Howdy! This past week, I took a trip to COSI which is a really cool interactive science museum in Columbus. It features exhibits that wow children and adults alike that include a trip to outer space, a dive under the sea, walking with the dinosaurs, and so much more. COSI also has pop up exhibits that change throughout the year and I was able to see an amazing section on sharks just in time before its removal on September first. This museum is so educational but extremely cool and it makes learning something new feel like play. Such a great way to spend an afternoon! Check it out:
Wayyyyyyy back in eighth grade, my class took a trip to COSI and I will never forget being so awestruck by the Ocean exhibit and my sentiments remain the same. As you walk through the hallway leading up to it, you can literally smell the chlorine and you just know you are in for something awesome! Entering the Ocean portion of COSI is like walking through a sunken ship and you can go one of two ways. Your first option is to visit a submarine headquarters where you can play games that allow you to control a submarine and explore the depths of the ocean. The second way to go, though, is truly the piece de resistance.
Option number two leads you into King Triton’s cavern and it is seriously breathtaking. From floor to ceiling is a huge statue of King Triton in a fountain that lets you control the water. It is just so spectacular and I could have stood there looking at it all day. Throughout the glistening cavern are different interactive activities that explore the movement and sound of water. You can balance balls on the tiniest geysers, make waves, create your own flow of water through pipes, and my personal favorite: The water bell. The water bell is a flow of cascading water that looks like… a bell lol. The cool thing is that after you put your hand through the bell, it no longer gets wet. My mind was blown!
Another major highlight of the trip was the dinosaur exhibit that reminds me so much of the Animal Crossing museum! The dino display is gigantic and showcases to scale dinosaur skeletons, fossils, eggs, feathers, footprints, and anything dinosaur related you can possibly think of. The dinosaur exhibit also features a portion specific to the relation of dinosaurs and birds as well as under the sea creatures. It explores taking flight, motion, hide or feathers, and skeletal structure. It was incredibly interesting and the similarities felt so obvious after all of it was laid out before you. I also really appreciated the way the explanations at COSI were written. While all of the information you see has scientific terms, the signage breaks it down into plain speak so you can fully grasp everything. I certainly learned a lot from all of the literature in each exhibit.
My final favorite part of COSI was an exhibit simply entitled Progress. I also remember this one from my eighth grade field trip! As you enter Progress, you step back in time to a bustling street in 1898. You can see all of the latest technology of the time like old fashioned cameras, telegram machines, and telephones as well as all of the different shops including an apothecary, general store, and hardware store. Once you are ready to time travel again, you leave 1898 and revisit the same street in 1962. My, how the times have changed!
In 1962, the street has completely transformed. There is a retro diner, a radio station, news station, and telephone booth. You can see vintage toys and games, food staples, magazines, and even an old time rocket ride outside of the toy store. My favorite part of 1962 was the appliance store because I absolutely love that style. There were funky refrigerators, blenders, radios, and huge box televisions. What a far cry from 1898!
What a fun little road trip to COSI. I can’t recommend it enough if you are in the area!
Do you have a museum similar to COSI in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite thing to learn about? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
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