TAMPA – MOSI has unveiled a new name and a massive expansion of its space.
The institution will continue to be called “MOSI” but those letters will stand for the Museum of Science & Innovation.
“Our new name, Museum of Science & Innovation, captures the trajectory and energy of MOSI as we look to the future,” President and CEO John Graydon Smith said. “We’re in a rapidly changing world, and Tampa Bay can count on MOSI to help make sense of what’s happening now and what’s coming next.
MOSI has changed names before during its 64-year history. It began as the Museum of Science and Natural History in 1962 before becoming the Museum of Science & Industry in 1982.
The new name aligns with the focus of the museum and its surrounding area as significant investments in Tampa Bay’s innovation economy continue to transform the Uptown area.
“Beyond understanding innovation, MOSI is here to help harness it,” Smith said. “We’re here to inspire the thinkers of tomorrow with learning outside the classroom, and we’re here to be a crucial partner in making sure the jobs of the future will be coming to Tampa Bay.”
Campus expansion
MOSI also unveiled its expanded Center for STEAM Learning, adding 30,000 square feet of new classroom and lab space and allowing MOSI to serve four times the number of field trip visitors and school break campers each year.
The expansion features classrooms, a cooking lab, three computer labs and a makerspace with advanced hands-on tools like 3D printers.
“MOSI is the key anchor of an exciting redevelopment project coming to North Tampa, bringing in fresh opportunities for science, sports, entertainment, and more,” said Chris Boles, Hillsborough County commissioner and MOSI board member. “The concept of innovation will be at the core of this effort. Seeing MOSI take on a new name that matches this mission is a fantastic fit.”
MOSI also opened the doors to the new MOSI Digital Content Lab, where students will create immersive movies for giant dome screens like the one inside Saunders Planetarium.
Developed with significant support from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator for Arts and Culture, the lab will give students in MOSI science camps the power to bring their ideas to life.
Through a collaboration with the University of South Florida, the lab’s tools will be shared with USF students studying subjects ranging from film and art to medicine and engineering.
The Center for STEAM Learning expansion reactivates a portion of MOSI’s campus that was closed in 2017 when the museum made strategic changes to ensure financial sustainability.
“We’re not getting bigger simply for the sake of getting bigger. MOSI is evolving and growing strategically because we’re seeing the demand in our community for a first-class partner in science and innovation,” Smith said. “Our attendance has continued to climb, jumping up by nearly 35% with the opening of the Saunders Planetarium. The message is clear: MOSI is here to stay in North Tampa.”
