COSI
COSI (/ˈkoʊsaɪ/), 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 320,000-square-foot (30,000 m2) facility, designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki along a bend in the Scioto River in the Franklinton neighborhood. COSI features more than 300 interactive exhibits throughout themed exhibition areas.
West facade and Dorrian Green | |
| Established | 1964 |
|---|---|
| Location | Columbus, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 39°57′34.880″N 83°0′24.811″W |
| Type | Science museum |
| Founder | Sanford N. Hallock II |
| CEO | Frederic Bertley |
| Chairperson | Tom Dailey |
| Public transit access | 10, 12 CoGo |
| Website | www |
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 350,000 learners each year outside of the museum at their peak.
As a 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 10,000 volunteers annually, and nearly 20,000 member households. In 2008, COSI was named the #1 science center in the United States for families by Parent Magazine. In 2020, it was named the #1 Science Museum in the United States by USA Today.