Museum of Discovery & Science

What Museum of Discovery & Science does

Museum of Discovery & Science (MODS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit science museum founded in 1977 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The organization operates interactive science exhibits, educational programs, and an IMAX theater, serving a primarily B2C audience of children and families, general public visitors, and underserved communities targeted through STEM education initiatives. MODS employs between 101-250 staff and is governed by an independent board of directors chaired by Caitlin Stella, with Joseph Cox serving as President & CEO.

MODS's core product is its physical museum experience anchored in Fort Lauderdale, offering hands-on STEM exhibits and immersive educational programming. Its portfolio includes a NASA-curated STEM programming track developed through the Next Generation STEM initiative (March 2024, ~$3.7M distributed across 17 institutions) and a forthcoming MAGNA-TILES Studio traveling exhibit — a 2,500-square-foot interactive experience developed in partnership with MAGNA-TILES and licensing representative Beanstalk, launching January 2027. The underlying technology is described as interactive museum exhibits and educational displays, with no proprietary software, AI, or digital platform products disclosed.

MODS operates as a nonprofit institution without disclosed revenue or pricing structure. Revenue is generated through standard museum channels: gate admissions, memberships, IMAX ticket sales, facility rentals, gift shop sales, and educational program fees, supplemented by grant funding from institutional partners such as NASA. Distribution is anchored at the Fort Lauderdale physical location (serving Southeast Florida), with the upcoming traveling exhibit program extending reach to other venues nationally. Marketing relies on community partnerships, earned media coverage, and brand collaborations rather than paid acquisition channels.

Name

Museum of Discovery & Science

Legal name

Museum of Discovery and Science

Website

https://mods.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) is a Fort Lauderdale-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit science museum founded in 1977 that operates interactive exhibits, educational programs, and an IMAX theater for children, families, and general public visitors, with a focus on STEM literacy and underserved community engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum & Informal Science Education

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Early Science & Discovery Content (EDAGACAD)

Keywords

• Science museum exhibits
• Interactive science education
• STEM education programs
• Museum educational programming
• IMAX documentary films

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) operates a Fort Lauderdale, Florida science museum delivering interactive science exhibits, hands-on educational programs, and IMAX documentary films to the public. Its portfolio includes core permanent interactive exhibits, the upcoming MAGNA-TILES Studio traveling exhibit launching January 2027, and STEM programming developed under NASA's Next Generation STEM initiative. The institution serves families, children, school groups, tourists, and underserved communities seeking informal science learning experiences.

Product overview

The Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) is a science museum offering interactive exhibits and educational programs. The museum's portfolio includes core interactive science exhibits and the upcoming MAGNA-TILES Studio traveling exhibit launching January 2027, a 2,500-square-foot experience focused on early childhood cognitive development through magnetic building activities. The museum also participates in NASA's Next Generation STEM initiative, receiving approximately $3.7 million in funding along with 16 other institutions to promote STEM education for underserved communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MAGNA-TILES Studio Traveling Exhibit A 2,500-square-foot interactive traveling museum exhibit built in collaboration with MAGNA-TILES, featuring magnetic building activities designed to promote early cognitive skills, creativity, and hands-on STEM learning in children. Will tour to venues beyond the flagship Fort Lauderdale museum starting January 2027.
• Interactive Science Exhibits Permanent interactive science exhibits available at the Fort Lauderdale museum for general public visitors, families, and children seeking hands-on STEM learning experiences.
• NASA Next Generation STEM Educational Programming Educational programs and projects developed under NASA's Next Generation STEM initiative targeting underserved communities and Artemis Generation students, designed to connect learners with NASA's space and science missions.
• IMAX Documentary Films IMAX documentary film screenings offered to museum visitors and the public as part of the museum's informal science education programming.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• MAGNA-TILESflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025MODS announced a collaboration with MAGNA-TILES, America's #1 magnetic building sets brand, to create a traveling museum exhibit called MAGNA-TILES Studio launching in January 2027. The 2,500-square-foot interactive exhibit will promote early cognitive skills and creativity in children through building, creating, and testing activities. Beanstalk serves as the licensing representative for MAGNA-TILES.
• BeanstalkminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 May 2025Beanstalk is a brand licensing firm that partnered with MAGNA-TILES in their collaboration with MODS for the traveling exhibit. Beanstalk serves as the representative facilitating the MAGNA-TILES and MODS partnership.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2024NASA awarded approximately $3.7 million to 17 museums, science centers, and educational institutions including MODS as part of NASA's Next Generation STEM initiative. The partnership focuses on engaging underserved communities and the Artemis Generation students with NASA's space and science missions through educational projects and activities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Frost Museum of Science: Frost Museum of Science is a major science museum in Miami, Florida, offering interactive science exhibits and educational programming. It is the closest geographic and operational peer to MODS, serving the same South Florida family and tourist audience with comparable hands-on STEM offerings.
• Exploratorium: Exploratorium is a well-known San Francisco science museum renowned for its interactive exhibits and inquiry-based science education. It is highly comparable to MODS in mission, exhibit-based delivery model, and family/educator audience, serving as a benchmark for science museum operations.
• Liberty Science Center: Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ is a large interactive science museum with IMAX and hands-on exhibits targeting families and school groups. It is comparable to MODS in exhibit format, educational programming, and IMAX theater operations.
• Museum of Science, Boston: Museum of Science, Boston is one of the largest science museums in the U.S., featuring interactive exhibits, IMAX films, and STEM programs. It is a direct peer in scale and scope to MODS, offering a relevant benchmark for programming and visitor engagement strategies.
• California Science Center: California Science Center in Los Angeles is a major science museum featuring interactive exhibits and major aviation/space exhibits. It is comparable to MODS in mission and family-focused STEM programming, though larger in scale and visitor base.
• Pacific Science Center: Pacific Science Center in Seattle operates interactive science exhibits, an IMAX theater, and STEM educational programs. It is directly comparable to MODS in operating model, target audience, and exhibit-driven revenue approach.
• COSI (Center of Science and Industry): COSI in Columbus, Ohio is a science center with interactive exhibits, planetarium shows, and STEM learning programs for families and school groups. It is highly comparable to MODS in target audience, delivery mechanism, and educational mission.
• Arizona Science Center: Arizona Science Center in Phoenix is a hands-on science museum serving families and school groups with interactive exhibits. It is directly comparable to MODS in scale, mission, and audience profile.
• Carnegie Science Center: Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh offers interactive science exhibits, a planetarium, and STEM educational programs. It is comparable to MODS in operating model, audience focus, and educational programming breadth.

Regional players

• Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida is a NASA-themed attraction offering space-focused exhibits and educational programs. It is a regional peer to MODS, particularly relevant given both institutions' NASA partnerships and Florida tourism audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/imaxsofl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/modsftl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Museum of Discovery & Science