TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Museum of Science and Industry, better known as MOSI, is working to incorporate art into the science center.

According to Rob Lamke, Chief Operation Officer of the center, MOSI found it important to focus not just on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but art as well.

“Art is so critical to the science process from innovation to prototyping to designing that it was really something we wanted to include in the exhibit path,” Lamke told 8 On Your Side. “And it gave us an opportunity as well to expose people to something that they wouldn’t be expecting when they would come here, and that is to actually see an art exhibit, see how we created graphics here at MOSI and then most importantly, actually see works of art on our STEAM art wall.”

MOSI features hundreds of hands-on exhibits, as well as the constantly changing art wall exhibit.

“And the Dino-Vations lab features as 36-foot tall Diplodocus skeleton. For the first time ever in MOSI’s history with that skeleton, guests actually have the ability to crawl underneath it,” Lame said.

The Dino-Vations lab also features actual fossils that guests can look at under a microscope.

MOSI also features a maker’s space, which they call the “Idea Zone.”

Lamke said MOSI will provide makers with materials they need for small projects.

When 8 On Your Side visited MOSI, the Idea Zone featured a robot that could solve Rubix cubes itself.

One of the most interactive exhibits at MOSI is called “Mission Moonbase,” which was created in partnership with NASA.

“So there is some very, very accurate data and mission-sensitive details to the activities that happen in there,” said Lamke. “It’s overall about colonizing the moon and what would we have to know and what would we have to be able to do to colonize the moon. A lot of hands-on, it’s got a gamer-sense for young and old who are into videogames, it definitely has that element that plays into it.”

Lamke feels that MOSI is a much-see place in Tampa Bay for a few reasons.

“One, is it’s a community icon. As far as a science center goes there really is no other here in our area,” he said. “And for what it’s meant to the community in regard to as our mission says, delivering science for all people for all understanding, there’s no other place in Tampa Bay that’s going to deliver that type of hands-on experimentation, that hands-on activity, and that, as we say, ‘keep discovering moment.’”

Here is some more information to help you plan your next trip to MOSI.

Admission prices:
-Adults (13-59): $12.95
-Seniors (60+): $10.95
-Child (3-12): $7.95

Travel time to MOSI (links will update to current traffic conditions, weekday afternoon conditions listed):
– From Downtown Tampa: 17 minutes
– From Brandon: 20 minutes
– From New Port Richey: 54 minutes
– From Lakeland: 40 minutes
– From Bradenton: 56 minutes
– From Orlando: 1 hour, 19 minutes