Florida: Tampa, Museum of Science & Industry - Activate, Investigate and Create. MOSI is the largest science center in the southeastern United States and home of the only IMAX® Dome Theatre in the state of Florida. It is a place to "learn by doing" in a scientific playground of special exhibitions and more than 450 hands-on activities.

The facility sits on 74 acres and encompasses over 300,000 square feet. The original building (now known as the "Whitney Andrews Lang Center for Learning") opened in 1982. The new building, or "West Wing," opened in 1995 and includes the first IMAX Dome Theatre in the State of Florida. The museum also has added Kids In Charge!, a children's science center to the west of the IMAX Dome Theatre.

Upon entering the Grand Lobby, guests are greeted by two diplodocus dinosaur skeletons. MOSI is one of a handful of museums in the world to display the largest articulated dinosaurs ever discovered. Veer left at the dinosaurs in the grand lobby and exit through the double-doors to get to the Dr. Gladys Kashdin Shafran Welcome Center and MOSI Science-To-Go store, where kids of all ages will encounter Kids In Charge! The Children’s Science Center at MOSI. This specially designed hands-on gallery space is a place for young children and participating adults to discover and learn through play by bringing together science, creative thinking and imagination.

An advisory board of twenty-six children between the ages of ten and seventeen provided guidance and direction for the development of Kids In Charge! The gallery is open to the general public during regular museum operating hours and is divided into four main experience areas: Activate: A place where kids can experiment with weighted wheels, gravity, and momentum. Investigate: Interactive experiments where children can test their skills of observation and analysis. Kids create: An area where guests apply creativity and teamwork to design and build various objects; and, finally, FIELDS TO MEALS, an area, sponsored by Publix Super Markets, where kids learn about how food is grown, packaged, and then distributed. With a total size of 40,000 square feet, including 25,000 square feet of exhibit space, “Kids In Charge!” is the largest children’s science center in the country.

Traveling back to the West Wing and ascending the stairs or elevator to the second floor, guests have a choice of visiting the IMAX Dome Theatre or entering the exhibit areas. The IMAX Dome Theatre features 340 seats and an 82-foot hemispherical movie screen, housed within a distinctive 85-foot blue stainless dome. The IMAX Dome motion picture system projects /images/ezine of unsurpassed size, clarity, and impact onto a 10,500 square foot dome-shaped screen. The film is enhanced by a superb specially designed, six-channel, multi-speaker sound system. Completely immersing the viewer, this experience combines the latest technology in cinematography with powerful visual imagery, creating an experience so strong, so compelling, that there is no equal in the film industry today. Currently showing are “Greece: Secrets of the Past,” “Human Body,” and “Everest.”

After guests partake in the IMAX Experience, they can veer right into "Our Florida." Look for the 3-D walk-through postcard and explore the environmental facts that make Florida unique. An ordinary backyard serves as the backdrop for the science that takes place daily in "backyards" of the world. After surviving the lightning strike and resulting "forest fire" in the "Zap!" exhibit, guests will notice a large hand beckoning them up the stairs into "The Amazing You."

Metropolitan Life Foundation's "The Amazing You" tours the human body in all its complexity-- from DNA to cells to organs to individuals. Follow three themes in this 5,500-square-foot presentation: "How We Work," "Wellness -- How We Keep Ourselves Going," and "Taking Care of Ourselves When Things Go Wrong."

The motion of the Tannenbaum room segues into the motion of flight in "Our Place in the Universe: An Exhibition on Space, Flight, and Beyond." Flight, space exploration, and astronomy are the main focus of this 5,000-square-foot exhibit. Meet planet Earth and learn about its place in the solar system. See technological advances in aviation. Encounter this holistic view of the universe and the knowledge that science has provided thus far. The Flight Avionics flight simulator is the newest addition to MOSI's "Our Place in the Universe" exhibition on flight, space, and beyond. The motion simulator can hold up to 15 people at a time, and each "flight" lasts five minutes. Graphics and exhibits accompany the ride and, like all MOSI exhibits and films, the scenario will change periodically. The current scenario is Virtual Adventure. An extra fee is charged.

For anyone who prefers a real adventure rather than a virtual one, there is a high wire bicycle -- the longest one in any U.S. museum. MOSI's high wire bicycle offers an opportunity for anyone who wants to test physics to pedal a bicycle across a 1-inch cable suspended 30 feet in the air. The 98-foot long wire will take the cyclist on a plane that's eye-level with the diplodocus dinosaurs! After such a knee-weakening experience, visitors may take a seat in the Coleman Science Works Theater, a high-tech, multipurpose theater that takes science and makes an interactive audience experience.

After the show, those interested in space exploration can take the elevator back down to the lobby and get tickets for the space adventures in the Verizon Challenger Learning Center and The Saunders Planetarium.

Born out of tragedy, the Verizon Challenger Learning Center is a living memorial to the crew of the shuttle orbiter Challenger. It is part of an international network of centers established by the families of the Challenger crew. The 21st century classroom features a space vehicle and a mission control in which guests assume roles of astronauts and engineers at 12 interactive workstations. Each mission is based upon a scenario. It is a unique opportunity for all ages to explore the universe through the use of space simulators. Experience what it is like to be part of a space exploration crew by experimenting with new technology, robotics, stellar navigation, and more. The center offers birthday parties, day camps, and corporate teambuilding workshops.

Upon exiting the Challenger airlock, "astronauts" find themselves in the Explorations Gallery and lobby for The Saunders Planetarium. Since opening in 1992, The Saunders Planetarium has shown the starry nighttime sky to more than 200,000 guests. Family shows and adult programs are scheduled throughout the day and on weekends. The planetarium staff, with the assistance of the Museum Astronomical Resource Society (M.A.R.S.), sets up telescopes and holds "star parties" Saturday evenings. The Saunders Planetarium at MOSI is the only planetarium in Tampa.

Upon taking the ramp back down to the first floor, stargazers will gaze out upon the Head Start Center and Recyclosaurus, an orange mesh dinosaur. The Head Start Center is the first to be located permanently within a science center complex, exposing science and technology to young children. Recyclosaurus is filled with recyclable cans and plastic milk cartons and stands as an icon for recycling.

Time to head out the door back into the arms of Mother Nature. A gigantic Zebra Long Wing Butterfly flaps its wings atop the BioWorks Butterfly Garden. The Southwest Florida Water Management District/Bank of America BioWorks Butterfly Garden is an engineered ecosystem that emulates natural wetlands and demonstrates how the natural wetlands cleans water.

BioWorks contains five hands-on components: microbiology station with microscope viewing; biology station and nutrient puzzle; botany station with magnifying glasses; engineering station with sediment settling jars; and chemistry station for pH measuring. BioWorks also houses a freeflying butterfly garden sponsored by the Jacarlene Foundation.

More wildlife awaits in MOSI’s Back Woods. Originally opened in 1992, The Back Woods at MOSI contain an unusually large variety of plant and animal communities for its limited acreage in its urban setting. Forty-seven acres of special water conservation elements and various outdoor interactive environmental exhibits include compass trails, a boardwalk, a sinkhole, and populations of protected gopher tortoises among communities of pine flat woods, turkey oak sand hills, oak hammocks, and wetlands. In conjunction with its $35 million expansion in 1995, The Back Woods were renovated with $150,000 funded using a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the "Save the Manatee" and Florida panther license plates to enhance the existing nature trails.

Highlights include: An access trail for multi-able accessibility, an authentic Seminole Indian Chickee shelter/nature classroom that acts as a window to the wetlands, brochures available in English, Spanish, and German, cassette players and an audio tour, "Ecology to Go" tool boxes containing head sets, binoculars, microscopic viewers, field guides, and identification cards. Adjacent to the main entrance, experience the impact of 74-mph-hurricane-force winds in the Gulf Coast Hurricane and learn how to "Get Smart, Get Ready" for a tropical storm.

One last trip back inside MOSI's Grand Lobby provides all of the amenities to round out the visit. Check out a book from the Hillsborough County Science Library at MOSI to learn more about various scientific topics. The first public library to open in a science center, the largest public access collection of printed and electronic science material is available for all ages. A children's library containing specially designed materials gives parents and children access to science and natural history in the framework of their lives. A primary research center offers scholars access to materials associated with Bay area industries and MOSI's growing collection of industrial and technical prototypes.

Unwind in The Galaxy Café and Shop with a snack or a soft drink. The Café provides quality food in a unique setting and also provides on- and off-site catering services. A final stop in The Science Store provides the opportunity to purchase a souvenir of the visit. Shoppers can expect to find more than microscopes and gyroscopes. High-quality telescopes come with free set-up and star-gazing instructions. Proceeds from the MOSI Science Store and Science-To-Go benefit MOSI's education programs. MOSI opens daily at 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Closing hours are seasonal. MOSI is located at 4801 East Fowler Avenue in Tampa, just one mile northeast of Busch Gardens. The science center is wheelchair accessible and offers free parking. MOSI is located at 4801 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, opens daily at 9 a.m., is wheelchair accessible, and offers free parking. 1(813) 987-6100 or www.mosi.org To make a reservation for group program or an IMAX Dome Theatre film, call (813) 987-6000.

Staff notes: Not-to-be-missed, MOSI's High Wire Sky Bike is amazing MOSI has an interactive (for some thrill) exhibit. Visitors may try their daring on the longest high wire bicycle in a US museum. Because it is a permanent exhibition guests will be able to pedal MOSI's Sky Bike across a 98-foot-long, one-inch steel cable suspended 30 feet above the ground. That means riders will be eye-level with the diplodocus dinosaur skeletons. Too scary for a quiet afternoon with the kids? Wrong. As daring as it sounds, it is quite safe because the bicycle is counterweighted. In addition a safety net will be placed below the ride to set riders' minds at ease. There is also a harness for users. It is all in the name of physics. The exhibit demonstrates the physics of gravity, balance, and counterweight. The center of gravity is the middle point around which the total mass in an object is evenly distributed. A counterweight - a weight balancing another weight - hangs below the bike and lowers the center of gravity below the wire, making it impossible for the bicycle to tip over. The high wire bike will be staffed during regular museum hours and there is no extra charge to ride the bicycle. It is also not mandatory with a museum visit.

MOSI is the largest science center in the southeastern United States and home of the only IMAX® Dome Theatre in the state of Florida. In all, MOSI offers more than 450 "minds-on" interactive activities. MOSI is located at 4801 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, opens daily at 9 a.m., is wheelchair accessible, and offers free parking. 1(813) 987-6100 or www.mosi.org

Editor's note: I have seen the Tampa version of physics explained by high wires and watched as my nephew tried his skills. The Saskatchewan Science Centre in Regina also has an outdoor version of the same activity. The Skycycle encourages kids to line up to embrace gravity. As I watched from the sideline I heard "This is too cool," and "I wonder how it really works?" (Me too.) I saw no adults in line and my own teen, even though she loves roller coasters was hesitant to have a go at it. Her comment, "I get it, I don't have to do it." (Maybe in Tampa?)

The Skycylce will be in place until the leaves turn and after that the highest climbing wall in a museum in Canada will be open at the centre. When we were there in June the finishing touches of the wall were being made. The three-story wall is awesome and (yep!) challenging. Climb in air-conditioned comfort but under the spotlights. The experience will include harnesses and some encouragement. I think Yanni may even be playing in the background. For those not wishing to climb but to give encouragement along the way they can take the elevator to the second floor and view the progress from the balcony. 1-800-667-6300 or www.sciencecentre.sk.ca

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Content researched and created by Travel Communications. Copyright 2009.