This place is a gem of a find! My friend got tickets from a silent auction and I went along with…read moreher. They do have private parking, but the lot is small and it was surprisingly busy on a Saturday afternoon! We checked in and chose the audio option and also a one page scavenger hunt for each room, which helped to dig into the houses a bit more. I was shocked at the level of detail! So much love and work went into these houses. I was in awe of some of the work completed in them. I definitely had my favorite! You can also buy all sorts of pieces to work on your own house too. My friend is redoing her childhood house for her niece so it was a great way to get the creative juices flowing. Definitely something to check out!

This place was so interesting! Walking in you are immediately greeted by staff who asked if we…read morewanted to do a scavenger hunt between our group of friends or if we just wanted to walk around. We chose scavenger hunt and at the end got a prize of our choosing (something miniature). The entire place is pretty antique. Very detailed mini houses with their own theme are in each room. You really have to come here with time on your hands to be able to really look at each house and the intricacies it has. There are small figurines and some of these houses I know sure took so much time!! Not only to plan but to collect the individual pieces to go along with it. Very cool. If you ever have time to visit- I highly recommend you do.

The Twisted House is a whimsical, quirky sculpture in the ArtsPark. The house is the 2005 work of…read moreJohn McNaughton. McNaughton was a founding member of the Art Department of University of Southern Indiana. He passed away in 2022. The Twisted House is typical of his fun-loving approach to art. The wood sculpture has a storybook appearance. I can imagine that kids (and maybe even a few squirrels) would have fun visiting and playing in the structure with the crooked door and roof that curves over into the ground. The sculpture brought a smile to my face. The Twisted House worth a visit if you like art. There is no charge to walk through the quiet and serene park. There is free parking at the east side of the park.

It was a cold crisp day in late November when I visited the house. I knocked on the door but…read morenobody was home. Just kidding. It is a piece of artwork. It reminds me of the nursery rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe. It is just one piece of outdoor artwork and sculptures available on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center. I found plenty of parking available at the Center's parking lot. Then it is short walk from the lot.

We drove 2.5 hours for Newfield's Winterlights and it did not disappoint! Parking was easy and…read moreclose to the entrance. When we first arrived right at opening, it was really crowded and people were packed in so we went to Lilly House for a drink and by the time we got back out, people had spread out more. I really enjoyed the variety of light installations and there were plenty of great photo op areas. The shop had some very nice choices and was not packed like I expected. There was one person in front of us at the checkout but two employees, one doing the check out and the other wrapping up items and bagging them, made it a quick and efficient process. We enjoyed our trip so much that we're now looking into what other events are available throughout the year.

My husband and I had a great time at Newfields: A Place for Nature and the Arts. Newfields is a…read morecombination of the Lily House and gardens as well and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. This is in one facility and is all included for one admission price. We started in the gardens. There is a large area to walk and enjoy nature. Make sure that you visit the Lily House and the surrounding grounds. The Indianapolis Museum of Art takes up the second and third floors of the building. There is lots to see here. Each area could take an entire day to properly experience. There is also a gift shop and cafe to check out. I highly recommend Newfields: A Place for Nature and the Arts!

Today, I'm focusing on Spark Lab inside the new Museum Experience Center that…read more opened in April 2026. Spark Lab offers an opportunity to invent, create, and explore! It was developed by Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. It is a great intergenerational space! Parents, grandparents, and older siblings build right along with younger children. There is an eating spot, the Harvest Cafe, a few feet away from Spark Lab. Although, Conner Prairie wants children under 16 to visit the exhibits with an adult. It's a great place to grab a snack after generating all that creativity. The space is also conveniently located by a ramp to the grounds if your family wants to visit 1836 Prairie Town or take a tram ride to The Junction area. The tethered hot air balloon is also near the ramp outside Spark Lab!

We love Conner praire. Every time we go we experience something different. They have so much to do…read more They rotate out toys and play sections for kids. Highly recommended taking your family.

We had a delightful tour with former Carmel Fire Chief Jim Martin and his trusty fire dog, Sparky…read more Jim opened the museum just for us and patiently explained the different engines, their eras, and various firefighting equipment on display. This display is certainly a labor of love for Jim and other fire fighters, especially Sparky! There is no charge, but on the front of one of the engines is a QR code for donating (be generous). And Sparky happily accepts treats!

If you have a kid in your life that loves firetrucks, take them here. This is an old firehouse…read moreturned fire museum with real, vintage fire trucks that kids can climb on. During the warmer months, they pull them out of the garage for kids to enjoy. It's free admission and the hours aren't the most consistent, but it's worth stopping in and letting your kids pretend to be firefighters for a day.

Went to Hook's during the State Fair and got to Chocolate Caramel Coffee float and loved it! It was…read moreperfectly sweet and had a great sweets to coffee ratio. The inside was old and historical. It was very cool and worth the trip.

The town I grew up in actually had a Hook's Pharmacy that we used to go to all the time. It's…read morereally neat to see that the Hook's Historic Drug Store is open during the fair. It's air conditioned which is a major plus and it feels so good! It opened in 1966 and as of August 2021 they've had 3 million visitors come through the doors! The inside is floor to ceiling with natural wood and takes you back in time. They have a lot of information about drugs they used backs then and it's a great way to learn and cool off at the same time. They just announced that this year for the 2022 Taste of the State Fair they will be offering a iced mocha coffee float! Sounds good! I always get one of those long licorice ropes and one of the great ice cream floats anytime I've been there. They sell New York egg creams which doesn't have eggs in them at all. It's soda water, ice cream and syrup. Basically if you're wanting some deliciousness and something cold pick one of the many floats they offer.

I was looking for a place to take my son and his friend, and was disappointed when I found out…read moreafter driving over there, that it doesn't exist anymore. I'm sure it would've been cool if it was still there...that is all.

If you ever have the chance, SEE the 1898 FL East Coast private car #90 Henry Flagler car. I…read moretagged along a photo group which luckily they did not mind and boy oh boy, she is gorgeous.

This is the world's smallest children's art gallery, according to an official plaque outside of…read morethis building awarded by the Guinness World Records. And it IS tiny! It's about as big as a large shed. But inside is a whole lot of art made by children at local Carmel schools. Each month, the artwork changes, and art from different elementary schools are featured. There is also a revolving display of artwork from the Carmel middle schools and Carmel High School. You'll also see artwork from children from Kawachinagano in Japan, which is the sister city of Carmel. The woman who works inside the children's art gallery is super friendly and knowledgable, and was able to answer all of our first-timer questions. Don't plan to stay very long here -- it's super tiny, so at most, it would take you about five minutes to examine all of the art. But it's worth the visit if you happen to be in the area when the gallery is open!

Also known as the Carmel Arts Council Gallery, this tiny building (actually 2 small buildings front…read moreto back) sits on a prime space on Main Street. The front room as you enter is filled with thematic artwork arranged in groupings from local elementary schools. Periodically, the work is changed to showcase the work of a different school. The back room is for the middle and high school artwork. Where the front room is filled with images that feature the combined impact of the themes, the back room has less artwork, but more advanced in technique, allowing the individual pieces to become the focal point. Some of the artwork is very skilled and you really see the progression as you step from the front to the back room. The gallery has very limited hours, so for all my visits to Carmel, this was the first time I've seen the gallery open. Still, I like that it gives the kids a chance to see their work showcased and encourages art in the curriculum. The gallery has an arrangement with two sister cities, one in Japan and one in China. The artwork gets shared and at those times, the students can check out how their counterparts view themes as well as know their work is being looked at in a foreign country. Very cool! The gallery's small size makes for a quick visit, so if you catch them when they are open, then stop by. Review #2495

I truly just enjoy interesting surroundings and the ability to just stroll around and visit the…read morelittle shops lining the street. Takes me back in time when this was the norm. Gives you a bit of that nostalgic small town feel, even so we all know how much Carmel has grown and become so much more like the big cities.

There's a wonderful mural that was created by the Art Department from Carmel High School. The mural…read moreis located just off Main Street in Carmel and was created in 2007. The mural is entitled "Cityscape" and depicts images from the the Art District with some modern twists. I was touched to see faculty and students given the opportunity to express their creativity in their community. The names of the artists are listed on the south end of the mural. The mural is slightly faded with age. There is a small, lovely garden with benches at the base of the mural with a plaque that honors donors.

It was FANtastic!!!! We flew to Indiana from California to take my son for his 8th birthday. It was…read morea dream come true. We were greeted warmly by the staff. There's fans dated in the 1800s, 1900s and different eras. They were kept in tip top shape each with labels and description. There's 2 floors. The second floor had more ceiling fans with labeled remote controllers. Don't miss the ceiling fans on the stairwell. My son turned on each fan one at a time and he was so happy. It was free admission but I gave them a small donation in the donation jar. It was worth it!! Thanks for wonderful experience FANIMATION!!

Tom Frampton is a FANatic. He is showcasing the massive fan collection of the Antique Fan…read moreCollectors Association within his business complex in Zionsville. There are fans from all over the world dating back to the 1800's. I took my 8-year old granddaughter to visit the museum. Fellow collector, Kim Frank, curated our tour. Frank is passionate about antique fans and spends time restoring these old mechanical wonders. Kim's collection of G.E. fans are showcased in the museum, too. Frank demonstrated some of the early pedal operated fans. Frank was engaging with my granddaughter and she was fascinated. There are two floors housing 1000's of pristine fans and associated memorabilia in the museum. Reservations are required for visiting, but I made same day reservations easily by calling. There is no charge for visiting the museum, but donations are accepted. There is plenty of parking in the private lot outside the museum.