In modern biology it is widely accepted that significant progress can be made by several independent laboratories focusing on a particular “model organism” or “model system.” Arguably the most successful in depth work on a cnidarian has been done on Hydra, and this research community has emulated the standard model organism approach: multiple laboratories around the world utilizing the same genetic strains with the same culture conditions. A parallel research community is now developing with the anemone Nematostella and to a lesser extent with the hydroid Hydractinia. Together, these three taxa have provided the first steps to illuminating the extensive diversity of cnidarians. To further illuminate this diversity, I propose developing other key cnidarian taxa as laboratory model systems. Taxa will be selected based on phylogenetic affinities, aspects of the life cycle, and tractability. After 5 years, it is expected that these model organisms will be widely cultured in a number of independent laboratories and subsequently continually used in a variety of studies of development and evolution.