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Giant Leap for Tampa’s MOSI: New Name, New Digital Content Lab, and Major STEAM Learning Expansion

TAMPA, FL (January 27, 2026) – Launching the next stage of its decades-long role as an icon of the Tampa Bay community and leading center for science learning, Tampa’s MOSI today unveiled an evolution of its name and a massive expansion of its spaces for learning in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Published February 7, 2026, 9:39 AM UTC

Now known as the Museum of Science & Innovation, MOSI continues resurgence in North Tampa

In a science-powered ceremony this morning, drawing “wow”s from the crowd, MOSI used chemical reactions to transform a sign bearing its former name—Museum of Science & Industry—into its name of the future: Museum of Science & Innovation.

MOSI also opened the doors to the new MOSI Digital Content Lab, generously funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, where students will create immersive movies for giant dome screens like the one inside MOSI’s eight-story-tall Saunders Planetarium.

In addition, MOSI unveiled its expanded Center for STEAM Learning, adding 30,000 square feet of new classroom and lab space, allowing MOSI to serve four times the number of school field trip students and school break campers each year.

“Our new name, Museum of Science & Innovation, captures the trajectory and energy of MOSI as we look to the future. We’re in a rapidly changing world, and Tampa Bay can count on MOSI to help make sense of what’s happening now and what’s coming next,” said John Graydon Smith, MOSI President & CEO.

“Beyond understanding innovation, MOSI is here to help harness it. We’re here to inspire the thinkers of tomorrow with learning outside the classroom, and we’re here to be a crucial partner in making sure the jobs of the future will be coming to Tampa Bay.”

MOSI’s New Name

The institution will continue to be called “MOSI” and will remain in North Tampa, next to the University of South Florida.
The new name aligns with both the focus of the museum and the focus of its surrounding neighborhood, as significant investments in Tampa Bay’s innovation economy continue to transform the Uptown area.
MOSI has changed names before during its 64-year history; it began as the Museum of Science and Natural History in 1962 before becoming the Museum of Science & Industry in 1982.

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, 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.

“MOSI is the key anchor of an exciting redevelopment project coming to North Tampa, bringing in fresh opportunities for science, sports, entertainment, and more,” said Comm. Chris Boles, Hillsborough County Commissioner and MOSI Board Member. “The concept of innovation will be at the core of this effort. Seeing MOSI take on a new name that matches this mission is a fantastic fit.”

Growing Strategically

Today’s news continues MOSI’s forward momentum, with a wave of new offerings in the past three years—from exhibits on butterfly biology to guests flying real drones—and, most recently, last year’s opening of the immersive Saunders Planetarium & Digital Dome Theatre, the largest planetarium in Florida and the second largest in the United States.

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 said.

“Our attendance has continued to climb, jumping up by nearly 35% with the opening of the Saunders Planetarium. The message is clear: MOSI is here to stay in North Tampa.”

Funding for the projects announced today comes from Bloomberg Philanthropies, private and corporate donors, revenue from MOSI admissions, the Florida Department of Education, and Hillsborough County.

MOSI’s newest temporary exhibit, Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion, opened earlier this month. Guests take control of a full-scale mechanical playground, discovering 40 life-sized machines inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s original drawings.

About MOSI, Tampa’s Museum of Science & Innovation

MOSI is Tampa Bay’s center of science and innovation, located in North Tampa at 4801 E. Fowler Ave.

Welcome to the Museum of Science and Innovation, where the wonders of science come to life. We are a hands-on science center dedicated to interactive learning and playful exploration. As the home of engaging permanent and rotating exhibits, out-of-this-world programming, and the immersive Saunders Planetarium & Digital Dome Theatre—the second largest planetarium in the United States—MOSI makes science and technology accessible to all. Come join us on a journey of discovery and unlock the mysteries of the world around us.

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