Partnership Brings Hands-On Science to Plant City

The free exhibit is now open inside the Children’s Board Family Resource Center in Plant City through a partnership between MOSI and the Children’s Board. The experience is funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, which supports programs and services for children and families across the County.

“This takes the special kind of high-quality STEM learning that MOSI has perfected over the years and brings it right to the children and families of East Hillsborough County,” said State Sen. Danny Burgess, who took part in Wednesday’s opening ceremony. “It’s so important for kids to have opportunities to learn both inside and outside the classroom. This partnership makes that happen in an exciting way, and I’m glad to support it.”

Be the Dinosaur is open, for free, to all children and families in Hillsborough County. Designed with guidance from dinosaur experts, the experience blends a traditional exhibit with computer simulators that put you in control of virtual dinosaurs, trying to survive and thrive in their natural habitats 65 million years ago.

Be the Dinosaur brings hands-on STEM learning to children and families by combining current science and fossil evidence with interactive play. Inside a volcano-inspired environment, children explore science activities, control computer simulators featuring dinosaurs like Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex and snap a photo with a friendly T. rex.

The exhibit also includes a bilingual reading space with dinosaur-themed books for multiple age groups, supporting early learning and literacy through discovery and fun

“We’re continuing to innovate and grow in our permanent location in Tampa across from the University of South Florida, but MOSI is much more than what’s happening inside our science center,” said John Graydon Smith, MOSI CEO. “We’re committed to inspiring the next generation to keep discovering. In this case, we can take that inspiration on the road thanks to this great partnership with the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County.”

“Through this partnership, we’re touching every aspect of a child’s wellbeing—learning, playing, spending time with family and caregivers, and more—and we’re doing it right in the community where they live. That’s powerful,” said Rebecca Bacon, Children’s Board of Hillsborough County Executive Director. “Unique opportunities like this are how we make sure Hillsborough County remains one of the top places in America to raise children.”

 Located inside the Children’s Board Family Resource Center at 301 North Palmer Street in Plant City, Be the Dinosaur is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended evening hours Tuesday through Friday.

About Children’s Board of Hillsborough County

The Children’s Board’s Mission is to invest in quality programs to support the success of all children and families in Hillsborough County. We invest in programs and services that ensure children are healthy and safe, developmentally on track, have family support, and are ready to learn and succeed. In 2024, the Children’s Board invested 60 million dollars in grants to more than 80 nonprofits and 152 different programs that help children and families.

About MOSI, Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry

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 Industry, where the wonders of science come to life. We are a hands-on science center dedicated to interactive learning and playful exploration. With engaging permanent and rotating exhibits and out of this world programming, 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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