A new rendering shows the planned Museum of Science & History on the Downtown Northbank. | MOSH
Published on September 1, 2026 at 4:24 pm
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The look of Jacksonville’s new Museum of Science & History on the Downtown Northbank has been revealed — and its angular design will cover a projected 125,000 square feet across five stories.
Inside that space, MOSH officials say the museum will house 10 exhibits, a cafe and other spaces for community programming and events.
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The museum submitted the design schematics, done by architectural and engineering company SmithGroup, to the Downtown Investment Authority on Monday.
Its project team should complete 100% of the construction documents later this year to begin the building’s development. Groundbreaking is expected in early 2027.
“We are creating more than a new museum. We are creating a landmark destination along Jacksonville’s riverfront that will help shape the future of downtown,” MOSH board member and design committee chairperson Lauren Baker said in a news release. “The design reflects the ambition of this project while creating a welcoming place that brings people together and inspires curiosity for generations to come.”
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The museum began in 1969 at 1025 Museum Circle on the city’s Southbank and had planned to expand that 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 one year ago and is under demolition.
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 site is just east of the Jacksonville Fire Museum and Pier 1, the home of the USS Orleck naval ship museum.
What’s next for museum
The museum’s updated exterior renderings mark completion of 60% of the design schematics,a milestone.
In April, MOSH released its first renderings of galleries planned for the new museum. The illustrations include three of the 10 galleries planned — The Nexus, Superhuman and Nature & Culture, developed in collaboration with the exhibition design firm of Ralph Appelbaum Associates.
Although no new planetarium has been announced, MOSH officials say the new museum will feature a “state-of-the-art immersive theater that will allow us to expand beyond the limitations of planetarium structures and programming.”
The current construction fundraising goal is $150 million, with almost $100 million raised so far from corporate and private donors, MOSH officials said.
The museum must show sufficient funding by early 2027 for the building’s initial development before breaking ground. That figure is expected to be finalized this fall as 100% construction documents are completed, MOSH officials said.
