The Museum of Science & History

What The Museum of Science & History does

The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is a private nonprofit science and history museum founded in 1945 and based in Jacksonville, Florida. Its core operations today consist of off-site community outreach programs — a mobile planetarium (a 25–35 seat dome), classroom-sized science and history workshops, large-audience multimedia presentations, and "Science Cafe" tabletop demonstrations — delivered directly to K–12 schools and community groups across Northeast Florida. In parallel, MOSH is executing a transformational capital project to build a new 7.2-acre, 110,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor campus on the Northbank of the St. Johns River, featuring ten planned permanent galleries (the first three — The Nexus, Superhuman, and Nature & Culture — designed with Ralph Appelbaum Associates) and 10,000 square feet of flexible traveling-exhibition space. The Northbank project is positioned as the largest museum development of its kind in Florida, with projected annual attendance of 500,000 visitors and a stated $33M/year operating economic impact in Duval County.

MOSH's revenue mechanics are diversified across four streams: one-time admission and membership fees at the physical venue; outreach program fees booked by quote through an inquiry-based contact form; philanthropic donations and capital campaign contributions processed through a Givelively-powered portal (the campaign has raised nearly $100M); and foundation grants (notably a $500,000 PNC Foundation grant bringing PNC's total investment to $1M). Customer segments are horizontal — K–12 schools and educators, families with young children (early learners), and the general Jacksonville public. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging school partnerships, mobile programming, donor cultivation, and earned-media coverage of major milestones to drive both visitation and fundraising. The institution is governed by a 27-member Board of Trustees representing leading Jacksonville employers (VyStar, PNC, FIS, CSX, Bank of America, IBM, Jaguars) and is currently led on an interim basis by Executive Director Lysa M. Barbano, on loan from VyStar Credit Union.

Name

The Museum of Science & History

Legal name

The Museum of Science & History, Jacksonville

Website

https://themosh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is a Jacksonville, Florida nonprofit science and history museum, founded in 1945, that operates mobile outreach programs for schools and communities while building a new 7.2-acre riverfront Northbank campus supported by a nearly $100M capital campaign.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum and Educational Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks) (THAJAEAG)

Keywords

• Science museum
• History museum
• Educational outreach
• Interactive exhibits
• Community education

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Admission and Membership Fees: Revenue generated from visitor admissions and membership programs for the museum's exhibitions and programs.
2. Outreach Program Fees: Fees charged to schools and community groups for outreach programming including mobile planetarium, workshops, and large audience presentations.
3. Donations and Capital Campaign Contributions: Philanthropic donations and capital campaign contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund the museum's new Northbank campus. The campaign has raised nearly $100 million.
4. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations such as the PNC Foundation ($500,000 grant for early learning programs, $1 million total investment) supporting educational programming and capital development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) operates a science and history museum serving Jacksonville, Florida, currently delivering mobile educational outreach programs (Mobile Planetarium, hands-on science and history workshops, large audience multimedia presentations, and Science Cafe tabletop demonstrations) to K-12 schools and community groups while developing a new 7.2-acre, 110,000 square foot Northbank campus featuring 10 planned permanent galleries. Revenue is generated through visitor admissions, memberships, outreach program fees, donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships, supported by a nearly $100 million capital campaign.

Product overview

The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) operates as a physical science and history museum institution offering community outreach programs and developing a new Northbank museum destination. Currently during its transition period, MOSH provides off-site educational services including a Mobile Planetarium, Science/History Workshops, Large Audience Presentations, and Science Cafe tabletop demos—all aligned with state educational standards. The organization is developing a new 7.2-acre, 110,000 square foot Northbank museum on the St. Johns River featuring 10 planned galleries spanning 50,000+ square feet of permanent exhibit space, with three galleries (The Nexus, Superhuman, and Nature & Culture) designed in collaboration with Ralph Appelbaum Associates currently in development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Planetarium Outreach A state-of-the-art mobile dome seating 25-35 students that transforms gyms or multipurpose rooms into immersive journeys through the night sky with live, customizable astronomy presentations. Offered to K-12 schools and community groups in Northeast Florida.
• Science and History Workshops Hands-on, classroom-sized interactive sessions in science or history topics, including student labs and teacher professional development, delivered directly to schools by museum educators. Aligned with state educational standards and designed for K-12 classrooms.
• Large Audience Presentations High-energy, multimedia programs featuring live demonstrations and interactive moments for groups of any size, covering various science and history topics in auditoriums, cafeterias, or other large indoor spaces.
• Science Cafe Mobile tabletop demonstration setup featuring puzzles and interactive brain teasers designed for STEM Nights, festivals, or community events to engage audiences in science exploration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000 projected annual visitors once the new Northbank museum opens
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026RAA is one of the world's most respected museum exhibition design firms and is collaborating with MOSH on the design of its galleries. RAA developed visualizations for three of the museum's ten planned galleries (The Nexus, Superhuman, and Nature & Culture) spanning 50,000+ square feet of permanent exhibit space.
• HaskellcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHaskell is listed as a Design & Construction Partner for the museum's new Northbank campus development.
• Balfour BeattycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBalfour Beatty is listed as a Design & Construction Partner for the museum's new Northbank campus development.
• Clark AdvisoryminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClark Advisory is listed as a Design & Construction Partner for the museum's new Northbank campus development.
• SmithGroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSmithGroup is listed as a Design & Construction Partner for the museum's new Northbank campus development, serving as the architectural design firm.
• StellarminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStellar is listed as a Design & Construction Partner for the museum's new Northbank campus development.
• Auld & White ConstructorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAuld & White Constructors is the CEO's company and serves as the oversight committee chair for construction, providing governance and construction leadership for the museum's build.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• COSI (Center of Science and Industry): Mid-large science museum with hands-on labs, traveling exhibitions, and a recent capital rebuild — closely comparable to MOSH's 110K SQFT rebuild, immersive exhibit philosophy, and school partnership model.
• Liberty Science Center: Interactive science center serving schools and families with hands-on exhibits, IMAX, and outreach programs. Directly comparable to MOSH's mix of permanent galleries, school programming, and community-driven science engagement.
• OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry): Hands-on science museum with planetarium, labs, and school outreach. Comparable to MOSH's mobile planetarium, maker labs, and K-12 outreach business model during transition.
• Pacific Science Center: Interactive science center with IMAX/dome theater, traveling exhibits, and youth STEM programs. Comparable to MOSH in exhibit mix (e.g., planetarium equivalent to MOSH's mobile planetarium) and education focus.
• Exploratorium: Iconic hands-on science museum pioneering interactive exhibits and maker spaces. Direct peer to MOSH's Superhuman and Maker/Lab gallery concepts and the broader 'learning by doing' positioning.
• Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago: One of the largest science museums in the U.S. and a direct peer to MOSH in scale, mission, and immersive STEM exhibit model — comparable as a regional/national science destination with corporate-funded exhibits and large annual visitation.
• Carnegie Science Center: Regional science center combining permanent exhibits, outreach, and STEM education programming. Comparable to MOSH as a mid-size city-anchored science museum with strong school district relationships.

Regional players

• Museum of Discovery and Science (Fort Lauderdale): Florida-based science museum serving a similar in-state audience with IMAX, exhibits, and education programs. Comparable as a same-state, regional competitor for Florida families and school field trips.

Broad incumbents

• California Academy of Sciences: Large natural history/science institution with aquarium, planetarium, and immersive exhibits. Comparable to MOSH's integrated science-nature-culture narrative arc (Big Bang to Big Data) and biomimicry themes.
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: National-scale science and natural history museum with deep educational programming. Comparable to MOSH's intent to be a regional flagship for science/history and an economic anchor for its community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/moshjax

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Museum of Science & History