Columbus’ COSI earns sixth national top ranking as USA TODAY readers name it best science museum again

A repeat national distinction for Columbus’ flagship hands-on museum

Columbus’ Center of Science and Industry (COSI) has again been named the nation’s top science museum in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, marking the sixth time the institution has finished No. 1 in that category. The award is determined through a two-step process that begins with nominations assembled by an expert panel and concludes with public voting.

The newest recognition extends a multi-year pattern of national placements for COSI in USA TODAY’s annual travel and attractions awards. In the 2025 cycle, COSI returned to the top spot after a year in which it placed second; the 2025 result was described at the time as the museum’s fifth No. 1 finish. The new sixth win indicates the museum has sustained a national audience and an active base of supporters through consecutive awards cycles.

How the 10Best model shapes outcomes

USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice program is structured to combine expert curation and mass participation. A panel selects a slate of nominees in each category, and the final rankings are decided by readers’ votes during a defined voting window. That structure can favor institutions that mobilize visitors, members, partner organizations, and local communities to vote consistently, while still limiting the ballot to a set of pre-selected candidates.

Because the process is vote-driven, the ranking reflects a measure of public engagement and brand reach as much as it reflects professional peer evaluation. In practice, a repeat win typically signals both sustained visitation appeal and the ability to activate supporters across multiple years.

What COSI’s national ranking highlights locally

COSI’s profile is built around interactive exhibition spaces and rotating special exhibitions, paired with programming aimed at science learning for children and families. The museum also operates a planetarium that previously placed among the top three nationally in the same awards program, indicating that COSI has competed in more than one category within the 10Best framework.

The institution’s calendar is also anchored by large public events tied to science outreach. The COSI Science Festival’s Big Science Celebration is scheduled for May 2, 2026, on the Scioto Peninsula around the museum, with the festival describing an outdoor format featuring extensive hands-on exhibitor stations and activities.

Key facts at a glance

• COSI has been ranked No. 1 “Best Science Museum” in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for a sixth time.
• The 10Best process combines expert-selected nominees with a public voting phase.
• COSI has also posted high national placements in the planetarium category in prior awards cycles.
• The Big Science Celebration is scheduled for May 2, 2026, as part of the COSI Science Festival’s public programming.

Repeated first-place finishes in a readers’ choice format typically indicate sustained public engagement over multiple voting cycles, alongside continued visibility within the nominee selection process.

For Columbus, the sixth national win reinforces COSI’s position as one of the city’s most recognizable cultural and educational destinations—an institution competing for attention not only within Ohio, but across a national field of major science museums.