COSI

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This article is about the science museum COSI. For other meanings see COSI (disambiguation).

COSI Logo

COSI, formerly known as the Center of Science and Industry, is a science museum in Columbus, Ohio, in the United States. COSI features more than 300 interactive exhibits throughout themed exhibition areas – Ocean, Space, Gadgets, Life, little kidspace®, Progress, the outdoor Big Science Park, and the newly opened WOSU@COSI... the first public broadcasting and science center partnership.

COSI's Holiday Science of the Season Celebration annually from the day before Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve.

The museum also features exhibit areas that provide experiences for all age levels to creatively combine science facts and learning through play. In addition to its exhibits, COSI has several live shows like the Electrostatic Generator Show. There is also a seven-story Extreme Screen theater, the Science2GO! retail store, and the Atomicafe restaurant. COSI also hosts travelling exhibitions from other museums throughout the year.

COSI will be hosting the following up-coming travelling exhibitions: Einstein (Winter/Spring 2007); Animation (Summer 2007); Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics (Fall 2007); and Bob the Builder: Project Build-It (Fall 2007).

COSI’s education programs have touched more than five million teachers and students. These outreach education programs are tailored to support national and statewide science curriculum and standards. Programs such as Electronic Education and COSI On Wheels bring science learning to students throughout Ohio and across the country. Camp-In®, is an overnight program for Girl Scouts that began 34 years ago at COSI. The program has since expanded to Boy Scouts, and is now duplicated nationwide at other science centers and museums.

As a not-for-profit organization, COSI is supported by a network of community and statewide partnerships, including relationships with a variety of donors, sponsors, 19,000 Member households, and a large volunteer program. More than 800,000 people are served per year through visits to the museum and outreach activities.

The Foucault pendulum, a long-time COSI favorite located at the facility's west entrance.

[edit] COSI's Mission Statement

As adopted in 1964... COSI provides an exciting and informative atmosphere for those of all ages to discover more about our environment, our accomplishments, our heritage, and ourselves. We motivate a desire toward a better understanding of science, industry, health, and history through involvement in exhibits, demonstrations, and a variety of educational activities and experiences. COSI is for the enrichment of the individual and for a more rewarding life on our planet, Earth.

[edit] COSI History

COSI opened on March 29, 1964, as a venture of the Franklin County Historical Society. COSI is a founding member of the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative (SMEC) and a long-standing member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). COSI was originally housed in Memorial Hall, a Columbus landmark that had served as a major performing arts hall since its dedication in 1906. COSI closed its doors at the 280 East Broad Street location and re-opened on November 6, 1999 at a new location on the Scioto riverfront in downtown Columbus... 333 West Broad Street. The building was designed by internationally-renowned architect Arata Isozaki using the former Central High School along with new construction on the site of the school's football field.

Shortly after the move to the riverfront, the museum experienced a shortfall of funds. With an initial construction budget of over $210 million dollars and an estimated operating cost of around $40,000 per day, the museum’s directors counted on overly-ambitious attendance figures to pay its bills. Unfortunately, the museum entry fees mushroomed after the move. With the cost of parking, general admission, lunch, and ad-ons like the planetarium (which was free at the old location) a family of four could easily drop $100 or more on a day at the museum. This priced out many of COSI’s old, loyal visitors. Furthermore, maintenance costs of the new facility and its exhibits were quite high.

Generous donations by local philanthropists allowed the museum to continue operating, but eventually the red ink began to catch up with COSI. The museum spearheaded an effort to assess a property tax levy, chaired by former NASA Astronaut John Glenn. Ultimately the effort failed and caused the museum to lay off large numbers of its staff, some of them longtime employees. An entire wing of the museum was closed and the Planetarium was shut down.

COSI from across the Scioto River.

In 2003, two employees appeared on the Animal Planet show, Pet Star with COSI's basketball-playing rats, Doris and Edelia. [1] The museum's rats had also prevously appeared on the show Real People in 1984.

During the spring and summer of 2005, COSI hosted the blockbuster traveling exhibition: Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition and saw record attendance. Due to the downsizing, COSI had the square footage available to host this large exhibition, where it previously did not. In the following summer 2006, COSI hosted another large exhibit: Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, produced by the Museum of Science, Boston, attracting visitors from 42 of the 50 States as well as Canada. Various members from the 501st and Rebel Legion visited COSI to not only view the exhibit but to entertain other guests with their professional Star Wars costumes.

In April 2006 Dr. David Chesebrough, former president and CEO of the Buffalo Museum of Science, became COSI's new president and CEO, replacing former NASA astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan, who transitioned to a new role as COSI science advisor, on a volunteer basis, while in her new role as the Director for Ohio State University's Battelle Center for Mathematics and Science Education Policy.

On September 29, 2006 the WOSU@COSI partnership began. The exhibit includes an interactive chroma key set where guests can either stand in front of the green screen or control the background image as well as video effects and digital effects. The rest of the WOSU space is offices and studios. The studios have many windows so guests can view the production of radio shows and the editing and broadcasting of television shows.