MOSI Offers Special Event And Free Admission For Father's Day Weekend

In honor of Father’s Day 2011, the is offering a special event for guests and their dads.

On June 18 from 9 a.m. to noon, MOSI is hosting Guests will be able to design and build chemically-powered rockets from scratch. For $35, ($26 for members) each two-person team will be constructing rockets made out of cardboard and plastic. They will also get launch them after they are made.

“This type of event offers a great bonding experience between children and their dads, ” said Adrienne Drew, media relations specialist at MOSI. “It’s something different and interactive, not just a typical Father’s Day lunch or dinner.”

In addition to the special event, MOSI is offering to fathers on June 18 and 19 with the purchase of one full-priced admission ticket.

According to Drew, this is something MOSI tries to do for each holiday.

“MOSI typically offers special events and/or promotions for all major holidays, and we like to honor all of the important guests we get like moms, dads, veterans, etc.,” she said.

The Father’s Day event is the first of several programs that MOSI will be hosting in their new interactive playground, Idea Zone opened on June 13 with MOSI’s Summer Science Camps. However, Father’s Day weekend is the first time that everyone is invited to participate in the “public programming” activities involved within the new exhibit.

“With Idea Zone opening, this type of event was the perfect event to host and get people excited about Idea Zone, while also providing different interactive activities that kids can enjoy with their dads,” Drew said.

This weekend,  the public programming activity is called Guests will go through various challenges while exploring the world of robotics. This is included in MOSI admission and free to museum members.

“These activities also gain feedback on the Idea Zone and help assist MOSI with the alpha testing phase,” Drew said. “These are the types of activities that will be offered going forward, but there will be much more once it is fully functional.”

According to Anthony Pelaez, MOSI’s director of Education, these workshops prepare for the official opening later this fall. After completion, MOSI’S Idea Zone will include a media studio, fabrication lab, simulation center and sciences lab.

“We are looking forward to opening Idea Zone as a fully-functional technology playground later this fall, as it will be the first of it’s kind in the Tampa Bay area where people with common interests, such as science, technology, or art can meet, socialize and collaborate,” said Pelaez. “Guests of all ages will be able to inspire their creativity, develop new skills, and most importantly, thrive in a creatively driven social environment inside MOSI’s Idea Zone.”