1974: Tinsmith opens and volunteers start showing guest how to make tin objects.
The Durell Farm Museum, featuring original tools by early American settlers, is completed. (7)

1975: "The Presidents Exhibit, a gift from Nationwide Insurance Cos. for the bicentennial, is unveiled. It features likenesses of the U.S. presidents with a biographical sketch and famous quote from each." (7)
"The "Think Metric" exhibit, one of the first in the country, opens." (7)

Unknown: Susan Burchfield becomes COSI's first 1000 hour volunteer. Before the old COSI closed in 1999, being 1000 hour volunteer would become enough to give you a lifetime membership to COSI. That would cost $1000 otherwise. All volunteers and employees knew the one sentence they were never allowed to say was, "I don't know." (5)

1976: Caboose is added.
The Physical Science area is expanded with a do-it-yourself exhibit, allowing visitors to perform entertaining chemistry experiments. (7)

1977: COSI is selected as a trial center for a series of children's health activities developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, Calif. (7)
Also this year, "COSI is one of 10 museums to participate in a nationwide program called Young Energy Savers.(7)
During the 1977 holiday season, more than 2,800 visitors pedal special bicycles in the Xerox-sponsored "Light the Tree" exhibit to generate electricity for the national Christmas tree in Washington D.C." (7)

1978: "The Model Railroad and History of Ohio Transportation exhibits are dedicated." (7)
COSI also adds "a Physical Science Mall and Theater provide a central area for chemistry, perception and energy demonstrations." (7)

1979: "The Pre-Natal Exhibition incorporates a computer to offer information on pregnancy and babies." (7)

1970s: Other Exhibits added in the 70s include: (9)
The Life Science Lab and Drug Show
Crime Prevention
An expanded heart exhibit
Apollo Space Capsule Replica

1979/1980: The whimsical robot ISOC - COSI spelled backward - greets visitors during a special recycling week. ISOC's body was built by our Master Wood Craftsman Don Collins in the woodshop of Old COSI. John Carmony, Jay Crib, and everyone in the Electronics Shop worked to put it together. (8)

1980: ISOC's pet, RODOG make his first appearance with Visitors. He was only the 3rd robotic dog in history. (The first two were from Doctor Who's "K9" and in the old Battlestar Galactica). (8)

1981: "A new Free Enterprise area, housing Trading Post No. 10 from the New York Stock Exchange, is established." (7)
"COSI Cosmic Concerts, a dazzling array of laser lights orchestrated to the sounds of Pink Floyd's The Wall album, is shown in the Planetarium." (7)

1983: The Triumph of Man exhibit is reopened on Aug. 3 as the "Time Tunnel."
Also "The new Solar Front entryway is dedicated to the memory of S.N. Hallock II, COSI's first executive director." She died suddenly that year and the new Great Gravity Gizmo is also dedicated to her.(7)
COSI helped establish "the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative, a group of eight major science centers who agreed to create an ongoing series of top quality, blockbuster exhibits that would travel to each of the member institutions." In addition to others listed below, this would include, My Daughter, the Scientist, Robots and Beyond-The Age of Intelligent Machines, and Space Spinoffs. (9)

1984: "The COSI On Wheels outreach program is launched, taking science programs to classrooms and festivals throughout Ohio and surrounding states." (7)
KIDSPACE opens. This opens learning chances even for very young children. This includes "activities such as Waterworks, Animalab, Bubbles and Build-a-House." (9)

1985: "Visitors are invited to help fill two giant time capsules that will be opened in the year 2000."

1986: "A $100,000 grant is awarded to COSI for sponsorship of "The Dinosaurs!"" (7)

1987: COSI's Visitor Service Strategy (5) is adopted and reads, "... responsive to the visitor in a friendly and flexible manner while ensuring a comfortable, clean, educational, and entertaining visitor-variable environment at an affordable cost." (6)
Dinosaurs visit COSI. The main part of the 1st floor is converted to an area to keep the fearsome (and not so fearsome) animals. "The Dinosaurs!" sets several single-day attendance records of more than 10,000 visitors. More than 106,000 people visit during January." (7) They would appear regularly in the late 80s and resulted in "down-the block lines and a single day attendance record of 11,000." This also started thinking that COSI may have outgrown Memorial Hall. (9)

1987: COSI hosts the traveling exhibit, "My Daughter, the Scientist," designed to showcase women in science and technology." (7)

1988: "COSI welcomes its 7 millionth visitor Nov. 12, Joe Horrigan and his family from North Canton, Ohio." (7)

1989: "To commemorate its 25th anniversary, COSI launches the first Ohio Statewide Science Workshop, a program that puts "fun" science materials into the hands of 2.1 million students and teachers." It also has a big celebration with balloons outside.
"Special Effects: The Science of Movies and Television" becomes the most-popular exhibit in COSI history, attracting 311,654 visitors in less than three months. Special controls allow visitors to move King Kong's face and Steve Martin's "nose" from the movie Roxanne." (7)
COSI celebrates its 8th millionth visitor.

1980s: In addition to others listed above, the 80s saw the following come to COSI: (9)
The Yellow Submarine
The Computer Experience
The Cracker Jack Exhibition
The Energy Exhibit
Thomas Edison technology exhibit
Life or Litter Show
The Living Room Theater/Life Science Show
The Space Shuttle Tile Show
The High-Tech Showcase (replacing the Battele Theater), featuring Cyro, the articulated industrial robot
SUPER SUMMER SCIENCE SHOWS

1990: "The Ohio Science and Technology Hall of Fame recognizes 20th-century Ohioans and their contributions to science, technology and industry. COSI launches its annual Young Experimental Scientist program - a one-day enrichment conference for elementary- and middle-school teachers and their students." (7)

Early 90s: LITTLE KIDSPACE and BIG KIDSPACE are converted to KIDSPACE and FAMILIESPACE.

February 14th, 1991: LIMITEDSPACE opens. LIMITEDSPACE allows guest an opportunity to see a variety of traveling exhibits. We also get the outdoor Science Park added at this time. With these additions, COSI has 180,000 square feet of space. (9)

January 15th, 1991-June 2nd, 1991: Mission to Mars visits COSI in LIMITEDSPACE as its first exhibit. In this attraction, visitors can learn about the red planet. (Note: I know dates conflict with above, different sources).