Second-largest U.S. planetarium opening at MOSI in Tampa

MOSI reveals plans for new planetarium

FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports on The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) announcing plans to open the second-largest planetarium in the country in Tampa next year.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa announced plans on Wednesday to open the second-largest planetarium in the country in 2025.

MOSI's CEO, John Graydon Smith, said the museum will transform its old IMAX dome theater, which closed in 2017, into a new digital dome powered by 10 cutting-edge digital projectors with new 8K technology, which Smith said is far sharper, brighter and more immersive than the old film technology.

Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa.

"This allows science to surround you and engulf you, and you're immersed in it," Smith told FOX 13. "It's not just outer space. It's also underseas, its ancient mysteries of the Mayan people, we can do our own production, we can do virtually any content on this, [like] laser music shows with Taylor Swift, all kinds of stuff. So it's an educational experience that is so mind-blowing."

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The theatre will also serve as MOSI’s new Saunders Planetarium. While MOSI’s existing planetarium can seat 46 guests at a time, the new dome will be able to seat more than 300 people. According to MOSI, "by adding capacity for field trips, group events, and daily museum guests, more people than ever in Tampa Bay will be able to take a planetarium tour of the universe, simulate an undersea expedition in a 360-degree movie, or discover other wondrous new ideas."

Smith said this announcement sends another message: MOSI is not moving from its current location on Fowler Avenue to downtown Tampa.

The second-largest U.S. planetarium is opening at the Museum of Science and Industry.

"MOSI is an anchor institution here in a revitalized uptown across the street from USF. And this is just the first sort of signal to everybody that, yeah, we're not taking that anywhere with us, so we'll be here to stay," he said.

MOSI has already begun installing the new screen and plans to open the new planetarium during the first day of 2025.

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