Imagination Station facts for kids
COSI entrance in 2007 (now Imagination Station), with Fifth Third Center at One SeaGate in the distance
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| Former name | Center of Science and Industry (COSI), Toledo Science Center |
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| Established | October 10, 2009 |
| Location | Toledo, Ohio |
| Type | Science museum |
Imagination Station (formerly called COSI) is a special kind of museum. It is a non-profit science museum. This means it doesn't aim to make money. It's all about hands-on learning and fun!
The museum is located in downtown Toledo, Ohio. You can find it right on the Maumee Riverfront. It has more than 300 exciting exhibits. These exhibits are designed for "children of all ages," so everyone can enjoy them.
Imagination Station first opened in 1997 as COSI. It had to close its doors at the end of 2007. This happened because it didn't have enough money. Voters later approved funding in 2008. The museum reopened on October 10, 2009. It was first called The Toledo Science Center. Soon after, it changed its name to "Imagination Station."
How Imagination Station Started
In 1984, a shopping mall called Portside Festival Marketplace opened. It was built along the Maumee River. People hoped this mall would help make downtown Toledo better. But the mall closed in 1990.
A special group was formed to decide what to do with the empty space. Many people in the community asked for a fun, educational place for families. The city then talked to COSI Columbus. This was another science museum.
The city and COSI Columbus worked together. They created COSI Toledo. It was a new, independent, non-profit organization. It had its own board of leaders from northwest Ohio.
They started a campaign to raise money. They collected $9.5 million. This was even more than they hoped for! The state government also gave another $10 million. The old mall building was given to COSI. It was valued at $16 million.
On March 1, 1997, COSI opened its doors. It quickly became popular. About 250,000 people visited the museum each year for its first ten years.
In 2005, COSI won a big award. It was called the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This is the highest honor for museums in the country. Laura Bush presented the award in January 2006.
On July 28, 2006, COSI Toledo and COSI Columbus became separate museums. This was so each could focus on their own money problems. Later that year, COSI won another award. It was for its distance learning program.
But money problems continued for COSI Toledo. Voters said no to more funding in November 2007. So, COSI Toledo closed on December 31, 2007.
However, on November 4, 2008, voters in Lucas County, Ohio approved money. This allowed the science center to reopen. It came back to life in the fall of 2009.
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A Rube Goldbergian-style machine in the main lobby that creates music via user-dropped billiard balls.
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The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse's original Fresnel lens on display.
Exciting Renovations
In 2019, Imagination Station started a big upgrade. They spent $10 million to make it even better. A major part of this was a new theater. It is 8,200 square feet and has a 4K, 3D-capable screen. It can seat many people.
KeyBank paid $2 million to have the theater named after them. It is now called the KeyBank Discovery Theater. To build this new attraction, an old pedestrian bridge had to be taken down. The museum stayed open while the construction happened. The work was planned to be finished in June 2020.
Images for kids
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COSI entrance in 2007 (now Imagination Station), with Fifth Third Center at One SeaGate in the distance.
