MOSH Hits $100 Million Raised for Its New Northbank Museum, With $50 Million Still to Go

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Museum of Science and History has raised more than $100 million toward its new Northbank home, which officials call the largest cultural capital campaign in Jacksonville's history, Jacksonville Today reported Oct. 30. About $50 million more is still needed. The museum is expected to break ground in early 2027.

Board chair Jill Davis, who also serves as campaign co-chair, said: "Reaching $100 million demonstrates what Jacksonville can accomplish when we come together around a shared vision." The article did not name individual or corporate donors. If the last $50 million is not raised through the current campaign, MOSH plans to seek it from private, corporate and community sources.

What the building will look like

The design by SmithGroup is angular and would cover a projected 125,000 square feet across five stories. About 50,000 square feet of that would be exhibition space. The plan calls for 10 galleries, a cafe and room for community programming and events.

Planned galleries focus on immersive storytelling, technology and interactive experiences. The new building would be much larger than the museum's original 77,000-square-foot home on the Southbank. A riverwalk and park are also planned at East Bay Street and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard.

Why the museum is moving

MOSH began in 1969 at 1025 Museum Circle on the Southbank. The original plan was to expand that building, but officials chose a new, larger site after facing construction challenges there. The new site is just east of the Jacksonville Fire Museum and Pier 1, home of the USS Orleck, on 2.5 acres at the Shipyards along East Bay Street.

The Downtown Investment Authority unanimously supported the details of a city lease for the land in 2022. Demolition of the original building began in summer 2026, just over a year after it closed. A rendering of the planned museum was released in September.

The timeline from here

Design schematics were submitted to the Downtown Investment Authority about two months before the article was published. The project team is to complete 100% of the construction documents later in 2026. Groundbreaking is then expected in early 2027.

Officials said the fundraising milestone is not tied to a specific construction deadline. They said construction will start once the final third of funding is sought. For now, the museum has no building open to visitors, and the article did not give an opening date for the new one.

Source: Jacksonville Today, Oct. 30, 2026; reviewed by Jax Times.