A rendering released in September shows the planned Museum of Science & History on the Downtown Northbank. | MOSH
Published on October 30, 2026 at 11:50 am
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The Museum of Science & History has raised over $100 million toward its planned new museum on the city’s Northbank.
An additional $50 million needs to be raised, but MOSH officials said the museum will be built as the last third of funding is sought. Groundbreaking is expected in early 2027.
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The $100 million figure is the largest cultural capital campaign in Jacksonville’s history, museum officials said this week.
In a news release, museum board chairperson Jill Davis said that achieving the milestone is a reflection of the community’s confidence in MOSH’s future.
“From business leaders and philanthropic partners to families who have supported this vision, the generosity behind this campaign has been extraordinary,” said Davis, who is also co-chair of the fundraising campaign. “Reaching $100 million demonstrates what Jacksonville can accomplish when we come together around a shared vision, and we look forward to building on this momentum.”
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The museum began in 1969 at 1025 Museum Circle on the city’s Southbank and had planned to expand it 77,000-square-foot building. Then MOSH officials opted for a new, larger home after it faced construction challenges at the former site, which closed just over a year ago and has been demolished.
The Downtown Investment Authority voted unanimously in 2022 to support the details of a city lease for a new MOSH on 2.5 acres of the Shipyards along East Bay Street. A riverwalk and park space are also planned for the site at East Bay Street and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard.
The new MOSH
The new MOSH site is just east of the Jacksonville Fire Museum and Pier 1, the home of the USS Orleck naval ship museum. Its an angular design will cover a projected 125,000 square feet across five stories and about 50,000-square feet of exhibition space.
Inside that space, MOSH officials say the museum will house 10 galleries, a cafe and other spaces for community programming and events. Planned galleries will feature immersive storytelling, technology and interactive experiences that bring the museum’s science, history and cultural programming to life.
The museum submitted the design schematics, done by architectural and engineering company SmithGroup, to the Downtown Investment Authority, about two months ago. Its project team should complete 100% of the construction documents later this year to begin the building’s development.
MOSH officials said the money raised so far reflects what’s needed to advance the broader museum project. It isn’t tied to a specific construction deadline, they said.
If the final $50 million is not raised, MOSH officials said they have a plan to raise the remaining funds through private, corporate and community support.
