Museum of Science & Industry (Tampa)
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The Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) is a science museum in Tampa, Florida, USA. Located on Fowler Avenue in the northern part of the city, it is directly across the street from the University of South Florida and is partners with the university in many research fellowships. MOSI also has Florida's only IMAX® Dome Theatre. The Museum of Science & Industry was honored in April 2008 with reaccreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM) for continued dedication to its mission and serving as an educational resource.
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[edit] History
MOSI today is the result of 52 years of growth and maturity reflecting both the institution and the surrounding community. The passage of time has seen MOSI change in name, location, and size. However, its general purpose, that of providing informal science education, has remained essentially unchanged. In 1962, Hillsborough County first approved funding for a youth museum in Sulphur Springs on the banks of the Hillsborough River. Later renamed the Museum of Science and Natural History, this small museum provided natural science exhibits and education programs to children and adults. In 1967, the name of the Museum was changed to the Hillsborough County Museum. The fledgling institution continued to expand its programs and, in 1972, hired its first professional director.
In 1976, the Hillsborough County Museum's advisory committee and staff, committed to providing an exceptional science education experience, obtained the funding and land to construct an innovative and unique museum structure in North Tampa that was to become the Museum of Science & Industry. A new director and key professional staff were hired in 1978-79 to focus MOSI's direction and purpose as construction proceeded. Relying on the valuable history of its predecessor museums, MOSI staff took advantage of the scientific and technological and industrial growth occurring in Tampa and at the neighboring University of South Florida (USF), to design a visionary, high-tech facility. Completed in 1980 and permanently opened to the public in 1982, MOSI has provided public programs and exhibits which support its mission and seek to meet the identified needs of a growing and vibrant community.
In 1987, an intensive examination of the Museum's mission and goals, coupled with an assessment of the community's needs, produced a 15-year, long-range, three-phase Master Plan for MOSI's growth and development. In 1988, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners set aside 38 acres valued at $6.6 million adjacent to the existing MOSI facility to ensure that the goals of the master plan could be accomplished. An additional 23.5 acres valued at $2.2 million were also set aside for the Museum by the county in 1995 to provide additional space for expansion over the next ten years. In 2000, the county purchased a final three-acre tract to complete the current 74 acre MOSI campus.
Phase I of the Master Plan, construction of the 190,000 square foot science center with Florida's only IMAX Dome Theatre, extensive permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, a planetarium, and public library was completed in July, 1995. Phase II which began in June, 1996, allowed for renovation of the original structure (now referred to as the Whitney Andrews Lang Center for Learning) and development of The Back Woods Nature Center. Refurbishment of the exhibit and program areas began and much needed classroom space was added along with the Southwest Florida Water Management District/Bank of America BioWorks Butterfly Garden, an innovative water treatment facility/exhibit. Phase III of the master plan was completed in 2005 with the opening of Kids in Charge! The Children's Science Center at MOSI, the largest children's science center in the nation. Earlier, through an innovative partnership with the Institute for Business & Home Safety, MOSI completed the Gladys Shafran Kashdin Welcome Center in 2001. MOSI is now the largest science center in the southeast and the 5th largest in the U.S.
The museum's new exhibit, The Amazing You, is a permanent, state-of-the-art exhibition on health, wellness and prevention that will explore the human developmental milestones and teach visitors what it takes to remain healthy and vital at each stage. This multi-sensory journey will help MOSI guests discover key preventive healthcare measures to improve their quality of life at each life stage. The exhibit will cover much of the 3rd floor exhibit gallery.
MOSI recently unveiled the all new Saunders Planetarium. Thanks to the generosity of The Saunders Foundation and construction by the R.R. Simmons Construction Corporation, the original Planetarium opened its doors on October 3, 1992. Since then nearly 700,000 visitors have experienced the wonders of astronomy under its dome. Generously funded by Dick and Cornelia Corbett and the William Stamps Farish Fund, the new Planetarium will be located in Kids in Charge! and will feature a new projection dome, a high-resolution video projection system, and new seating. Special Thanks to Hillsborough County, the Andrew Krusen Family and The Saunders Foundation for supporting construction of the all new planetarium.
As these plans progress, MOSI will continue to build on its existing programs and exhibits and seek innovative ways to engage diverse audiences in the 21st century.
[edit] Community outreach
MOSI is well known for their involvement in the Tampa Bay community and all around Florida. Their exhibits are hands-on with the objective to help the mind explore by making science interactive as well as entertaining. In order to maintain and create new exhibits and continue to develop outreach programs and science camps while remaining inexpensive, MOSI relies on donations and contributions. MOSI relies heavily on help from community volunteers in daily operation. MOSI is always looking for new volunteers.
The funding for MOSI’s exhibits and activities, including seasonal programs and classes, come from ticket sales, grants, and donors. Donors receive special recognition throughout the museum. Names of contributors can be seen in areas such as the entrance to the IMAX Dome Theatre, where seats are inscribed in honor of generous donors. All large donations are thoroughly examined to make sure that the money is giving in good faith and that the offerings match MOSI’s mission statement: “MOSI is a not-for-profit, community-based institution and educational resource that is dedicated to advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, industry, and technology. MOSI's core ideology is to make a difference in people's lives by making science real for people of all ages and backgrounds.” Most funding comes from corporate grants rather than city grants. The grants department also receives donations from specialized organizations such as Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc. There are a total of ten departments of funding where annual investors can contribute to.
“K+I+D=S” Fund stands for Kids + Inspiration + Discovery = Success and focuses on providing special opportunities for children who may not normally be able to attend MOSI. The Education Fund reaches out to educators, adults, and students of all ages, from preschoolers to homeschoolers. Other departments include the IMAX Film fund, Special Events fund, and Technology fund.
[edit] Exhibits
[edit] Kids in Charge!
The Kids in Charge! exhibit is designed for and inspired by kids about 12 years old and under. The concept of this exhibit is to stimulate the minds of children by learning while having fun. The 25,000 square feet (2,300 m²) of exhibit space makes Kids in Charge! the largest children’s learning center in the country.
The exhibit features several different learning skills to cover a number of scientific concepts. The four main exhibits, Activate, Investigate, Kids Create, and Fields to Meals are all found at Kids in Charge! Each exhibit focuses on a specific learning concept all explained in depth on the MOSI website.
The Kids in Charge! exhibit was headed by an advisory board consisting of 26 children. The Board included children between the ages of 10 and 17. The kids provided feedback and the innovative ideas for the exhibit.
The informal learning aspect is the reason for the exhibit’s popularity. The environment in the exhibit allows the guests to explore at their own pace without the added pressure of a classroom environment. Some of the more popular attractions include the bed of nails and the tug of war exhibit. Visitors are able to lie on the bed unharmed. This is because the weight of the individual is evenly distributed over the nails. The tug-of-war attraction is a game of pulling of rope to one side. In this exhibit, however, the device that the rope is connected to acts as a lever. This causes one side to always be the winning side. When kids are put up against their parents, and win, everyone is eager to learn why.
Sponsors continually contribute towards the various exhibits at MOSI. The cost of the Kids in Charge! exhibit was about three million dollars. With donations provided by various families, groups, and corporations, Kids in Charge! became another successful exhibit at the museum.
[edit] The Gulf Coast Hurricane
The hurricane exhibit at MOSI allows people to experience winds that range from a harmless rain storm to a Category one hurricane. This exhibit is designed to raise awareness of the intensity of a storm. The museum refers to it as a “Get Smart, Get Ready” opportunity to enlighten people on how to do just that, learn and prepare for a storm. As the wind increases, a wall chart indicates the Beaufort Wind Scale and what could be expected of the winds that are being experienced. Each wind increment is tagged with an event (i.e. you cannot hold an umbrella at a wind speed of twenty-five miles per hour).
The wind is generated above the room then brought down through vents and fans using recycled air. The maximum sustained winds top at a category one hurricane, or 74 miles per hour.
[edit] Bio-Works Butterfly Garden
The Bio-Works Butterfly Garden and Alternate Waste Treatment exhibit was added to the Museum of Science and Industry in 1996. The exhibit consists of a butterfly garden, and also a self-sustaining fish pond. The garden is home to over 30 different species of butterflies and several aquatic species, most of which are native to Florida. Several thousand native Florida butterflies are raised each year in a publicly viewable laboratory. These butterflies include Zebra Longwings, the Florida state butterfly, and Giant Swallowtail and Tiger Swallowtails, two of the largest North American butterfly species.
The pond and large white tanks in front of the garden are part of a model wastewater treatment facility designed to purify wastewater in a simulated wetland environment. Waste water is fed through pumps into a series of underground anaerobic and aerobic purification tanks where waste particles are broken down by bacteria. The water is then pumped into a series of above ground aerobic tanks and then into a settling tank, called the clarifier, which settles remaining solids out of the water for further procressing. The clean water is then chlorinated to remove remaining bacteria and then dechlorinated to remove chemicals that will be harmful to plant and animal life. Finally, the clean water is pumped back into a fish pond and the cycle continues. Of the fish in the pond, the tilapia are the most unusual. The tilapia are the third, fourth and fifth generations of descendants of the first fish born in space. This fish, named Amigo, was born on John Glenn's last space mission ,STS-95, and was returned to earth so that its reproduction could be observed.
[edit] Amazing You!
MetLife Foundation's Amazing You! is a state-of-the-art, 13,000-square-foot exhibition about health and wellness of each developmental life stage. In this informative, educational, and interactive exhibition, guests will have the opportunity to explore the intricate world of the human body.Tour the human body in all its complexity-from DNA to cells to organs to individuals. The first phase of this permanent exhibition is located in MOSI's third floor exhibit gallery. The first phase focuses on the beginning of life to adolescence life stages.
Within each developmental life stage, guests will explore what’s amazing about each stage, identify developmental milestones, and learn what it takes to stay healthy at each stage and how to return to wellness after an illness, surgery or a disability. Guests will learn about medical conditions and diseases including which are most prevalent during each developmental stage of life.
[edit] IMAX® Dome Theatre
MOSI’s IMAX Dome Theatre opened on July 1, 1995. The theater is one of 250 around the world, and is the only IMAX Theatre in the state of Florida with a dome screen. The picture is ten times that of a standard theater. From the center of the dome the IMAX screen completely surrounds the viewer and can be seen in all fields of vision. Because of the enormity of the presentation, with over 10,500 square feet (980 m²) of visual imagery, viewers are warned of possible dizziness, and are not permitted to re-enter the theater once the lights have gone out and the presentation has begun. MOSI’s IMAX Dome Theatre features 340 seats and an 82-foot hemispherical movie screen, housed within a distinctive 85-foot blue stainless dome.
The IMAX trademark was founded in 1967 by a small group of Canadian filmmakers who brought the single projector, versus the traditional multi-projectors, to a fair in Canada. The first permanent IMAX Theatre was built in Toronto, which is also home to the IMAX headquarters.
The MOSI projector is one of the most powerful ever built. It uses 15 perforation, 70 mm film, and moves through the projector in a unique “Rolling Loop”, that is accredited with the focus steadiness of IMAX films. The bulb in the projector is so intense that it can be seen from the moon, and must be cooled by water.
Part of what the IMAX trademark has dubbed the “IMAX Experience” is the audio aspect of the presentation. The IMAX Dome Theatre in MOSI is equipped with a six-channel, high fidelity motion picture, surround sound system. The sound system is manufactured by Sonics Associates Inc., and includes sub-bass, which creates shaking volume. There is no sound recording on the film, but a completely separate reel of audio film, that is run in sync with the visual film.
In 2002, IMAX presented IMAX DMR, the acronym for IMAX digital remastering. IMAX DMR allows Hollywood feature films to be converted into IMAX presentations. Since then movies such as Apollo 13, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Spiderman, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Martin Scorsese's Shine A Light, The Polar Express, and many others have been featured in IMAX theatres. The Matrix Reloaded and Speed Racer are coming soon to the MOSI IMAX Theatre.
In 1997 the IMAX Corporation won an Oscar for scientific and technical achievement. Although IMAX brand is moving into the commercial theater network, it maintains a large base of theaters in museums and science centers, like MOSI.
[edit] Planetarium
The Saunders Planetarium was established in 1992 and is the only planetarium in Tampa. The planetarium schedules several shows throughout the day. The different shows are all educational, focusing on constellations and events related to and around upcoming holidays. On Saturday evenings MOSI plays host to “Skywatch” events. Skywatch is free to the public and allows guests the opportunity to use the museum’s telescopes to take a closer look at the galaxy.
After 15 years in its present location, The Saunders Planetarium is moving and changing. Thanks to the generosity of The Saunders Foundation and construction by the R.R. Simmons Construction Corporation, the Planetarium opened its doors on October 3, 1992. Since then nearly 700,000 visitors have experienced the wonders of astronomy under its dome. The original star projector -- a Spitz A3P-R -- will be retired and replaced with the Goto Space Simulator Chronos.
Generously funded by Dick and Cornelia Corbett, and the William Stamps Farish Fund, the amazing new projector will display the sky for any time -- past, present, or future -- and transport the audience to any viewing site -- on Earth in 20 seconds or less! The rest of the $1 million project -- which includes a new theater in Kids in Charge!, a new projection dome, a new high-resolution video projection system, and new seating -- will be completed through the generosity of The Saunders Foundation -- the group responsible for opening the Planetarium in 1992 alongside the Andrew Krusen Family.
[edit] WeatherQuest Sponsored by Bay News 9
News 9 Project Weather WeatherQuest is a heart-pounding, MINDS-ON exhibit within Disasterville at the Museum of Science and Industry. The permanent exhibit features the Bay News 9 news desk and meteorologist green screen for realistic role-playing situations. You can play the role of a news reporter, experience emergency management and identify and solve hazardous situations. This exhibit features 10,000 sq. ft. of interactive exhibits on the science of natural disasters, how it affects lives and property, and what can be done to minimize property damage and loss of life. The exhibition will cover nine disaster genres: floods, hail storms, hurricanes, lightening, tornadoes, wildfires, volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. To schedule a group experience call (813) 987-6100. WeatherQuest is part of Bay News 9's Project Weather.
[edit] Coming Soon to MOSI
Watch out! Dinosaurs are coming to MOSI on June 13, 2008!
Dinosaurs! is a 5,000-square-foot exhibition that brings guests face to face with creatures that once roamed the earth over 150 million years ago. The exhibition features eight towering animatronic dinosaurs and five robotic Ice Age mammals that come alive and simulate life in the Mesozoic era. The creatures on exhibit include Apatosaurs, Pterandodon, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Maiasaura, Pachycephalosaurus, Baluchitherium and a family of four saber-toothed cats. The exhibit also encourages guests to engage in hands-on paleontological activities and discover exactly what it takes to search for the fossils of these great creatures.
[edit] Volunteering at MOSI
MOSI also has a great volunteer program. Volunteers come from the local community and area high schools. Volunteers will assist in all aspects of the museum. MOSI looks for energetic, interested and exciting individuals to help bring MOSI’s exhibits to life.
[edit] Gift Shops
To gain access to some of MOSI’s exhibits a visitor can walk through the considerably sized gift shop. Within it MOSI sells scientific books, posters, and CDs such as ‘The Amazon,’ and ‘Amazing Caves.' An example of the wide array of science related items sold in the gift shop is the ‘build-your-own’ model of earth’s solar system or the star kits. Scientific games are also offered, as well as MOSI merchandise. In addition, MOSI's "Science-To-Go" store provides a unique shopping experience with science and educational fun. Gift cards, and memberships to MOSI are available, all of which add to its yearly revenue.
[edit] Video clips
- A Walkthrough of MOSI (mpg)
- MOSI — Hurricane Room1.wmv
- MOSI — BioWorks — Butterflies 1.wmv
- BioWorks — Koy.wmv
- BioWorks Pond.wmv
[edit] External links
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