From Industry to Innovation: MOSI’s Evolution for the Next Generation
It’s a giant leap for Tampa’s MOSI! Our iconic science center is evolving its name and adding a massive expansion of its spaces for learning in STEAM — science, technology, engineering, art and math.
Stepping into an exciting new era, designed with today’s kids and tomorrow’s careers in mind, MOSI is no longer the Museum of Science & Industry—it’s now the Museum of Science & Innovation. It’s still called “MOSI;” still in North Tampa next to the University of South Florida; and still the best place for Tampa Bay families to make science fun, accessible and memorable.
At the heart of this evolution is a 30,000-square-foot expansion of MOSI’s Center for STEAM Learning. New hands-on spaces — from a creative cooking lab to a build-it-and-test-it makerspace — allow four times more school break campers and field trip students to explore, experiment and discover.
On top of that, the doors are now open to the new MOSI Digital Content Lab, where students can design immersive, 360-degree movies for giant dome theaters like MOSI’s eight-story-tall Saunders Planetarium. Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, this cutting-edge space gives kids hands-on access to the same tools used by professional designers and filmmakers, bringing their imagination to (larger-than-) life.
“Our new name, Museum of Science & Innovation, captures the trajectory and energy of MOSI as we look to the future,” says John Graydon Smith, MOSI President & CEO. “Tampa Bay can count on MOSI to help young people make sense of what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.”
The Center for STEAM Learning expansion reactivates a portion of MOSI’s campus that was closed in 2017 when the museum made strategic changes to ensure financial sustainability.
“We’re not getting bigger simply for the sake of getting bigger. MOSI is evolving and growing strategically because we’re seeing the demand in our community for a first-class partner in science and innovation,” Smith says.
This transformation couldn’t come at a better time. Registration for MOSI’s Summer Science Camps is now open, with programs for children from Pre-K through high school. MOSI’s hands-on experiences spark creativity, build confidence and strengthen problem-solving skills.
Younger campers learn through play, exploration and experimentation, while older students dive into exciting topics like robotics, engineering and digital design. For high schoolers, MOSI is debuting advanced camps in astrophysics, coding and video game design that connect today’s curiosity to tomorrow’s real-world careers.
Through partnerships with USF and community leaders, MOSI is helping connect education and workforce development for families across Tampa Bay. More than a museum, MOSI is growing as a launchpad for ideas, for creativity and for the next generation of innovators. Learn more and register for MOSI Summer Science Camps at mosi.org.
MOSI Digital Content Lab
- This cutting-edge computer lab is packed with tools to create enormous 360-degree movies that can be shown in planetariums around the world.
- Developed with significant support from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator for Arts and Culture, the lab will give students in MOSI science camps the power to bring their ideas to (larger-than-) life.
- Through a collaboration with the University of South Florida (USF), the lab’s groundbreaking tools will be shared with USF students studying subjects ranging from film and art to medicine and engineering.
Center for STEAM Learning Expansion
- As one of Florida’s top destinations for STEAM field trips, MOSI can now accommodate four times the number of field trip students and school break campers.
- Covering 30,000 square feet, the expansion features classrooms, a cooking lab, three computer labs (including the MOSI Digital Content Lab) and a makerspace with advanced hands-on tools like 3D printers.
- The expansion unlocks new science camp offerings, with MOSI now set to debut camps for high school students in astrophysics, advanced coding and video game design.
Never been to MOSI or haven’t been in a while? Here’s what’s been added over the last few years:
Flight Club Drone Zone
LIVECycles Butterfly Garden
Saunders Planetarium & Digital Dome Theatre (the largest in planetarium in Florida and the second largest in the country)
Looking for more about MOSI? Check out these great blogs!
Florida's Largest Planetarium
Get to Know MOSI's President & CEO
*Presented by MOSI | Originally published in the February 2026 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.