COSI - Center of Science and Industry Review

Boyfriend and I took my niece (11) and nephew (13) Sunday. Many of the exhibits haven't been changed or updated since I went 15 years ago, but were still entertaining. Lots of the interactive displays were broken or missing pieces, most staff was nice but ran into a few that seemed to have zero patience for their job or the children around them. Tip. Don't buy drinks at the theater or cafe, the couple vending machines around are a little cheaper. Take your own food if you can.

This place is alright but don't ask for a straw at the coffee shop. Apparently spending 10 bucks on 2 drinks isn't enough to get 2 straws. Unfortunately they have bought into the straws are bad lie while handing out tons of plastic single use cups. For a place that tries to act smart, they sure look stupid virtue signalling with straws.
Edit: this place is dirty and half the stuff here is broken. Exhibits and things like chairs and tables are just broken.

This is a wonderful place to go no matter what your age. This facility has been around for over 50 years. We used to go here as a family at least twice a year. Once to get out of the heat and the other to escape the snow. There are a hugh number of interactive exhibits spanning a variety of topics. This is a non-profit organization that utilizes the skills of many volunteers. There are seven major areas with exhibits, most of which will educate as well as fascinate pretty much anyone. The dinosaur gallery is amazing. This is not to say the others are not as well. Go see the underwater cave, waterfalls, planetarium, an avatar guide, a recreated town, interactive locations where health testings can be made, an area loaded with gadgets and the dinosaur section mentioned earlier. You could spend an entire day here. There are a variety of discounts available.

Went to MOSH in Jacksonville FL hands down COSI more than ten times better! Have loved going to COSI since I was little!

COSI is a fantastic mix of science, history, and fun. The changing exhibits are always something worth seeing. A membership is worth it if you go even once or twice a year. Food options at the cafeteria are really nice too!

We love this place. We just got a family membership because that was the same price to get all of us in, on one visit. I wish it was less expensive for families on a budget. 25 per adult and 20 per child is a little crazy. We went on spring break (big mistake) there were too many people you could hardly turn around. my kids enjoyed themselves though so that is good. the dino exhibit was awesome. I really think they should have specific days for field trips. I've bee 3 times this summer and it has been packed with fieldtrips. Rediculious.

Has become extremely run down and entered a state of disrepair since my last visit several years ago however is still an amazing overall experience that you definitely need to add to your bucket list

Best family fun place we have visited in years. Perfect for all family members, great fun, good food and absolutely entertaining. Give your self about 5-6hrs at least. Best value for cost.

I've been going to COSI since I was 8. The new COSI is better than ever. The chemistry show is awesome. Love the planetarium and the giant screen. Highly recommend

A great place of discovery for kids of all ages, and adults young at heart.

My kids loved it, it's really expensive though I feel like the amount you pay should be for everything. There were a couple things under construction when we were there last summer 2016 too so we missed out on some stuff.

Very expansive and interactive experience. Good for both adults and children. It is a little expensive though.

I wish i can go there every day. My favorite place in the city

Amazing place. I went there as a kid and my son loves it.

It will never be as cool as the original COSI, but it get's better every year.

Exciting, hands on science museum for adults and kids. Promotes learning through fun exhibits. Plenty of helpful staff creating a full experience. It is loud and colorful. On the downside there are a lot of pay extras like simulators, planetarium, and special exhibits. That is too much for a family of 6.

Went to COSI after dark and it was pretty amazing. The lines were a little long for food and drink so prep before hand. It was great to drop being an adult and play/learn from the interactive exhibits. The planetarium was mind blowing. To see how insignificant we all are compared to the massive size of everything else. The shows were also not childish so they were enjoyable. There was not enough time to see everything so we will be planning a trip back next after dark. I highly recommend this place if you have kids but also if you are an adult, just after hours on the special event nights.

Great value for annual pass. Children learn so much while having hands-on fun. This is a better investment than animals in cages. I bring all out-of-town guests to COSI. Ride the high wire unicycle.

Wonderful wonderful time! We stayed from open till close and wanted to stay longer. There were a few broken parts that I wish, for the price, was fixed. It s expensive, but I felt was worth it. Riding the unicycle was a blast, my six year old loved the simulator, and the submarine was cool.

My kiddos absolutely love cosi!!! And it was fun for my husband and I too!

Not as cool as I remember it when it was at the old downtown space and considerably more expensive ($20 for 2yrs and up/$25 for adults!).Parking was a bit of a hassle too. The exhibits are ok but there are constantly things that are broken and unusable (which is understandable since it is a kids science museum), plus you'll need to pay extra for the planetarium and other "side shows". Make sure you have 4 quarters on hand for a locker to stash your stuff and definitely pack your lunch unless you want to pay between $35-$40 for lunch (that's for a family of 3).
Going one time was enough for us. The Indy and Cincinnati Children's Museums were much better compared to what COSI is now especially for the price.

Very educational and fun place to learn. Great place for all ages and kids seem to enjoy the center. Parking can be crazy due to construction in the zone. Prices are fair.

I've been visiting cosi since I was a school kid and I will forever continue. Absolutely recommend you to check it out or never in town!!

Great place! Always a fun experience, the best exhibit is the water one.

A building full of scientists and they can t manage to come up with a logical way to manage a line for a nighttime event with a bunch of pre-orders. You knew how many of us were coming; why are 700 people being funneled into one lane to enter? Not worth it. Never again.

From Mexico we visited COSI, nice place my son had a lot of fun.
Recommendable. One of the places you have to go if you visit Columbus Ohio.

Fun for all ages. If we lived locally, we'd have the do-it-all membership because the Planetarium and Giant Theater are wonderful assets.

Great place for a day out with kids, your significant other, or a work outing! Lots of different things to do and much fun to be had.

Good place for kids to learn fun facts and activities

If you are lower middle class or below I suggest you go else where. It costs far to much to gain entry. You also have to pay extra to go to the planetarium, parking, food and stroller if you didn't carry your own. A family membership cost is rediculus. Unlike other major cities such as San Francisco, new Orleans, Houston, Dallas and Miami for example they DO NOT have a "Free family fun day" to allow larger (like my family, 7 children) underprivileged or empoverished families to experience.
They only care about $$$ not the community they are set in. 5 minutes West and you are smack dab in the middle of the hood. Drugs, abandoned houses and thousands of golden who don't get to enjoy something that's right near their homes.
Disgraceful

Great place to take kids especially when the weather is bad.

First time in a long time. Several exbits closed. Parking was confusing due to construction all in front of Cosi. Construction worker helped me around the parked semi. Nice slower paced day. Kidspace has been revamped. Very nice. Monday afternoon seem like a winner. More like 3.75 stars
Due to closures and parking construction.

Purchase the membership has been the best decision I have made. Great place for kids of all ages.

I have always loved museums and COSI has always been one of my favorites. They have so much to offer, so much to see and a lot of it is "hands on". It is an experincial learning place. Their children's area on the second floor is well furnished with all kinds of interactive play that helps young minds develope exploratory thinking as well as providing social skills as they meet and make new friends. I also love the planetarium and IMAX theater, both offer interesting and informative presentations. Even though I will spend most of the day here, I go back frequently just for the experience. Get a membership, I have one. It easily pays for itself with the discounts and if you go at least every couple of months. And the place is worth it and going frequently makes for great family fun.

I was taken here by my girlfriend and her cousins who grew up visitation COSI with their grandparents. They all had such great memories of it and I ve been hearing about it for you years. I m happy I got to experience this for the first time on my first visit to Ohio. To anyone passing by or with a spare day to spend this is a great place to waste some time and learn a thing or two for you out your children.

We love COSI and their many interactive exhibits and play area for little ones. Also, the teacher discount is pretty amazing so we are grateful for that. Highly recommend this museum!

*Cafeteria Review*

What happened to COSI's cafeteria? It went from outstanding to piss poor in a span of 2-3 years. They used to have trained chefs who prepared fresh entrees daily like: roasted sweet potato salad, lentil salad, couscous, tomato salad with feta, various pasta salads, etc. They served a variety of vegetable options, protein options, and fresh fruit.

Now they only have oily pizza, stale burgers, frozen wraps, fruit with whipped cream on top, and a tiny barely noticeable salad bar with ice berg lettuce (presumably so they can say 'look we have a salad bar!' when giving interviews).

My family used to go to COSI only to eat at their cafeteria. It was really a hidden gem. Now we stay far away. Whoever took over running this place has ruined their once high quality item.

If you go to COSI never eat at their cafeteria unless you want to give your children Type II diabetes, heart disease, and tooth decay. BRING YOUR OWN FOOD.

It was awesome when I was a kid. It is really for kids. I only stayed 2 hrs.

We really enjoy making the drive over from Fort Wayne since they accept our reciprocal membership. It's a really engaging museum for our 5 year old. We'll be back again. Unfortunately we learned the hard way that they close down for a few weeks in September. I'm sure we'll find other things in the area....

Had fun at the Who Done It event. Also had a chance to check out exhibits, so a win win.

Too expensive and for the cost all exibits and shows should be included!!

COSI is a great place to explore and learn new things (even for adults!) I think it's an asset to our community as a place for field trips or family trips--

BUT, if you're thinking you want to host an event here and use their food service (which they force you to use) then DON'T!!!! We attempted to have a 5 year old's birthday party there this weekend and they were less than prepared. We wanted to provide parking passes for the guests- they said it wasn't possible. Eventually, we were able to but it was a painstaking process that the staff didn't appreciate having to research. We ordered food (which wasn't even that good) and they completely forgot about it! Once we reminded them, an hour after the party started, that we had food they said it would be down in 10 minutes and it was almost an hour before we got it-- luckily, the room of 3-6 year olds didn't break down all at the same time from hunger... They were telling guests that the party was at 1 when in fact it was at 12??? They indicated that all guests needed to check in at guest services and would be lead to the party when, in fact, guest services had no idea what we were talking about. The kids events were to be handled in an orderly way with kids moving from 1 activity to another at the same time with guidance when in fact they were just let go to figure things out by themselves (until we said something, of course).
I am in no way placing blame on the staff that was as clueless as us as to what was happening, but, the management and the food department were a complete mess! In the end they ended up giving us free parking vouchers and covered 1 pizza from our food order. I am extremely disappointed in the compensation for things that went wrong and in the execution of things that were supposed to happen (there was even a lengthy contract so there would be no confusion...) The cost is not cheap and you expect that there will be a level of service included that allows you to just enjoy the party and not feel compelled to keep an eye out to make sure things are happening the way previously discussed. It was disheartening to say the least and nobody at the party was ready to turn around and recommend perhaps hosting a party of their own there. Something needs to change.

Awesome place, grandkids had so much fun we became members. They have a blast every time we go!

My advice to anyone with young kids, get a Cosi membership, it s worth its weight in gold. Your kids will love you for it, and you ll be glad you did because they get a chance to burn all that endless energy they have!

Great for children plenty to keep them busy and interested.

Only been able to come out a few times, but their exhibits are always engaging and educational. Even as an adult, if you have any interest at all in the sciences you will find something here to enjoy. My only problem is that they are rather expensive. You have to pay just to go walking around. Fair enough, but then they will charge the same or more for some of their better/more interesting shows and exhibits which is really disappointing. Overall it's an enjoyable experience that locals and tourists should try once in their life.

Great kids museum. If you haven't been then you need to go. Btw teacher can enter for free.

I am now 16 years old and have been going to Cosi since I was 5. This is an amazing experience for people of all ages. Children love the live shows, hands-on activities, and many different exploration rooms. Parents can do different activities as well including the documentary theater, and sound rooms. This is a place for all people young and old, to come together and connect and learn about science. Even if science was not your favorite subject in school, you will still guaranteed have a wonderful time at Cosi. (They even have a place for your preschoolers to hang out while you roam the building in search of science!)

Well worth the drive from Cincinnati. Very educational and interactive. Great for all ages. This place is amazing.

This was a nice place to hang out for the day. We loved it. The Ocean water play area was our favorite to visit. The kids area upstairs was fun but I felt like it was unorganized and some of the kids were bullying. I dd enjoy having the nursery available. It was nice to have a place to relax and breastfeed. We have a lot more to explore here so we'll be coming back soon.

Its a great place to take your family. There is something there everyone will like.

Visited August 4, 2018. Not sure where the money is going to from the expensive $25 tickets. So many things were broken and out of order. Had to pay more if you wanted to do the simulator and what not. And the planetarium which is silly.

Way to over priced. I have a 2 and 5 year old that wanted to fly through this place and all the things my 5 year old wanted to do cost extra. Also have to pay for parking. 70 dollars for the 3 of us for 2 hours. Not including the extra activities. Never again!!

I was born in Columbus Ohio and gone here ever since I was a baby! Have lot of fun memories here 5 stars!!

I love COSI! I have been going since I was a younger, and I enjoy taking my kids here as well. Although it may get a bit repetitive, it is a classic Columbus staple.

This place was a blast for my wife and I. Two adults with no kids and we loved all the exhibits (including the ones geared towards kids). The dinosaur exhibit and the life exhibit were our favorites!

My kids have a very strong immune system and rarely get sick (once or twice a year). We started our COSI membership last year. Every single time after we came back from COSI, our girls got really sick either immediately or after 2~3 days. They spent more time at home than daycares. COSI is fun and cool but lethal to kids' health. I would recommend you as a parent to sanitize your kids' hands frequently when you are there. I would also suggest to visit at 10 a.m. on weekdays or Sunday mornings.

Almost everything is broke or doesn t work properly. Not enough food table to accommodate.

For some reason I enjoyed the rat basketball the most, lol! COSI is a fun and exciting place to take the entire family.

Best place to take kids of ALL ages! Love taking the grands to the play area.

Great place to visit, greatest museum ever and super interactive, great indoor activities for the young, the curious and the old, lots to eat as well.

Been here multiple times, fun place for kids and adults

Came here with Boyfriend and brought his 5 yr old it was a little lame. The layout makes for lots of people getting in the way and being rude.

Wow! This is an amazing experience for the whole family. COSI is a science museum for kids. They are so hands on at every single exhibit. They have 2 stories. Some exhibits are rotated throughout the year. Parking is down in the basement of the facility. Super clean when we came and staff was very helpful and all over in order to help. Very cool to see a live show with some animals and the kids could go and pet them. It was busy on a Sunday, but I would definitely come back. They also have a large water fountain out front for the kids to splash in. We want to come back when its a little less busy but still enjoyed our visit!!!!

Great place to visit for all ages. Always new exhibits coming through, it's often worth visiting a couple times year.

Fun times for both kids and adults. We go during the free Museums on Us weekends as Bank of America cardholders because, quite honestly, the cost of admission is a bit steep, especially when you can only spend a few hours there with a 2 year old. Our son loves the Atlantis exhibit, as well as the kids zone. We like that they are constantly updating the other exhibits to keep the experience fresh each visit. Only downside for us was the fact that they got rid of the free wagon rentals. Stroller rentals are $8 for nonmembers and they no longer carry wagons.

We ll definitely return in the future, especially if we can go for free!

The science park is awesome, the ocean is great, the adventure is a place I have always wanted to check out. How about the gadgets area? Awesome!:-)

I grew up going to this place often with school and family. I always came away knowing Something I didn't before. It is for all ages and can keep any family busy all day learning anything from science to cooking. With animals occasionally and hourly science shows you can't be bored here!

Planetarium Director failed to tell others to be silent. babies crying people talking and the door left open by a guest no attendant to close the door . yes the guest where rude. but no attempt to assure an immersed experience as advertised. no attendant is at door as i write this. I gave 3 stars because they gave me my money back.

We greatly enjoyed our time at COSI. There were exhibits and activities for all ages!!

An AMAZING PLACE! There s so much to see, do, learn and experience. This place is for children, and definitely for adults as well... making it a wonderful location for all! So many attractions (that get updated and switched out regularly) which is always a breathe if fresh air and interesting as well. The special events on some Thurday nights are a lot of fun and perfect for date nights, a night out with friends or whatever you need it to be. Reccomend this place to anyone, GO!

An amazing place for younger kids, but I think 9's the oldest to really spend a ot of time there

I was highly dissatisfied. So mamy people hyped it up to be a cool place and it turned out to be so boring.

The security here seems terrible. Lots of people, some without paying, are all over the place. Less security than a library!

Great place to take kids. Very cool little kids space.

Went to COSI After Dark (21 and over only). I am a parent but also a kid at heart and I love science. It was great being able to use and enjoy all the exhibits without tots around. Nice idea!

Friendly to folks of all ages with well thought and well produced exhibits and events

The 90 mile rule is Disappionting because we live in 90 miles and we have membership from other museums too. But before when we went there it was fun to checkout the exihits and the other things.