Last Saturday, I went to my local Museum of Science and History, or MOSH. This museum has been around in some form since 1941, and it’s been in its current location since 1969. Since it is moving into a new location soon, that sadly means that it is closing down by September 1st. As such, I wanted to give a little tribute to the MOSH I’ve known all my life and also provide some awareness of its imminent closing in case anybody wants a last visit (or a first visit) while it is still in its current location. Here’s an overview of the museum and some of my experiences there over the years.
MOSH is laid out over several floors, with each floor having both interactive and display-only exhibits. The scientific exhibits include some live animals in an outdoor pond and indoor naturalist section, a planetarium show, and lots of information about aquatic mammals. The historical exhibits primarily focus on Florida history, though there is some inclusion of major events from the US and elsewhere in the world. There is also a space that hosts multiple different exhibits each year, one of which is a roomful of dinosaur animatronics (including one that can be controlled by museum visitors). While some parts are definitely aimed at kids, MOSH has something for visitors of all ages to enjoy.
I’ve had lots of fun times at MOSH over the years. Most of my visits were school field trips in elementary and middle school, though I also went there with family members on occasion. One of my few visits in my adult years was when I went swing dancing there back in 2018 for a special exhibit called Mission: Jax Genius. I and several other folks dressed up vintage style clothes and danced in honor of Frankie Manning, who was one of the most influential figures in Lindy Hop history and was celebrated at the exhibit as he was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Afterward, some of us went out for more dancing at Hyperion Brewing Company (which, sadly, closed down in 2024). That was one of the nicest micro adventures I went on in 2018.
My recent solo trip was lovely. I had lots of fun exploring MOSH after many years of being away, seeing lots of old favorites, checking out some new stuff, and watching/participating in the planetarium show. Aside from the show, some of the biggest highlights were petting a cool turtle named Gooter by the pond and seeing the animals in the naturalist section. In addition to taking lots of pictures, I got some pressed pennies, a simple bag backpack, and a MOSH map as souvenirs. It was a bittersweet visit, both because of the museum’s imminent closing and also because it was my first (and likely only, at this point) time going there since my dog Sawyer and my grandmother died. I’m glad I got to say goodbye to the MOSH I grew up loving and all the fun times it’s given me. This closure is yet another painful loss in a long line of painful losses in my life going back many years at this point. I’ll miss MOSH where it was, and I hope the new location is wonderful.