A day at the Museum of Science & History

[Metro Jacksonville]

A day at the Museum of Science & History



Located on the Southbank, the Museum of Science   History (MOSH), is the city's most popular cultural attraction.  Primarily intended as a hands-on science and history experience for children, MOSH features interactive, award-winning exhibitions such as Currents of Time, which explores 12,000 years of Northeast Florida history, and Atlantic Tails, presenting the mammals indigenous to northeast Florida's waterways. One of the most popular attractions is the 200-seat Alexander Brest Planetarium with several shows daily. The 60-foot diameter dome-shaped projection screen allows the audience to gaze at the stars and learn about astronomy, past and present.

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http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/1046

[Ocklawaha]

Don't know how much effect the expansions had on the original "new" building on the Southbank. Back in 1980-84, when I was a member we started a RAILROAD/STEAM DAY, it had an amazing turnout. The hexagon design with those stupid wings restricted the exhibits to very tight spaces. There was an argument for a "canon door". Apparently someone had donated a canon from the "War of Yankee Aggression". But there wasn't a single door in the whole complex to squeeze it in. I've got to get by and see it again.

OCKLAWAHA

[Doctor_K]

I absolutely love the MOSH.  IMO, one of the best things about downtown, even if it's tucked away, under-sized, and under-advertised.

The Currents of Time exhibit is done very well.  I think everyone should go through that at least once, to get a hold of this area's history.  I think then a lot more people would have a clue about Jacksonville's past, and it would become a little easier for the City to get moving on and embrace its own history.

I'd love to see that whole area of the Southbank turned into one giant museum area.  MOSH, Maritime, etc.  That'd be so great.

[Shwaz]

I was pretty little when this happened and couldn't remember what year it was when the snow fell. I do remember playing football on the icy streets in our neighborhood in Mandarin and I may still have a couple knots on the back of my head from this day in 1989.

[deathstar]

My family and I lived on Forbes Street in 1989, in an apartment. We moved March of 1990 to the Lakeshore area into a house. I hoped and prayed it would snow at our new house, but that never happend

By the time I woke up, there was very little snow on the ground, but just enough to make a foot high snowman on the hood of one of my parents cars. I remember going over to my step-Dad's Mother's house and playing in the snow that was still on the ground there with my cousin. I was looking through old pictures the other day and found a few of me in the snow, in a bright yellow jacket!

If scientists predictions are right, by 2020, we'll enter a "mini-ice age" and I'm guessing our temperatures down here will be about -20 degrees of what they are now during our cold-front winters. Only, we won't need a cold-front to bring the cold. I'm not 100% sure on that though.

[Jason]

I was just there on sunday.  The exibits are great but the outdoor "nature" area seems to be under reconstruction and many of the other exibits were broken.  I guess with hundreds of school kids coming through each day, that is to be expected.  Nonetheless, it is a great way to kill a lazy afternoon.  I also loved my third experience with the science show.  My boys really got a kick out of the static electricity demonstration, very "shocking"!!!.

It will be a great day when the museum announces a 2 fold expansion.

[I-10east]

I haven't been to this museum in ages, on an elementary school field trip. It might've been called something else back then. MOSH, and MOCAJ are places that I gotta check out soon.

[stjr]

I haven't been to this museum in ages, on an elementary school field trip. It might've been called something else back then. MOSH, and MOCAJ are places that I gotta check out soon.

1948  The Jacksonville Children's Museum moves in a Victorian mansion  in Riverside

Most of my childhood, the "Children's Museum" was in the mansion alongside Memorial Park on Riverside Avenue.  Unfortunately, like much of Jax, the house was sold, torn down, and is now a non-descript office building.  I remember going to a few "astronomy club" meetings there in the evenings after school.  And, taking "painting" classes.  I think they even did haunted houses there around Halloween.  Every kid in Jax at the time passed through that building as most elementary school grades went at least once a year for field trips.  Aaaaah... the good ol' days!

[jbroadglide]

The Museum is a nice place to visit. But just try to get anyone, anyone at all, to return a phone call. I have left at least a half dozen messages for various staff people over the past few weeks and have never recieved one return call. And you never get a live person on the phone. Just voice mail recordings.

[Omarvelous09]

MOSH...not so much. I went to MOSH a few months back with my niece's 4th grade class. I hadn't been since the 90's, and not much has changed...still have the creepy timeline exhibit and the "interactive" floor games (?). Even some of the kids were bored....but I'm happy to see they still have the water room thing. That was always the most fun 
Anybody know if Jax is planning to build a new kids museum or renovate MOSH?

[aj_fresh]

Took advantage of BofA's Museums on Us promotion today and took my family to MOSH. My daughter, who is 9, flat out told me she was bored. We had been several times before.  The current dinosaur exhibit was lacking the hands on interaction we have come to known in the past. The currents of times exhibit needs to be updated to include the last decade. The museum could use some work.

[duvaldude08]

The MOSH has been in need of an overhaul for atleast 15-20 years, inside and outside.

[Dog Walker]

I haven't been to this museum in ages, on an elementary school field trip. It might've been called something else back then. MOSH, and MOCAJ are places that I gotta check out soon.

1948  The Jacksonville Children's Museum moves in a Victorian mansion  in Riverside

Most of my childhood, the "Children's Museum" was in the mansion alongside Memorial Park on Riverside Avenue.  Unfortunately, like much of Jax, the house was sold, torn down, and is now a non-descript office building.  I remember going to a few "astronomy club" meetings there in the evenings after school.  And, taking "painting" classes.  I think they even did haunted houses there around Halloween.  Every kid in Jax at the time passed through that building as most elementary school grades went at least once a year for field trips.  Aaaaah... the good ol' days!

I remember going to the old mansion museum as a kid and while rounding a corner, coming nose to nose with a stuffed coyote and screaming my head off in fright and surprise.  I am now sure that the museum staff positioned the coyote there just to provide themselves with some amusement by scaring the bejeesus out of little kids.  Of course, now, I too think it's funny as hell.

[subro]

While a lot of the museum is outdated, they just redid the Planetarium and it is really nice inside. The image quality is really exceptional. They are showing the last shuttle launch for free on Friday and the broadcast is included with admission to MOSH.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403251/charlie-patton/2011-06-30/mosh-planetarium-will-show-visitors-launch-space

Speaking of admission, if you visit with your family, I would recommend that you get a membership. Admission for a family of four is $36 and a year membership for the same family is $65. Best part is that the membership is reciprocal with will most other Science Museums. My family has visited the ones in Orlando, Tampa and NY (Long Island) all for free based on our MOSH membership.

Here is the list of reciprocal museums:

http://www.astc.org/members/pdf/PassPub_0511.pdf

[duvaldude08]

I used to hate that plantarium. UGH Every time we had a field trip I ALWAYS got a headache sitting in there. I wanted to go to sleep so bad!(boring!!)  I was always looking forward to lunch. LMAO