Have you ever been to the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio? If you grew up within an hour of Columbus, it was practically a requirement that you visit. Field trips, overnights with scouts, and family trips all led to COSI. Tom and I both went when we were in school. But we had not been there in a very long time. When Steve and Amy Winstead suggested we meet them there, we jumped at the chance to visit.
I had never been to the Center of Science and Industry in its “new” digs in the the old Central High School. COSI opened in 1964 in a renovated Memorial Hall, and that is the building I visited when I was a child. The museum moved into its current location in 1999. Tom went to wrestling matches in Central High School and you can still see the remnants of the school. But the building has been expanded so much that it feels completely different.
We met the Winsteads at the Center of Science and Industry on a cold and snowy Saturday in January. The parking lot was packed and we questioned the wisdom of visiting on a Saturday when there would be too many people there. Once inside, however, people spread out all over and it didn’t feel too crowded. Tom and I stopped to watch the giant pendulum, which is the only feature I remember from my childhood visits to the Center of Science and Industry.
Although the museum is not labeled as a children’s museum, it is obviously designed for children to enjoy. Most of the exhibits were interactive with plenty of hands-on activities. We let Emma lead the way and she had definite preferences about what she enjoyed. She wanted to drive everything and spent a good 15 minutes fueling vehicles. Given that her great-grandpa and dad are both car aficionados, it makes sense that she would lean that way as well.
We wandered through most of the exhibits. Emma examined everything carefully with her hands held behind her back. I was impressed with her patience and her desire to see everything. We stood in line for a while so she could climb down into a submarine. Her favorite place was the Kidspace, where she drove an ambulance, a fire truck, and a helicopter. She also invited us into her doctor office so she could check our blood pressure, listen to our hearts, and take x-rays. Fortunately we all passed our physicals.
About 2 pm we headed to the cafeteria for a light lunch and a break in the action. The food was typical museum cafe food, but it gave us the fuel we needed to see more of the museum.
COSI is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission is $30 per adult and $25 per child age 2-12 if you purchase online. If you live in the Columbus area, you might want to consider an annual membership. They are offering two years for the price of one now through the end of January.
We enjoyed our visit to the Center of Science and Industry very much. It was fun to watch Emma explore and learn and have time to talk with Steve and Amy. The museum felt alive with all the energy from the visiting families.