Imagination Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Imagination Station

Museum's main entrance with renovated exterior
Former name	Center of Science and Industry (COSI), Toledo Science Center
Established	October 10, 2009 (2009-10-10)
Location	Toledo, Ohio, United States
Type	Science museum

Imagination Station is a super fun, hands-on science museum in downtown Toledo, Ohio. It sits right by the Maumee River. This amazing place has over 300 exhibits for everyone to explore, no matter their age!

The museum first opened in 1997 as the Center of Science and Industry (COSI). After some money troubles, it closed in 2007. But people in Toledo really wanted a science center! So, voters approved a plan to reopen it. It was first called The Toledo Science Center. Then, on October 10, 2009, it officially reopened as Imagination Station.

Before it was a science museum, the building was a shopping and restaurant area. It was called Portside Festival Marketplace and was open from 1984 to 1990.

A Look Back: The Museum's Story

From Shopping Center to Science Fun

Many years ago, in the 1950s to 1970s, stores in downtown Toledo started to close or move away. This left the downtown area needing new life.

In the late 1970s, the mayor of Toledo, Douglas DeGood, worked with local companies. They wanted to bring new businesses and excitement back to the riverfront. This led to the creation of Portside Festival Marketplace. It was a place with shops and restaurants.

However, Portside didn't attract as many visitors as hoped. It closed its doors in 1990. This left the city looking for a new idea for the building.

COSI Toledo: A Science Adventure Begins

After Portside closed, a special committee asked the community what they wanted. Many people said they wanted an educational place for families. So, the city decided to create a science center. They worked with COSI Columbus, another science museum. This led to the creation of COSI Toledo. It was a new, independent organization.

People in the community helped raise a lot of money for the new museum. The state government also gave money. The old Portside building was given to COSI. On March 1, 1997, COSI Toledo opened its doors. It quickly became very popular. About 250,000 people visited it each year for its first ten years!

In 2005, COSI Toledo won a big award. It received the National Award for Museum and Library Service. This is the highest honor for museums and libraries in the country. It was given for its amazing public service.

In 2006, COSI Toledo and COSI Columbus became separate organizations. This allowed each museum to focus on its own needs. Later that year, COSI also won a Teachers' Choice Award for its online learning programs.

Unfortunately, COSI Toledo faced money problems again. After voters did not approve more funding, the museum closed on December 31, 2007. But the story didn't end there! In November 2008, voters in Lucas County, Ohio, approved a plan to fund the science center. This allowed it to reopen in the fall of 2009 as Imagination Station.

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  COSI entrance in 2007 (now Imagination Station), with Fifth Third Center at One SeaGate in the distance.

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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 Upgrades: What's New?

Imagination Station has continued to grow and improve. In 2019, the museum started a big upgrade project. It cost $10 million! This included building a huge new theater.

The new theater is 8,200 square feet. It has a super clear 4K, 3D-capable screen. There are also plenty of seats for visitors. KeyBank helped fund this project. Because of their support, the theater is named the KeyBank Discovery Theater. This exciting new attraction was completed in June 2020. The museum stayed open during all the construction.