Center of Science and Industry (COSI)
Brief intro
Center of Science and Industry (COSI) has rich expertise accumulated over almost six decades of activity in exploring science and sharing the knowledge with the eager audience. The award-winning center has gone a long way to become the leading cultural and scientific hub and an outstanding tourist hotspot in Ohio. It provides entertaining exhibits as well as learning programs based on a hands-on and interactive approach for people of all ages.
Exhibits
COSI is considered by far the best recreation destination for a day off in Colombus. The large pavilions house amazing exhibitions that help visitors enlarge their horizons and fall in love with science. There are seven exhibits that anybody can enjoy at COSI.
The Ocean exhibit focuses on the hands-on study of water. Visitors benefit from interactive and visual explanations of how certain water phenomena occur, like: whirlpool, erosion and water bells. The other part of the Ocean pavilion offers an insight into the ocean exploration tools and techniques, like SCUBA, bathyscaphe and submarine. If you are a tech geek, you will definitely enjoy the interactive explanations of how these machines work. The Space exhibit allows enthusiasts to get a closer look at man-made machines, such as spacecraft, space stations and remotely operated vehicles, as well as carry out hands-on experiments trying to understand the space realities better. You can learn the basics of gravitational pull, space flight trajectory and even learn how to land a rover.
Another outstanding pavilion is the Progress exhibit where visitors can witness how the world evolved over centuries featuring technology advancements like the first radio station, nutrition innovations, like first canned food, the transition from horse carriages to first cars and many other discoveries and inventions that brought humanity quality of life to a new level. You can’t miss the chance to visit the Life pavilion where you can explore the human mind and body through captivating hands-on activities. You will have the opportunity to explore optical illusions from a scientific perspective and understand why they happen and how they deceive the brain. Moreover, you can visit the health labs where you can measure your heart rate and weight and compare them to the nationwide average.
The Gadgets gallery tends to explain to visitors various physics phenomena and experiments, such as magnets, pulleys, and wind tunnels. You can also know how an engine works or how does a light bulb come to shine. All experiments are hands-on allowing the visitors to get fully implied in the process, which eventually improves their understanding of the complex phenomena.
In spite of other exhibits offering a deep insight into the lifestyle and scientific progress of humanity over centuries, probably the most popular pavilion is the one with dinosaurs, opened in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History in 2017. The gallery features imposing full skeletons as well as separate body parts like bones and skulls of huge dinosaurs that have once inhabited the planet.
Planetarium
Another attraction to visit at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) is the planetarium. Being the largest in Ohio, it boasts a large projection screen that allows you to watch various celestial events. This activity combines recreation and learning greatly, so you can’t pass on the opportunity to engage in it when visiting COSI.
Education programs
COSI also positions itself as a leading learning hub that provides meaningful outreach education programs to those interested in science all over the world. They work in partnership with reputable universities to enrich students with the highest-quality experiences and knowledge. On-site programs are also available with lab courses that encourage hands-on learning helping students get a better grasp of scientific and creation processes.
Is it worth visiting?
COSI is a unique place where recreation, fun and learning come together. It’s a museum where you come not only to watch objects but also participate in hands-on activities and enjoy demos showing how certain events happen. You can visit the space gallery learning how to land a rover, or the Progress exhibit witnessing major innovations of humanity in the last centuries, or take delight in huge dinosaur skeletons in the Dinosaur pavilion. With the large planetarium coming along, there is definitely what to see at Columbus’ Center of Science and Industry.