MODS is officially "Over the Hill" in age, but is only getting started.
Credit: MODS
The Museum of Discovery and Science is set to celebrate five decades with major events, golden-ticket surprises, a nationally touring exhibit and plenty of reflection on how a small Discovery Center became one of Broward County’s biggest cultural draws.
MODS President and CEO Joseph P. Cox recently sat down with Browardist and knows the museum from nearly every angle. Long before taking its top job, he visited as a summer camp intern shepherding children across Florida from Naples. Now, after nearly nine years leading the Fort Lauderdale institution, he is preparing to enter his 10th year as MODS turns 50.
Cox has spent nearly three decades in the museum field, including serving as founding director of the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples and CEO of EcoTarium in Worcester, Mass.
“I’ve gone from being here at the museum as an intern, bringing kids over for summer camp, to having an opportunity to be at the museum for the last nine years,” Cox told Browardist.
Plenty has changed during that stretch. MODS’ annual budget has grown from approximately $8 million eight years ago to $14 million today. The downtown museum expects to welcome nearly half a million visitors this year, while five STEMobile vans bring educational programming across Broward County. Of the 60,000 children reached through outreach programs last year, approximately 83% received programming free of charge.
Inside MODS, recent additions include the Discovery Spot early-childhood gallery, the Magna-Tiles Studio, an AI-powered Everglades experience featuring Lilly the otter and what Cox described as the nation’s first custom-built holographic theater.
The Magna-Tiles Studio has become such a hit that MODS will launch a themed traveling exhibit in January. Cox said it is expected to visit 30 museums over 10 years and reach millions of children and families nationwide.
Then there is the AutoNation IMAX Theater, one of only 25 theaters nationwide equipped with a 15/70mm IMAX film projector. Cox said “The Odyssey” has generated more than 220 consecutive sold-out screenings as of press time, drawing moviegoers from Chile, Central America, the Caribbean, Atlanta and New York.
“It’s absolutely integral to who we are,” Cox said of the theater. “What a great way to spend time together in this big communal space, celebrating cinema in a way that very few people can do. And it’s right here in Broward County.”
MODS’ anniversary theme, “Golden Moments. Infinite Discovery.,” balances that history with all that comes next. Cox recently gathered with women involved in the museum’s founding by the Junior League, hearing stories from its earliest days as the Discovery Center.
Among his favorite tales: Steve Halmos and Keith Koenig organized the first Wine, Spirits & Culinary Celebration 30 years ago, only to realize at night’s end that nobody had been booked to clean. Fort Lauderdale’s philanthropic leaders reportedly grabbed brooms and dustpans themselves.
That fundraiser returns Oct. 23, 2026, with its 30th edition launching the anniversary calendar. Next comes the Visit Lauderdale Science Festival on Jan. 16, 2027, followed by a spring Golden Luncheon, family celebrations throughout summer and fall and a finale dinner hosted by Katy and Jon Ferrando in fall 2027.
Anniversary co-chairs for various events include Eileen and Chip LaMarca; Stacy Ritter and Russ Klenet; Brittany and Ken Stiles; and Katy and Jon Ferrando. A broader committee brings together prominent civic, philanthropic and business leaders, including former MODS CEO Kim Cavendish and former Community Foundation of Broward CEO Linda Carter.
Cox is especially jazzed about the Golden Ticket Hunt, which will bring random surprises to everyday visitors throughout the celebration.
“Every day at the museum for our 50th anniversary is going to be a special day,” Cox said.
Beyond the galas, attendance figures and shiny new technology, Cox measures MODS’ future through the children walking its halls today.
“Have they become an environmentalist? Have they become an entrepreneur? Have they become an engineer, a scientist or simply a much more thoughtful, caring, kind member of the community because of their visit here to the museum?” Cox said. “That’s what excites me most about the next 50 years.”
