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    Indiana State Museum

    4.3 (155 reviews)
    Closed • 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Stacie B.

    What a fun place on a holiday with kids! It was crazy as it was free and a school holiday, but they had a ton of fun interactive events and booths for the kids. Our gang especially loved the rock painting and IMAX movie. We love that they also have a special reserved spot for eating or snacks. We brought our lunch so we're able to spend the whole day there and enjoy all the various activities. It is a big place so you can entertain lots of ages. We will be back!

    Snowflake Express
    Katherine A.

    The Indiana State Museum is a fabulous venue that archives state treasures and educates the public about State history and resources. I take my granddaughters a couple times a year to visit the mastodons and mammoths, Indiana fossils, and other exhibits. Today, we visited Santa's house and rode the Snowfall Express Christmas Train. The fun ride takes the kids through an imaginary winter wonderland. Before the ride, Kid's can play with hands-on puzzles. Santa and Mrs. Claus invited the kids into their home and talk about their wishes. Parents could take photos or purchase Museum generated photos. (I did both.) Afterward, the kids enjoyed an interactive area on the first floor of the museum. The kids managed a sound track, made shadows behind a light screen and much more. They played (and learned) for over an hour. We had lunch in the Cafe. We get a 10% discount with our Museum membership. The food is good and reasonably priced. The staff is super friendly. Indoor parking in the garage is discounted for members. We go to all of the Museum's special events. We never miss GeoFest in February.

    Snowfall Express
    Kandice T.

    My husband and I had a lovely time today exploring the museum, its exhibits and the holiday-themed experiences. We spent over 2 hours there, but I wished that I'd allotted more time to this portion of our day. We barely scratched the surface in regard to viewing all of the exhibits and interactive experiences. Everything was beautifully decorated for the holidays and the "holiday cheer" was palpable. The staff were all extremely kind and helpful, except for the parking garage attendant. In all fairness, I did not realize that it was my responsibility to request a parking validation voucher. I just read on the website that a discount was given if you made a purchase at the Indiana Shop, which we did. I showed the attendant the receipt but was told that nothing could be done without the voucher. We look forward to returning again soon to explore more of the museum.

    Staci W.

    I love a museum! I was lucky to receive a family four pass so I was able to take the whole family to check it out. I use to come here a lot more as a kid so I haven't been in years. It was cool to see what has changed. My favorite area was the Natural History. Some of the other areas are not for me but very guided to kids such as Cats and Dogs. My son enjoyed the interactive areas. They do validate your parking in the garage. The staff were nice and helpful.

    Adrienne M.

    What an awesome place to go and learn or just refresh yourself about this state. I enjoyed it here but children, kids, teens, and young adults would love this too. So much to see here . I would plan on spending at least an hour plus. I'll be back sooner than later as I did not spend enough time here. lol $20 per visit or you can grab a annual pass for the year.

    My night with Elvis was "Epic"
    Gloria M.

    I had the best time at the Indiana State Museum IMAX theater last night. It's so clean and well laid out with the best part was getting to see Elvis and it seemed like it was live. The sound was great and there wasn't a seat in the house where you couldn't see everything in front of you. I actually need to go back and see the museum because a lot of kids were running around with construction hats on, so I wondered what that was all about, but I heard there might be some dinosaurs in the building!

    Isheka O.

    I visit the Indiana State Museum atleast once per year. I really enjoy exploring the temporary exhibits that they create each year. This is an ideal outing for families. There is so much to do all year round to keep children and adults entertained. Aside from the exhibits there are multiple craft stations, events, and other interactive activities for all ages. If you are a Indiana student, it is $5 to enter. There are also other discounts depending on the day.

    Stormtrooper and Darth Vader!!
    Brenda J.

    Here with a 12-year old friend and I loved it as much as he did. I love that the exhibits are SO interactive. The exhibits make history accessible to children and adults. There are lots of characters for the kids! There's also an area specifically for younger children.

    A really enjoyable experience overall! The Indiana State Museum has a great mix of exhibits that cover state history, culture, science, and art, all presented in a clean, modern space. Everything is well laid out, and it's easy to spend a couple of hours exploring without feeling rushed. The staff were friendly and helpful, and I appreciated how organized everything felt -- it's exactly what you'd hope for in a good state museum. I also love that they offer student discounts, which is always a nice bonus! Plus, the location is perfect, sitting right off the Canal Walk, which makes it easy to combine a museum visit with a relaxing stroll afterward. Nothing flashy or over the top, but it delivers exactly what it should -- a solid, informative, and enjoyable visit.

    Sue B.

    Interesting and well designed. I have been here twice during the Christmas season. Both times the Santa Claus has been very authentic and friendly. The museum has nice, historical exhibits representing the counties and history of the early settlers of Indiana and the products and creations Indiana is known for. The group I was with have been lucky enough to see a children's choir perform Christmas music while there. There are many interactive exhibits to enjoy also.

    Laura M.

    I always enjoy going to the museum but this week we were looking for something to entertain a 4 year old. ISM is perfect. Plenty of exhibits and events the whole family will love. Check their event's schedule ahead of time as they always have something fun for kids. This time they had easels set up so the kids could draw whatever they wanted. They also had an area where the kids could crate their own wind spinners. All the staff were great with the kids and kept them interested. We had lunch at the Farmers Market Cafe and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it is. Good basics for kids and nice choices for adults. Salads, sandwiches, wraps and desserts. I can recommend the Farmers Salad with Brie as well as the Club Sandwich which was huge. The PB&J was a hit too. Add a walk along the canal outside and everyone will leave happy.

    Christina B.

    The Indiana State museum is a great museum for the whole family to visit. This trip, there were a ton of families visiting in addition to a class on a field trip. There were also a couple groups of older ladies who looked like they were meeting for a holiday party. While I didn't tour the exhibits this time, I did dine at the L.S. Ayres tea room recreation that is open November and December. I actually used to be an intern at the museum several years ago so it's been on my list for a while to go to the tea room. It was a really unique experience. Parking is quick and easy in the shared underground garage for White River State Park. The garage leads right into the museum.

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    Lots of nice exhibits. Not too crowded for a weekend with an event outside. Plenty of parking.

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    Ask the Community - Indiana State Museum

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    Review Highlights - Indiana State Museum

    “Very much worth the drive and you can even make more out of it as you step outside right on to the canal!”

    Mentioned in 30 reviews

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    Indianapolis Canal Walk

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    It's been a while since I've been to the Canal, but when I saw they were having a Full Moon Yoga…read moreParty, I knew I wanted to check it out and I'm so glad I did! The yoga was provided by The Hot Room Yoga, and I believe the event was in partnership with Indy Cultural Trail. There was also a local artist, Lily Groot, who was there creating free prints for at least 450 attendees. I got print 13. Honestly, it was such a great event! You could purchase items from Black vegan cafe food truck, while we hung out and watched the sunset. Then around 8:30 PM, we turned on the glow lights they provided and got ready to do yoga under the full moon. The yoga session was about an hour. It was definitely challenging as you really just had to listen on what to do, but it felt so good for my body, mind, and soul. There was something really special about doing yoga outside, surrounded by the Canal, with the sunset fading and the full moon coming out. It was a vibe. I'm really glad I got to experience this! There's another one coming up in September, so if you've never been, you should definitely give it a try, it was free! Such a fun and unique Indy experience!

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