Doesn't the name Minnetrista make you think that you'll be visiting a place with puppets? Like marionettes, right? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but there are no puppets or marionettes here. But there is an exhibit dedicated to Ball jars. Fun fact: Minnetrista was created by the Ball family, who created Ball canning jars, which you can learn about here. They are also the "Ball" behind Ball State University, which is located in Muncie. I had no idea! You will learn interesting facts like these, and others about this area of Indiana, at Minnetrista. The main museum itself is a bit small, and part of it is conference and meeting rooms. But the museum is just one part of Minnetrista. This is actually a 40-acre campus with gardens and paved trails. As you stroll along the grounds, you'll come across some houses. Some of the houses are part of Minnetrista, and you are welcome to pop inside and check out what's going on. What's going on in one of them is an exhibit dedicated to Bob Ross, the painter. At the Bob Ross Experience, you can step inside the historic home where The Joy of Painting was filmed, and see some of the actual filming equipment and art supplies that were used to create the television show. It's sort of surreal that Bob was painting his happy little trees right here in humble Muncie. Some of the houses that you encounter are not a part of Minnetrista, but belong to IU Health or other entities. It's not really clearly marked on the houses which is which. I'm sure if you consulted a map, it might tell you! I consulted no such map, and I was just walking around blindly. I visited during the late fall, when it was cold and the gardens were dormant, for the most part. But I bet this place is amazing in the spring and summer, when everything is in bloom. read more

Minnetrista is an event center and museum that was built in 1988 by the five Ball brothers. The modern center is part of a complex of museums and gardens on the former Ball property that sits across from the White River in Muncie. There is an admission fee to visit the galleries of $15/adult and $12/child, but the ticket grants admission to the other museums and garden as well. During our visit, we saw the Narwhal exhibit, which is a small exhibit dedicated to narwhals. A curator greeted us at the entrance and was available to answer questions. My granddaughter is a narwhal fan enjoyed the interactive displays. We also visited a special children's exhibit called Good Night Forest. Again a curator welcomed us and invited us to build a backpack and enjoy the nighttime activities set up for the kids. My granddaughter loved the firer fly dance, wandering through the dark forest listening for animals and the shadow puppet show. There were fun and educational activities suitable for all ages. We also visited a permanent exhibit describing the Ball Store History. I liked seeing all the vintage items and describing them to my granddaughter. We also toured a display for a local artist competition. The staff is super friendly and engaging. The center is immaculate and accessible. There is plenty of parking in their dedicated lot. Minnetrista is a great legacy from the Ball family to the community. Exhibits change and can be found on their website. I highly recommend a visit if you like art and history. read more

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Minnetrista is more formally known as Minnetrista Museum & Cultural Gardens. Located in Muncie, Indiana, I really wanted to check out Minnetrista as part of my recent Tenderness Tour. Fortunately, we were able to make that happen thanks to the involvement of their COO. In 1887, the Ball Brothers moved their glass manufacturing business from Buffalo, New York to Muncie, Indiana. With it came a remarkable legacy that continues to this day. It was in 1988 that Minnetrista Cultural Center was born on the site where the Ball Brothers lived - all the homes are still in existence except for one. Nestled in an area alongside the White River, Minnetrista means gathering place by the water. Minnetrista is really a cultural experience. It offers gallery exhibits, the Oakhurst Experience, and the Orchard Shop. The more recent addition is the Bob Ross Experience, an exhibit celebrating the legacy of painter Bob Ross - whose 30-minute weekly show was actually taped in the very house where the exhibit now exists. Truthfully, I really wanted to see the Bob Ross experience and was excited to have that happen. The Bob Ross Experience is really the only exhibit that wasn't fully accessible (though they are working on it). The first floor was fine, there's a wonderful accessible bathroom, and I could get everywhere on that first floor. However, there's no way to experience the second floor - they are in the process of addressing this as accessibility is a big deal to Minnetrista. I have friends (and fellow Yelpers) who have played in the Minnetrista event Faeries, Sprites, and Lites annually for around 15 years. There's also a farmer's market, an enchanted luminaria walk, and a garden fair. Admission is $8 per person for local residents, $6 for kids aged 12 and under, and free for 3 and under. Local residents include residents of Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, and Randolph Counties along with students (with ID) of Ball State, Taylor, Anderson, Indiana Wesleyan, and Ivy Tech. Local residents qualify for their Affordable Museums for All and Local Family Access Membership options. Military Personnel have free admission to Minnetrista - 10% off for the rest of the party, program orders, event tickets, and the Orchard Shop (consignment items not included). Non-residents are $15 per person, $12 per kid ages 12 and under, and 3 and under are free. There's also a $3 Museums for All Discounted Ticket and non-resident visitors who receive food assistance (SNAP, WIC) or have a foster care license can receive reduced admission by presenting their EBT card or foster care license and a photo ID. Accessibility is addressed on their website and contact is encouraged with specific accessibility concerns. I loved this experience and I really loved both the grounds and the Bob Ross Experience. The center building was beautifully designed with very accessible options throughout. I was grateful to their hospital for making this happen with my weird schedule and absolutely loved it. The grounds are available for special events, though I wasn't utilizing this option and can't speak to weddings, etc. Great experience and a great place to visit for the family while in Muncie, Indiana. It's a reminder of the great legacy of the Ball Family that continues to this day. read more

Cool place. Some interesting displays on the Ball Family. They have cultural events here. They were doing a MLK event when I was there. The Ball mansions are down the street. Take a look sometime read more

This cultural center is part conference center/part museum on the inside, with gardens and historical buildings on the grounds. Built on the former site of the Frank C Ball estate (it burned in 1967), this two-story building has several exhibits on display at a time. During my visit, there was one about Dinosaur Discovery with fossils and recreations of dinosaurs. Another exhibit had to do with found Messages in a Bottle. Both exhibits were enhanced by lighting and sound and made for a cool experience. In addition to the exhibits, the site hosts an imagination playground, lots of information about the Ball company and family, and a room of collections that were collected over the years. The main floor is mostly conference rooms for hosting events. The outside of the building features a large, gleaming metal sculpture called "Catalyst" by Beverly Stucker Precious (2004) with two metal figures arching in a circular fashion around a colorful band through the middle. To the south of the building is a rose garden with an ornate seating gazebo. To the north is an orchard garden and herb garden. To the west is a group of six columns centered in a triangular pocket park by the parkway. The rest of the property has a gift shop/grocery called the Orchard Shop on the north end of the property while the land to the west is the location for the remaining homes of the Ball Family which are owned by the Minnetrista or BSU. Some are used for classes. Inside the Minnetrista is a diorama on the first floor that tells about the owner of each home and the type of architecture the building represents. Overall, my visit was a fun way to learn about the local history of this important family in Muncie as well as to enjoy spending time in the gardens. Definitely a must visit spot when in town! Review #940 read more

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This is such a pretty space, definitely worth a visit. The folks here are so nice, and the collections are really interesting.

For full disclosure: I worked at Minnetrista for about 9 months. This review is more about the work environment than the events or the grounds. I do believe that how an organization treats their workers should be publicized though, and that's my reasoning for writing this review. Overall, I'd say that working with Minnetrista is a 2/5 experience. I think that management's expectations are not clear and consequences are not handed out equally. This leads to several of the events that were put on in my tenure were often completely organized by 1, 2, or 3 people out of the several dozens of workers in management. There's a lot of subjectivity in the hiring process. They also clearly used the pandemic as an excuse to 'clean house' and were not honest about laying people off. They had said it would be temporary, but moved to laying many workers off permanently with little to no reason. I genuinely believe that despite being an organization focused on the community, management lacks a lot of empathy for workers and even patrons - adding in extra procedures that are headache inducing and not well implemented. While these are simply fixed problems, opinions from lower employees are often outright dismissed. Lower level employees often feel dismissed and overlooked, as if they were expendable, despite Minnetrista touting "family values". As I stated before, I think it's important for the public to know how an organization treats its employees because it is a reflection on the organization as a whole. read more

Had my wedding ceremony and reception at Minnetrista. They were as accommodating as possibly with all of my needs, and more importantly, all of the needs of the bride. They were upfront about all costs and fees and charges, etc. No surprises, which is a great thing. On a side note, even though they disclose everything to yu, it doesn't add up in your head like it does on paper. Be prepared for the fact your final quote won't be the number you thought it would be. Not unless you pan much better than I do. Not that any of that is Minnetrista's fault. When we got there, Stephanie was already there making sure vendors got what they needed. They staff was friendly and answered anything we asked and helped us through any problems. The gardens were pretty and the reception room looked better than I imagined it could. Couldnt be happier with how it all turned out. read more

I don't know what this place is, but I like it. Here for a wedding and the grounds just kept going. If I hadn't been in high heels I would have been scouring this whole place. Saturday has an awesome farmers market. I have never seen so many people with wagons and no children in them before in my life. I was then informed they were for totting all the fruits, veggies, and plants from the market. I popped in for a blueberry scone that was delicious and $1. The reception was held in the Minnetrista Cultural Center and it was great. The staff was really accommodating and friendly, even when we had some inebriated guests. I would love to come back with my bike and/or dogs to really get a feel for how expansive this place really is. read more

The Minnetrista is one of the defining features of the city of Muncie. If you live in or have visited Muncie and have not been to the Minnetrista, you have been short changed on your experience. It is blessed with beautiful landscape and architecture and provides a center for many community activities. Truly a unique experience. read more

Ever since I moved to Muncie, this is where I dreamed of having my wedding. Once he popped the question, I went straight there to book a date. The coordinator I met with was very nice and accommodating. We made plans and signed contracts. Apparently this coordinator left, and the new ones never called me. I finally got a hold of them and went over all the details again. This time, items that had been promised to me, I was told were void. Stephanie was nice, but the other coordinator was not. I had to instruct Stephanie, in fact, that the main coordinator was not allowed to be present during my event as she had upset me so much. VERY OVERPRICED. Every little thing is extra and you would think that the high base price would cover the cost. One would think that they would be accommodating to the high end patrons to attract high-end repeat business, as again this is not an affordable option for most people in the community. The gardens are beautiful and the grounds are well kept...A+ in this area. My wedding was beautiful and I received many compliments. I have to stress though, that they will try to charge for extras and were not helpful to me as a bride. I had spent months planning this wedding based on what I had originally discussed with the event coordinator only to find out a few weeks prior that they were going to charge an extra $2000 for what I had already been promised to be included. There are more accommodating and affordable options in the area. read more