The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

. It is a private, non-profit institution located on the

Southbank Riverwalk The Jacksonville Riverwalks are a network of multi-use trails and open space developments along both the north and south banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The roughly Downtown Northbank portion travels alongside the Hyatt Reg ...

, and the city's most visited museum. It specializes in science and local history exhibits. It features a large traveling exhibit that changes quarterly, three floors of permanent and signature exhibits, and the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium.

History

The roots of MOSH go back to 1941 when the Jacksonville Children's Museum was chartered. The first permanent home was a Victorian mansion in Riverside. Construction began on the current location downtown in 1965, and the facility opened in 1969. The Jacksonville Children's Museum became the Jacksonville Museum of Arts and Sciences in 1977 and six years later, they were accredited by the

American Alliance of Museums American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. The name was changed to Museum of Science and History in 1988 and of space was added, including the

planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...

then known as the

Alexander Brest Planetarium Bryan-Gooding Planetarium in the Alexander Brest Science Theatre is a planetarium in the Museum of Science and History in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. It was built in 1988 and featured a dome-shaped projection screen, JBL stereo sound system, and ...

. The last building renovation occurred in 1994 resulting in a total of . In 2010 the Planetarium was upgraded with a new projector, sound system, and interior work, and renamed the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium. In 2013, the museum opened a new core exhibit, ''JEA PowerPlay: Understanding Our Energy Choices and the newly renovated JEA Science Theater.'' In 2016, the museum opened another new core exhibit, ''Health in Motion: Discover What MOVES You,'' as well as a new outdoor sustainable landscape exhibit called ''JEA HydroLogic.'' In 2021, MOSH announced it would relocate to the Northbank of downtown Jacksonville with a new facility designed by architectural firm

DLR Group DLR Group is an employee-owned integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design. Their brand promise is to elevate the human experience through design. A self-described advocate for sustainable design, the ...

. The new facility would increase the museum's space from 77,000 to 133,000 SF.

Exhibits

Current exhibits at Jacksonville’s museum of science and history includes the new Playing With Lights exhibits. This exhibit uses lasers to manipulate light. At twenty-one different stations, visitors can poke, prod, and bend light. The museum also offers light and laser shows within the exhibit multiple times a day. One exhibit that will always remain at the museum is the Jacksonville history exhibit. Located on the loft floor, the exhibit includes information about Jacksonville dating back around two hundred years. The Museum of Science and History also currently has the bicentennial exhibit located on their third floor. This exhibit shows how events such as fires, floods, disease, and other monumental events have shaped Jacksonville's economy, environment, and future. This exhibit will be a portion of the already existing Current Time exhibit. Upcoming exhibits will include WeaveTales and a Jacksonville Shipwreck branch. WeaveTales seeks to bring awareness to refugees and their families. The WeaveTales exhibit will include information pertaining to refugees within North Florida and highlight some women’s journey to Jacksonville. Previously shown at Jacksonville’s MOCA, the exhibit arrives at the city’s MOSH in May 2022. This exhibit will be available for a three-month period at the museum. The Jacksonville Shipwreck branch will be located at the old shipyard in downtown Jacksonville. This location would include two and a half acres of history related to Jacksonville’s shipping industry. It would also include a river walk.

References

External links

* {{authority control Museums in Jacksonville, Florida Planetaria in the United States Science museums in Florida Natural history museums in Florida History museums in Florida Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums Downtown Jacksonville Southbank, Jacksonville Jacksonville Modern architecture 1969 establishments in Florida