JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX on Tuesday announced it is donating $10 million to the Jacksonville Museum of Science & History (MOSH) which is working to build a new museum near the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium at Lot X.
The donation will make CSX, a leading supplier of rail-based freight transportation with its headquarters in Jacksonville, the presenting sponsor for the museum.
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“We are immensely grateful to CSX for their transformational gift to the MOSH Genesis,” said Jill Davis, chair of the Genesis capital campaign cabinet and vice chair of the MOSH board of trustees. “This generous contribution will have a lasting impact on our institution, enabling us to create a museum that offers engaging exhibits, dynamic educational programs, and memorable experiences for visitors of all ages on the Northbank of the St. Johns River.”
MOSH leaders said they have a current goal of raising $40 million through private donations and CSX’s donation gets the museum that much closer to reaching those fundraising goals that it has set with the city. Reaching the goal will allow MOSH to unlock the land lease and begin construction.
MOSH said it’s on schedule to start construction by December 2025 and open sometime in 2027.
MOSH did not say how close it is to hitting its $40 million goal but said it has a number of gifts that are in the pipeline and it looks forward to making future announcements over the coming months and reaching the goal by the end of June.
MOSH has operated at its current location on the Southbank since 1969. Since then, it has outgrown its 77,000-square-foot facility.
The new MOSH will be 130,000 square feet of museum space and could attract as many as 450,000 guests per year.
“MOSH will further connect our community with the new location sitting at the intersection of the Emerald Trail, the sports and entertainment district, the Shipyards West and the riverwalk,” Mayor Donna Deegan said. “Can you picture it all now? It’s all coming together.”
In May 2023, legislation for a disposition and development agreement for 2.5 acres of City-owned land at the Shipyards property commonly known as Lot X was signed into law. The legislation grants the MOSH a 40-year ground lease of the land for $1 per year; design of the park and the Riverwalk; and other agreements related to the creation of a new museum and surrounding park spaces.
For more information about the Museum’s future plans, visit MOSHGenesis.com. To learn about donation opportunities, contact MOSHGenesis@themosh.org.