COSI

COSI, the Center of Science and Industry, is Columbus's science museum. The original location was on E. Broad Street across from the first Wendy's and near the old Borden headquarters and was there for over 30 years. In 1999 the museum moved to it's current location on W. Broad Street across from the Veterans Memorial Hall, right on the west bank of the Scioto River, in the former Central High School. Not the greatest science museum in the world I am sure, but definitely good for a few hours of fun for the kids. Also located within the museum are the studios for WOSU 820 AM, one of the local public radio stations. I took my daughter here for her first time this month and she loved it! My fiance got us season passes and I am sure they will be well used for the next 11 months. Many of the exhibits and installations have some form of neon I was happy to find. I may have missed some, but I believe I captured most if not all of the neon in the museum. All pics were taken the afternoon of Tues, 6/15.










The first couple pics and the last (all the neon punctuation is ubercool to me!)are in the "Gadgets" wing, which focuses on industrial technology. The "drugs", "Bailwicks" and "diner" signs are in the "Progress" wing, near Gadgets, which is a walk through replica of a small town center in two sections. One enters into the "town" as it would appear in 1898 with storefronts, street furniture and the like. Very cool. At the end of the street you turn into a small hallway and then we are in the supposedly same "town", only now we fast forward to the year 1962 with period replica shops and street scenery. Very cool and cool hands on stuff for kids to do (my daughter loves working the counter at the 50s-60s era diner!). And of course, 1962 was in the middle of the golden age for neon signage! Beautiful signs, even if not original. Progress is probably our favorite section. What would be cool is to expand this to include a small section of "today" and one for maybe some period in the future. Just my idea anyway.

The WOSU studios are located underneath this neon sign. And the neon backlit map is in the weather section.