Imagination Station (formerly the Center of Science and Industry (COSI)) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, hands-on

science museum A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in ...

located on the Maumee riverfront in downtown

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

. The facility has over 300 exhibits for "children of all ages." The museum opened in 1997 as COSI. After

tax levies A tax levy under United States federal law is an administrative action by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under statutory authority, generally without going to court, to seize property to satisfy a tax liability. The levy "includes the power ...

failed in 2006 and 2007, COSI closed its doors to the public on the last day of 2007 due to lack of funding. In 2008, voters approved an operating levy to reopen the facility as The Toledo Science Center. This interim name was replaced by "Imagination Station," which opened on 10 October 2009.

History

In 1984, the Portside Festival Marketplace

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

opened along the Maumee River, on the site of the former

Tiedtke's Tiedtke's was a former grocery and department store chain based in Toledo, Ohio. At its peak, the store, which began life as a grocery, occupied a huge building at Summit Street and Adams downtown, maintained an annex store two blocks away, and ...

department store. There were hopes that the mall might revitalize downtown Toledo, but it closed in 1990. A mayoral committee appointed to find the best use for the site heard repeated community requests for an educational family attraction. The city asked

COSI Columbus Cosi, COSI or CoSi may refer to: * '' Così'', a 1992 play by Louis Nowra ** ''Cosi'' (film), 1996, based on the play * Così (restaurant), an American fast-casual restaurant chain * Compton Spectrometer and Imager, or COSI, a NASA telescope to ...

about its experience and resources, and subsequently the city and the Columbus organization created COSI Toledo, an independent, not-for-profit organization with a board of trustees from

northwest Ohio Northwest Ohio, or Northwestern Ohio, consists of multiple counties in the northwestern corner of the US state of Ohio. This area borders Lake Erie, Southeast Michigan, and northeastern Indiana. Some areas are also considered the Black Swamp are ...

. A fundraising campaign raised $9.5 million, surpassing the goal by $4.5 million. The state government gave another $10 million. The former Portside Festival Marketplace facility was transferred to COSI at a value of $16 million. On March 1, 1997, COSI opened its doors to the public. The facility attracted an average of 250,000 visitors per year over its first decade. In 2005, COSI won a National Award for Museum and Library Service from the

Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the United States, having the ...

, the nation’s highest honor for extraordinary public service by a museum or library. The award was presented by Laura Bush at a

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

ceremony in January 2006. On July 28, 2006, COSI Toledo and

legally split so each could focus on their own financial troubles. Later that year,

Berrien Springs Berrien Springs is a village in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,800 at the time of the 2010 census. The village is located within Oronoko Charter Township. History Berrien Springs, like Berrien County, is na ...

Public Schools awarded a ''2006 Teachers' Choice Awards'' to COSI for its distance learning program. After voters voted down a second levy in November 2007, COSI Toledo closed due to lack of funding on December 31, 2007. On November 4, 2008,

Lucas County, Ohio Lucas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is bordered to the east by Lake Erie, and to the southeast by the Maumee River, which runs to the lake. As of the 2020 census, the population was 431,279 ...

, voters approved an operating levy for the science center, enabling it to reopen in fall 2009. Image:COSI Toledo located at 1 Discovery Way.JPG, COSI entrance in 2007 (now Imagination Station), with Fifth Third Center at One SeaGate in the distance. Image:Rube Goldbergian music machine at COSI Toledo.JPG, A Rube Goldbergian–style machine in the main lobby that creates music via user-dropped

billiard ball A billiard ball is a small, hard ball used in cue sports, such as carom billiards, pool, and snooker. The number, type, diameter, color, and pattern of the balls differ depending upon the specific game being played. Various particular ball p ...

s. Image:Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Fresnel lens.JPG, The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse's original

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

on display.

Renovation

In 2019, the Imagination Station launched a $10 million upgrade, including an 8,200-square-foot theater with a 4K, 3D-capable screen and seats for people.

KeyBank KeyBank, the primary subsidiary of KeyCorp, is a regional bank headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and is the only major bank based in Cleveland. KeyBank is one of the largest banks in the United States. Key's customer base spans retail, small b ...

paid $2 million to name it KeyBank Discovery Theater. The new attraction requires the demolition of a pedestrian bridge. The center remains open during the construction, which is set to be complete in June 2020.

References

External links

Imagination Station Toledo
{{coord, 41.651904, -83.531468, display=title, format=dms 2007 disestablishments in Ohio Science museums in Ohio Museums in Toledo, Ohio Museums established in 1997