Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (PPFMOS, formerly known as the Miami Science Museum) is a science museum, planetarium, and aquarium located in Miami, Florida, US. Originally located in Coconut Grove, the museum relocated to Museum Park in the downtown area adjacent to the Perez Art Museum Miami in 2017.

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Location within Central Miami
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (Florida)
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (the United States)
Established1949 (1949) (as the Junior Museum of Miami)
LocationMuseum Park, Miami, Florida, US
Coordinates25.7846809°N 80.1886406°W / 25.7846809; -80.1886406
TypeScience museum
AccreditationAAM, ASTC
VisitorsEstimated 700,000 per year
PresidentFrank Steslow (2017)
Public transit accessMetromover access at Museum Park Station
WebsitePhillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

History

The Junior League of Miami opened the Junior Museum of Miami in 1949.[1][2] It was located inside a house on the corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 26th Street. The exhibits were made up of donated items, such as a hive of live honeybees which hung outside a window, and loaned materials, such as Seminole artifacts from the University of Florida.[1] In 1952, the museum relocated to a larger space in the Miami Women's Club building on North Bayshore Drive. At that time it was renamed Museum of Science and Natural History.[3]

In 1953, the Guild of the Museum of Science was formed, adding volunteers to assist the staff, run the museum store, and conduct tours and outreach programs.

In 1960, Miami-Dade County built a new 48,000 sq ft (4,500 m2) museum building on a 3-acre (12,000 m2) site in an area of Miami called Coconut Grove.[3] In 1966, the Space Transit Planetarium was added with a Spitz Model B Space Transit Projector.[4] The projector was the last (of 12) of its type that was built, and the last one still in operation in 2015.[5] The Planetarium was the home of the national astronomy show Star Gazers with Jack Horkheimer.[6]

In 2011, the museum launched and hosted the annual Miami Underwater Festival, in partnership with the French Festival Mondiale de l’Image Sous-Marines (World Festival of Underwater Images). The festival was founded and sponsored by underwater photographer Marko Dimitrijevic and his wife, Shelly.[7][8]

The museum and planetarium closed in 2015 in advance of the opening of the new museum. The dismantled Spitz projector is a permanent display piece in the new Frost Planetarium that opened in 2017 (see below).[9]

Closing of Coconut Grove and relocation to downtown Miami

In March 2011, Miami native Phillip Frost and his wife, Patricia, donated $35 million to the construction of a new science museum in Downtown Miami.[10] The museum was designed by the New York studio of global firm Grimshaw Architects; Miami’s Rodriguez & Quiroga Architects Chartered played an executive role.[11]

The new 250,000 sq ft (23,000 m2) Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (PPFMOS) opened on May 8, 2017 in Museum Park in downtown Miami.[12][13] The new museum includes: the Frost Planetarium, a 250-seat full-dome screen with a diameter of 67 feet (20 m) and a 16-million-color, 8K projection system;[14][15] a three-story, cone-shaped, 500,000-US-gallon (1,900,000 L) aquarium with a 31-foot (9.4 m) diameter oculus lens at the bottom for viewing the fish,rays and sharks;[13][16] and the Knight Learning Center with four classrooms.[13]

References
  1. Murrell, Muriel V. (2003). Miami, a Backward Glance. Pineapple Press Inc. pp. 121–124. ISBN 978-1-56164-286-1.
  2. "Building a Museum - The Junior League of Miami". www.jlmiami.org. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  3. "Resolution approving issuance of industrial development revenue bonds for the Museum of Science Inc., also known as the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science Project by Miami-Dade County Industrial Development Authority" (PDF). Miamidade.gov. April 5, 2016. p. 8. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  4. Teproff, Carli (August 30, 2015). "Miami science museum closes after 5 decades before move downtown". miamiherald. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  5. Alan Gomez (February 19, 2015). "Miami's fallen star: Planetarium fades to black". USA Today. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  6. Emma Brown (August 24, 2010). "Jack Horkheimer, 72, 'Star Gazer' and host of public TV astronomy show, dies". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  7. Ross, Duree (2011-05-25). "Miami Science Museum to host first Miami Underwater Festival". Miami's Community News. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  8. Duree&co (2015-06-10). "Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science Explores the Sea's Mysteries with the 4th Annual Miami Underwater Festival". Durée & Company. Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  9. Sayre, Wilson (August 29, 2015). "The 1960s projector at Miami's planetarium will retire with the closing of the museum's old location". miamiherald. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  10. "Miami Science Museum Receives $35 Million for New Building". Philanthropy News Digest (PND). March 29, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  11. Viglucci, Andres (May 4, 2017). "Planets soar. Sharks swarm. Lasers sparkle. Humans rejoice. The Frost Science museum will finally open". miamiherald. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  12. Kendall, Jonathan (8 May 2017). "The Frost Science Museum Finally Opened Today, and It Was Worth the Wait". Miami New Times. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  13. Carolyn Guniss (May 3, 2017). "Science museum to be unveiled in Miami". Miamitimesonline.com. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  14. "Sky-Skan is to Power Miami's New Frost Planetarium". Fulldome Database - FDDB.org. 17 August 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  15. "Technology - Frost Science". Frost Science. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  16. "Aquarium - Frost Science". Frost Science. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
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