Tampa Museum of Science and Industry among Best of Florida Museums

One of the premiere museums of its kind in the United States, Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry - known to locals as MOSI - has been a top Florida cultural attraction since its opening in 1982.

Situated in North Tampa just across the street from the University of South Florida's stadium and a short distance from Busch Gardens Africa, the Museum of Science and Industry has dedicated itself to helping the general public better understand today's science, industry, and technology through the use of educational and entertaining exhibits that appeal to all ages, including the very young. MOSI is accredited by the American Association of Museums.

The museum's exhibits include both permanent fixtures and visiting exhibits that change every few months. Permanent exhibits at MOSI include Diplodocus Dinosaurs, a display that features a rare example of the Sauropod, one of the largest dinosaurs of its era, often weighing up to 80,000 pounds and standing three stories tall.

Disasterville, one of the Museum of Science and Industry's most popular exhibits, lets visitors visualize what happens to a town after it experiences a natural disaster. By means of an interactive town and multiple hands-on displays, guests are educated as to the impact of natural disasters on a city and its people, and tips are given to help visitors learn how to minimize the affects of a natural disaster on their own lives, should they be affected. Included in Disasterville is the Gulf Coast Hurricane Attraction, which puts museum-goers in the middle of a Category I storm.

MOSI's space exhibit, Our Place in the Universe, focuses on space exploration and astronomy, providing a good look at the solar system. The newest permanent exhibit at Tampa Museum of Science and Industry is The Amazing You, a 13,000 square-foot hands-on, interactive extravaganza focusing on health and wellness through each developmental stage of human life. Currently in Phase I, more parts of this exhibit are slated for addition.

BioWorks, an outdoor free-flying butterfly garden is open to visitors year round but is best visited in warmer months. Opened in 1995, literally thousands of butterflies make their home at BioWorks, which is also an engineered ecosystem that mimics how natural wetlands clean water as an alternative to current wastewater treatment techniques.

The Tampa Museum of Science and Industry also features the Saunders Planetarium, which has been recently remodeled and now offers a new projection dome for more state-of-the-art presentations. Besides daily shows about the sky, stars, and planets, Saunders also shows 3D movies and live videos from NASA.

An onsite IMAX Theatre presents daily shows that change frequently. MOSI boasts the only domed IMAX Theatre in Florida, installed in 1995. The theater seats 340 visitors and presents six to ten shows daily as well as select first-run movies.