and exhibitions pertaining to natural sciences to both children and adults. In 1967, the institution was rechristened as the Hillsborough County Museum after its previous moniker. Construction of a new museum in North Tampa, FL, which was to become the Museum of Science and Industry, began in 1976 under the direction of the advisory council of the Hillsborough County Museum and the staff of that museum. The construction of the museum was finished in 1980, and it officially opened its doors to the general public in January of 1982.
The building of the 190,000 square foot scientific center, which was finished in 1995, included Florida’s only IMAX Dome Theatre, substantial permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, a planetarium, and a public library. Additional remodeling was carried out in the years 1996, 2001, and 2005. The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa was the fifth largest science institution in the United States and the largest in the southeast.
In order to reduce costs, the MOSI shut down 85% of its building, including their IMAX theater, in August of 2017. A significant number of displays were taken down, and those that remained were moved to the area of the museum that was once devoted to “Kids in Charge.”