It was shut down when it closed its doors at 5 p.m. Monday, nearly two months after voters rejected a special tax levy to provide operating money and other financial solutions could not be found.
Board chairman David Waterman has said efforts to save the facility would continue. On its Web site, COSI Toledo urges supporters to write letters to local, state and federal officials and to make donations.
In the meantime, fans have filled a "memory wall" with notes sharing their thoughts about the museum, and the makeshift memorial has now spread to a second wall. Many people today said the combination of teaching and adventure is unique and will leave a void.
As COSI closes, nearly two dozen people will be looking for new jobs. They and others who have served COSI over the past decade can proudly say they hosted over 2.5 million visitors. The science center's crowning achievement came in 2005 when it won "The Institute of Museum and Library Services Award for Community Service." This is the country's highest honor for extraordinary community service provided by a museum.
COSI stands for Center of Science and Industry.
On the Net: COSI Toledo: http://www.cositoledo.org/
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
