OMG! A Titanic First Weekend

Source: ChezSez

Have you ever planned a big party with an open invitation and then had anxieties that no one will show?

That is what it was like for us at COSI as we prepared to open the Titanic exhibition. All the marketing, promotions, and warm-up events just make you feel like you are doing everything you can—but with no guarantee.

Then there is the weather. Nice, sunny days generally depress museum attendance. So for the Titanic opening there was the pleasant “get-outside-after-a-too-long-winter” forecast for Saturday. Not a strong positive for encouraging indoor behavior at COSI other than the chill of the morning air.

So it was with relief and amazement as I watched families, couples, groups and individuals flow steadily out of the rapidly filling parking lots into COSI. The lines got a bit long but our team handled them well, kept people entertained with shows on our Atrium stage, and the guests I talked with said the experiences were well worth any wait they had. Several thanked me for having COSI bring something so special and significant to Columbus.

And people were enjoying all of COSI as I walked around—many being introduced to us for the first time with the Labs in Life in full swing, OSU research activities in the hallway, and the new Watershed labs (Lily Pad) getting plenty of activity on top of the regular favorites like the High Wire Unicycle.

Now I can breathe out a little and hope this weekend with over 8,000 guests visiting COSI is indicating a long and successful run of Titanic giving many, many people an unequaled chance to have this immersive experience and also be introduced or reintroduced to all that COSI has to offer.

Were you one of the guests at COSI over the weekend? How was your experience?

Do you plan to come to COSI over the next few weeks? Just for a COSI experience or for Titanic?