MOSH- The Fascinating Museum of Science & History

MOSH, also known as the Museum of Science & History, is located in downtown Jacksonville, Florida and is the city’s most visited museum. The museum’s primary focus is science and local history. The museum is also known for hosting a new traveling exhibit every quarter which means it’s exhibits are constantly changing. We’ve experienced several of the traveling exhibits and they are awesome but the museum’s normal collection is pretty stellar too.

Table of Contents

The Exhibits of MOSH

The Natural Science Collection

Want to check out a dinosaur skeleton? Or learn about the migration of North Atlantic Right Whale? Are you curious about the body parts of a blue whale?

The science portion of the museum focuses mostly on animals found in northeast Florida.

The “Atlantic Tails” exhibit is the first stop on your tour of the museum. There is a life-size blue whale on display. As you push buttons, the animals organs light up and there is a narration that tells you about them. There is also a simulator that simulates dolphins echolocation.

The Florida Naturalist Center contains live animals such as owls, turtles, tortoises, snakes, lizards, fish, and even an armadillo.

The JEA Powerplay area which teaches young visitors about energy. The area is extremely interactive and a huge hit with young visitors.

One of the main attractions is the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium. More than 60,000 people see the planetarium show each year! The planetarium has education programs and monthly Cosmic Concerts. The Cosmic Concerts, combine music with a multi-colored laser show and video production

Another fun, interactive area features the human body. Visitors can learn all about the skeletal, muscular, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and other systems of the body. Yes…it sounds boring, but it is AWESOME! The kids favorite part is a screen that you can dance in front of and it show you what the skeletal system looks like as you groove.

The History Collection

Of course, it wouldn’t be MOSH- the Museum of Science and History without a little….well, history! The History Collection teach visitors about the history of northeast Florida dating from pre-history to the present. This collection includes about 25,000 objects that tell the story of the people, culture, and important events in our region. Highlights include artifacts from Native Americans, early settlers, the Civil War,the Spanish-American War, the Great Fire of 1901, the 1950s, and more.

You could easily spend quite a bit of time in this “Currents of Time” exhibit since there are so many artifacts and placards. We’ve used this space to have conversations about our nation’s dark past. The kids were able to see artifacts that went along with our lessons about slavery, segregation, and colonization.

Visiting MOSH

Address:

1025 Museum Circle
Jacksonville, FL 32207

Museum Hours

Mondays 10 a.m. — 5 p.m.
Tuesdays — Wednesdays Closed
Thursday — Friday 10 a.m. — 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday 12 — 5 p.m.

Tickets

ADULTS
$15.95

STUDENTS, SENIORS (55+) & MILITARY
$12.95

CHILDREN (3-12 YRS)
$12.95

MEMBERS and CHILDREN UNDER 2
FREE

Daily programs such as the Extreme Science! shows, Florida Naturalist’s Center shows, and the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium shows are also available for purchase.

What is there to do nearby?

There is plenty to do near MOSH. MOSH is located on the Southbank of the St. Johns River. Right behind the museum is Friendship Park, which has a super photogenic fountain that is a Jacksonville landmark. There is a paved walkway along the Southbank that offers outdoor art and stunning river views.