View source for COSI

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{for-multi|the science museum in Toledo, Ohio|Imagination Station|other uses of "Cosi"|Cosi (disambiguation)}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Advert|date=January 2022}}
{{Overly detailed|date=January 2022}}
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox museum
| name                = COSI
| logo                = COSI science museum logo.svg
| logo_upright        = 
| logo_alt            = 
| logo_caption        = 
| image               = Columbus, Ohio JJ 71-crop.jpg
| alt                 = 
| caption             = West facade and [[Dorrian Green]]
| map_type            = 
| map_relief          = 
| map_size            = 
| map_caption         = 
| coordinates         = {{Wikidatacoord|Q5013508|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| mapframe-zoom       = 14
| former_name         = 
| established         = {{Start date|1964|df=y}}
| dissolved           = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| location            = [[Columbus, Ohio]]
| type                = [[Science museum]]
| accreditation       = 
| key_holdings        = 
| collections         = 
| collection_size     = 
| visitors            = 
| founder             = Sanford N. Hallock II
| executive_director  = 
| leader_type         = 
| leader              = 
| director            = 
| president           = 
| ceo                 = [[Frederic Bertley]]
| chairperson         = Tom Dailey
| curator             = 
| architect           = 
| historian           = 
| owner               = 
| publictransit       = {{Bus icon|12px|Local transit}} {{rint|COTA}} {{COTA link|10|12}}<br>{{Bike icon|12px}} [[CoGo]]
| car_park            = 
| parking             = 
| network             = 
| website             = {{URL|https://www.cosi.org/}}
| embedded            = 
}}

'''COSI''' ({{IPAc-en|'|k|oʊ|s|aɪ}}), officially the '''Center of Science and Industry''', is a [[science museum]] and [[research center]] in [[Columbus, Ohio]]. COSI was opened to the public on 29 March 1964 and remained there for 35 years. In 1999, COSI was moved to a {{convert|320000|sqft|m2|abbr=unit|adj=on|order=flip|comma=gaps}} facility, designed by Japanese architect [[Arata Isozaki]] along a bend in the [[Scioto River]] in the [[Franklinton, Columbus, Ohio|Franklinton]] neighborhood. COSI features more than 300 interactive exhibits throughout themed exhibition areas.<ref name="About">{{Cite web|url=https://cosi.org/about-cosi|title=About - COSI|website=cosi.org|accessdate=February 19, 2024}}</ref>

Until the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], COSI operated the largest outreach education program of any science museum in the United States. Anchored by '''COSI on Wheels''' – a whole-school outreach program traveling throughout Ohio and the surrounding Midwest – as well as local '''COSI on Wheels Workshops''', '''Camp COSI on Wheels''', and '''Interactive Videoconference''' programs reaching {{gaps|350|000}} learners each year outside of the museum at their peak.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cosi.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=294|title=COSI - COSI|website=cosi.org|accessdate=February 19, 2024}}</ref>

As a [[Nonprofit organization|non-profit organization]], COSI is supported by ticket sales, a network of community and statewide partnerships (including relationships with a variety of donors and sponsors), a volunteer program supported by {{gaps|10|000}} volunteers annually, and nearly {{gaps|20|000}} member households.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cosi.org/volunteer-employment|title=Volunteer & Employment|access-date=November 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085301/http://www.cosi.org/volunteer-employment|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2008, COSI was named the #1 science center in the United States for families by ''Parent Magazin''e.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parents.com/fun/vacation/us-destinations/best-science-centers/ |title=10 Best Science Centers |work=[[Parents (magazine)|Parents]] }}</ref> In 2020, it was named the #1 Science Museum in the United States by ''USA Today''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-science-museum-2024/|title=Best Science Museum (2022) - USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards|date=March 25, 2022|website=10Best|accessdate=February 19, 2024}}</ref>

==Exhibit areas==
[[Image:AUT 0344.JPG|thumb|The museum's [[Foucault pendulum]], located at the facility's west entrance.]]
Upon relocating in 1999, COSI was developed with large, self-contained, themed atria, each dedicated to a single topic and designed as immersive theatrical learning worlds. As of 2018, COSI contains seven main exhibit areas: Ocean, Energy Explorers, Space, Progress, Gadgets, Life, and the American Museum of National History Dinosaur Gallery.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cosi.org/exhibits|title=Exhibits - COSI|website=cosi.org|accessdate=February 19, 2024}}</ref> Hallways between each learning world are filled with hands-on exhibits and displays.

===Ocean===
Accessed via an underwater cave through a crashed shipwreck, the cavern path splits as guests pass to the right or left. The pathway to the right leads to a docked submarine laboratory where hands-on exhibits explore the realities of ocean research, submersibles, SCUBA, water pressure, and remote-operated vehicles. Lilypad Lab focuses on [[drainage basin]] and [[Central Ohio]] wildlife. The path forking left from the shipwreck leads to the Temple of Poseidon, an ancient stone chamber built around a 30-foot tall statue of [[Poseidon]] with waterfalls, fountains, and water jets. Another realm focuses on the properties of water and the stories it inspires – [[laminar flow]], [[whirlpool]]s, [[erosion]], water bells, and mythology.

===Energy Explorers===
Energy Explorers, which opened in 2013, allows visitors to choose an [[avatar (computing)|avatar]] character that follows the guest to the Home Zone, Transportation Zone, and Product Zone of a town, making decisions via computer kiosks to balance energy efficiency and cost.

===Space===
The Space exhibit area features a replica space station pod to tour, a recreation of [[John Glenn]]'s ''[[Friendship 7]]'' spacecraft from the [[Mercury-Atlas 6]], remote-operated vehicles, balance tests, and other hands-on experiments that deal with space flight trajectory, gravitational pull, and simulated rover landings. Space was originally located on Level 2 in its own enclosed atrium exhibit area, entered via a "[[black hole]]" spinning funhouse hallway meant to disorient guests. The exhibit itself   was in a dark, immersive, themed area, stylized after the 1969 Moon landing of [[Apollo 11]]. Under starry skies, guests interacted with "retro" stylized monitors and exhibits with a matching wood-panel / brushed metal motif that was reminiscent of the era, even included a 1960s living room (including shag carpeting) where guests could watch the recorded landing.

When the south end of COSI's building was closed due to lost levies in 2004, the Space exhibit was relocated from Level 2 to an empty gallery on Level 1. In 2012, that area became Energy Explorers, necessitating yet another location switch. Some of the Space exhibits' displays moved to the Mezzanine Level while much remained in storage. With the re-opening of COSI's Planetarium in November 2014, the location of Space on the Mezzanine leading toward the Planetarium's lobby was reinforced by the return and refurbishment of the rest of Space's exhibits. However, Space remains the only one of COSI's seven learning worlds to not have its own dedicated, theatrical, immersive atrium, instead being located on the bright [[Mezzanine]] bridge. The original home of Space is now Gallery 3, available for traveling exhibits and special event rentals. Gallery 3 still contains the ''Galaxy Theater,'' fittingly still painted with murals of planets and stars leftover from its time as a live theater for Space.

===Progress===
The Progress exhibit (modeled after the Streets of Yesteryear exhibit at COSI's original location) traces the hopes and fears of a small town called Progress in 1898, just as electricity, horseless carriages, and canned food become available. The recreated town (specifically, the shops, homes, and restaurants at the corner of Hope Street and Fear Street) includes a telegraph office, livery, stable, grocer, apothecary, and clothiers. After visitors walk through Progress in 1898, they turn the corner and enter the same intersection of the same town 64 years later in 1962, where a new set of hopes and fears have arisen.

In 1962, the town of Progress includes an appliance store, a working TV studio, a radio station (where the telegraph office was), a department store, a diner, and a gas station (replacing the livery). At the exit, the exhibit challenges guests to consider how the streets of the village of Progress might look today, and to question why the concept of [[progress (history)|progress]] deserves as much weight in the scientific study as that of oceans, space, or energy.

===Gadgets===
The Gadgets exhibit area contains many classic science museum hands-on experiments, such as [[pulleys]], wind tunnels, [[plasma globe]]s, [[magnets]], light bulbs, engines, and counterweights. As well, Gadgets contains the Gadgets Café, where families are seated and given a menu with quick science experiments to choose from. A take-apart menu allows visitors to disassemble donated phones, computers, clocks, and other electronic devices, which are recycled afterward.

===Life===
Life explores humanity through three separate areas dedicated to the mind, body, and spirit. The ''Mind'' area contains optical illusions, physical illusions, an [[anechoic chamber]], and a posable [[zoetrope]]. ''Spirit'' discusses the concept of birth and death and how human cultures understand them. ''Body'' features interactive health stations where visitors can record their weight, flexibility, and heart rate, then compare their statistics to that of COSI visitors and national averages. Life also contains the ''Labs in Life'', three working research pods staffed by [[Ohio State University|OSU]] students and staff.[[File:Main COSI Columbus Sign 1.jpg|thumb|right]]

=== Dinosaur Gallery ===
On November 19 of 2017, COSI, in partnership with the [[American Museum of Natural History]], opened a permanent Dinosaur Gallery. A traveling special exhibition gallery opened in the Spring of 2018. Together, they occupy 2000 m² in the first floor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/09/16/dinosaur-exhibit-at-cosi.html|title=Columbus Dispatch|last=Gordon|first=Ken|date=September 16, 2016|access-date=December 11, 2017}}</ref>

===Other features===
The building also contains an interactive "little kid space" area designed for children up through first grade, the National Geographic Giant Screen Theater (the largest digital screen in Ohio), and an outdoor Big Science Park. On November 22, 2014, COSI reopened its 60-foot diameter, 220-seat [[Planetarium]] (Ohio's largest) with all new digital projection. In addition, there is a History of COSI exhibit.

The building also includes three large galleries for traveling exhibits and special event hosting, a Dive Theater in Ocean, the Galaxy Theater in Gallery 3 (its name a remnant of when Gallery 3 was once the Space exhibit), the Gadgets Stage, the Atomic Cafe, the Science2Go! retail store, and five meeting rooms utilizing refurbished areas within the former [[Central High School (Columbus, Ohio)|Central High School]], which the new COSI location was built around.

=== COSI Science Festival ===
<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://cosiscifest.org/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=COSI Science Festival |language=en-US}}</ref> On May 1–4, 2019, COSI, joined by Battelle, [[NASA]], [[business]]es, [[organization]]s, [[University|universities]], and [[STEM]] leaders, hosted over one hundred community events showcasing science across Central Ohio as part of the inaugural COSI Science Festival. The 2019 COSI Science Festival was among the largest science events in Ohio history and included four days of events at central Ohio businesses, community centers, libraries, schools, and more. As part of the COSI Science Festival, COSI, Battelle, NASA, and other Central Ohio STEM leaders formed an unprecedented partnership that impacted {{gaps|40|000}} people.

In May 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an all-digital COSI Science Festival garnered 118,990 total online views of 39 separate virtual science events.

In 2021, the COSI Science Festival remained virtual, reaching over {{gaps|100|000}} learners.

In 2022, the festival returned to a primarily in-person model.

2023 saw record breaking attendance with over {{gaps|11|000}} visitors to the community event portion of the festival, and another {{gaps|33|000}} attending the Big Science Celebration on the final day of the four day festival. After an extensive evaluation, the 91% Big Science Celebration attendees said the Big Science Celebration had a positive impact or reinforced their existing opinions of STEM, and the majority said it helped broaden their awareness of STEM jobs and career options.

The COSI Science Festival is the largest STEAM event in Ohio, and one of the largest in the Midwest. The sixth COSI Science Festival was held May 1 - 4, 2024.

[[File:Central High School 1.jpg|thumb|The museum's east portion was formerly [[Central High School (Columbus, Ohio)|Central High School]]]]

== 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).

From its 1964 opening, COSI was housed in [[Memorial Hall (Columbus, Ohio)|Memorial Hall]], a historic Columbus landmark constructed in 1906. COSI closed at the Memorial Hall location on East Broad Street on September 6, 1999, and re-opened two months later on November 6, 1999, at its new location on the [[Scioto River|Scioto]] riverfront on West Broad Street in [[Downtown Columbus, Ohio|downtown Columbus]]. The {{gaps|320|000}} square foot facility was designed by  Japanese architect [[Arata Isozaki]], who designed an elliptical, geometric, "blimp" shaped structure composed of 159 curved concrete panels.<ref name="highconcrete1">{{cite web|url=https://www.highconcrete.com/projects/by-application/public/cultural/cosi/|title=High Concrete Group|access-date=August 19, 2020}}</ref> The museum is designed to appear progressively futuristic from the neighborhood of Franklinton, while from downtown Columbus it uses the exterior of the original Central High School to blend into the city.<ref name="highconcrete1" />

In 1972, COSI originated the '''Camp-In''' overnight program for [[Girl Scouts of the USA|Girl Scouts]] and [[Boy Scouts of America|Boy Scouts]] – a concept now commonplace in museums nationwide. Since 1964, COSI has engaged with nearly 30 million unique visitors through on-site and outreach programs.<ref name="About" />

[[Image:COSIHolidayPhoto.JPG|thumb|COSI's Holiday Science of the Season Celebration annually from the day before Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve.]]
Shortly after the move to the riverfront, the museum experienced a shortfall of funds. With an initial construction budget of over $210 million, high maintenance costs of the new facility, "six-figure" utility bills, and "lower-than-expected" ticket sales, COSI's reliance on admission revenue proved an unsuitable long term plan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1388&dat=20040421&id=eodQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IRIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3245,2222827|title=Northwest Columbus News - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|accessdate=February 19, 2024}}</ref> In 2004, the museum spearheaded an effort to assess a property tax levy, chaired by former [[NASA]] [[astronaut]] [[John Glenn]]. The levy would have imposed a property tax on residents of [[Franklin County, Ohio|Franklin County]], who would receive free admission in return. The levy failed. As a result, the south wing of COSI's "blimp" structure was closed.

As part of the reconfiguration of the museum following the loss of the levy in 2004, COSI opened only five days per week instead of seven. Many of the museum's exhibits were announced to close permanently, along with the closure of half of the building (though many have re-opened in stages in the years since).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cosi-to-reallocate-exhibit-spaces-in-september-71781782.html|title=COSI to reallocate exhibit spaces in September|accessdate=February 19, 2024}}</ref> Two of the original exhibit areas were closed permanently (called i|o and SimZone, the spaces they formerly occupied are now Gallery 1 and Energy Explorers, respectively).

Closures from 2004 that have since been reversed include Space (relocated to Level 1 in 2005, then to the Mezzanine in 2012), the original Gallery 1 (space reused as WOSU@COSI in September 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ocio.osu.edu/blog/community/2006/09/28/wosucosi-grand-opening-set-for-september-29|title=WOSU@COSI Grand Opening}}</ref>), Adventure (re-opened as an additional-charge experience in September 2010<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2010/07/12/COSI_to_reopen_Adventure_exhibit.html|title=COSI to reopen popular Adventure exhibit|accessdate=February 19, 2024}}</ref>), CityView (still off-limits to the public; now available for special events), and the Planetarium (re-opened in November 2014 as the final piece of the building to come back online<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2014/11/20/cosi-gets-star-attraction.html|title=COSI's renovated planetarium to reopen after decade absence|accessdate=February 19, 2024}}</ref>).

[[Image:Columbus-ohio-cosi-summer.jpg|thumb|COSI from across the Scioto River]]

During the spring and summer of 2005, COSI hosted the blockbuster traveling exhibition "[[RMS Titanic|Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition]]" and saw record attendance (prompting the return of the exhibit in 2010). In the summer of 2006, COSI hosted another large exhibit: "[[Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination]]", produced by the [[Museum of Science, Boston]].

In April 2006, Dr. David Chesebrough, former president and CEO of the [[Buffalo Museum of Science]], became COSI's new president and CEO.  He replaced former NASA astronaut [[Kathryn D. Sullivan]], who became COSI science advisor on a volunteer basis while serving  as the Director of Ohio State University's [[Battelle Memorial Institute|Battelle]] Center for Mathematics and Science Education Policy.

Since then, COSI has integrated additional-cost traveling exhibits as part of its funding model. The museum has hosted ''EINSTEIN, An Exhibition on the Man and his Science'' (2007), ''Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics '' (2007), ''CSI: The Experience'' (2008), ''Geckos: From Tail to Toepads'' (2011), ''Dinosaurs: Explore.  Escape. Survive.'' (2011) (2011), RACE: Are We So Different? (2012), WATER (2012), LEGO Castle Adventure (2012), BODYWORLDS and The Brain (2012), MindBender Mansion and Amazing Mazes (2013), MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition (2013), and Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition (2014). COSI also developed its own traveling exhibit, ''Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science'' (2009) in cooperation with the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative, built by the Science Museum of Minnesota.

In January 2016, Dr. Chesebrough announced that he planned to retire at the end of 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/01/29/COSI_president_announces_retirement.html|title=President who helped revive COSI announces he'll retire|author=Gilchrist, Shannon |work=[[Columbus Dispatch]]|date=January 29, 2016|access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref> On November 10, 2016, the COSI board of trustees announced the selection of Dr. [[Frederic Bertley]] as COSI Columbus' new president and CEO, effective January 1, 2017.<ref>{{cite news|author=Gordon, Ken|date=November 11, 2016|title=$5 million from state budget to bring dinosaur exhibit to COSI|work=The Columbus Dispatch|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/09/16/dinosaur-exhibit-at-cosi.html|access-date=August 29, 2019}}</ref>

On August 23, 2016, the Capitol South Community Redevelopment Corp. announced the approval of a $37 million plan to replace the 600-spot parking lots on COSI's west side with an underground parking garage topped with an 8-acre green space and programmatic park as a complement to the larger [[Scioto Peninsula]] green space along the [[Scioto River]]. The construction project is expected to be completed in spring 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2016/08/23/cosi-underground-parking-park-okd.html|title=COSI underground parking, park get go-ahead|date=August 23, 2016|access-date=September 26, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:COSI - Dorrian Green 04.jpg|thumb|A park by COSI, [[Dorrian Green]], was built in 2018]]
On September 16, 2016, COSI announced a partnership between the city of Columbus and the [[American Museum of Natural History]] (AMNH) in New York City to build a $5 million permanent Dinosaur Exhibition Gallery and a dedicated AMNH Traveling Exhibition Gallery replacing the WOSU and Adventure exhibits. The WOSU exhibit has since relocated; however, the Adventure exhibition closed permanently on January 1, 2017.<ref name="dispatch.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/09/16/dinosaur-exhibit-at-cosi.html|title=$5 million from state budget to bring dinosaur exhibit to COSI |author=Gordon, Ken |work=The Columbus Dispatch|date=September 16, 2016|access-date=September 26, 2016}}</ref><ref name="nbc4i.com">{{cite news|url=http://nbc4i.com/2016/09/21/cosi-will-close-adventure-exhibit-to-make-room-for-natural-history-exhibits/|title=COSI will close 'Adventure' exhibit to make room for natural history galleries |publisher=[[WCMH-TV]] |author= Rotuno-Johnson, Michelle |date=September 21, 2016|access-date=September 26, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923184354/https://www.nbc4i.com/2016/09/21/cosi-will-close-adventure-exhibit-to-make-room-for-natural-history-exhibits/ | archive-date=September 23, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Imagination Station]], formerly COSI Toledo, formerly affiliated with COSI Columbus
*[[List of museums in Ohio]]
* [[List of science centers]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|COSI (Columbus, Ohio)}}
*{{official website|https://www.cosi.org/}}
*{{official website|www.cosiscifest.org|name=COSI Science Festival}}

{{Museums in Columbus, Ohio}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosi Columbus}}
[[Category:Museums established in 1964]]
[[Category:1964 establishments in Ohio]]
[[Category:Museums in Columbus, Ohio]]
[[Category:Culture of Columbus, Ohio]]
[[Category:Science museums in Ohio]]
[[Category:Association of Science-Technology Centers member institutions]]
[[Category:Franklinton (Columbus, Ohio)]]
[[Category:Broad Street (Columbus, Ohio)]]