In this section, you'll find the most important news from Ohio's tourism attractions and visitors bureaus.
Parents Magazine Names COSI No. 1 Science Center in the Country
8/13/2008
CONTACT:
Kelli Nowinsky
(614) 629-3114
knowinsky@mail.cosi.org
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Aug. 13, 2008) - COSI in Columbus was named the No. 1 Science Center in the country for families according to
Parents magazine. Part of
Parents' ongoing series of 10-Best articles, the survey in the September issue reveals that about 50 of the nation’s 150-plus science centers have special exhibit areas exclusively for young children and their families.
"The science centers we profiled make learning fun for young children," said Sally Lee, editor-in-chief of
Parents magazine. "So when kids begin studying the subject in school, they’ll be enthusiastic about it."
"COSI has worked very hard to make a more significant impact on early-childhood education and become a more valuable community resource for families," said COSI President & CEO David Chesebrough. "The fact that COSI was chosen as an early childhood education leader from among the best science centers in the country means our efforts are paying off."
To figure out the rankings,
Parents sent an extensive survey, asking for details about the exhibits as well as science demonstrations, special events, camps and classes. The magazine also considered the stroller-friendliness of the facility, dining options, the quality of staff, conveniences like family restrooms and whether the center was a good value based on the admission price in relation to the number of exhibits.
According to the survey, the 10 Best Science Centers for Families in order of their ranking are (Full results are available at
ParentsMag.com and in the September issue, which hits newsstands Tuesday, Aug. 19):
1. Center of Science and Industry (COSI), Columbus, Ohio
2. Exploratorium, San Francisco, California
3. Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts
4. Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, New Jersey
5. St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri
6. New York Hall of Science, Flushing, New York
7. California Science Center, Los Angeles
8. Sci-Port Discovery Center, Shreveport, Louisiana
9. The Franklin (formerly The Franklin Institute), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10. Maryland Science Center, Baltimore
For more information, go to
COSI.org for current hours of operation. Admission to COSI & CSI: The Experience is $17.50 for adults, $12.50 for youth (2 - 12 years old), $15.50 for senior citizens and free to children under 24 months. Extreme Screen movies are additional. For more information, visit
COSI.org or call (614) 228-COSI.
###