Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
We are so fortunate to live very close to one of the best children’s museums in the world! I have many childhood memories of this awesome museum and my girls have grown up going there frequently. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has 5 floors of fun and educational exhibits for kids. Many exhibits are permanent, but there are also some temporary exhibits that are frequently changed. They also have a large outdoor sports area.
This children’s museum is larger than any we have visited. It is also great because there are things that people of all ages will enjoy. Babies, toddlers, kids, teen, and adults will all find something to enjoy.
Starting on the top floor of the museum, level 4, you can find science works. This exhibit has a large water table including locks that the kids can fill and empty. They can use them to lift and lower toy boats between differing water levels. There are also hands on exhibits in this area about geology, caves, different types of rocks, farming and agriculture, and eating healthy. There is a wall for horizontal rock climbing.
The famous carousel is also on level 4. This is a beautiful antique carousel. I have many pictures of my girls on this carousel all through their childhoods. Never miss a chance to ride a beautiful carousel.
Near the carousel there is a play area great for imaginative play. Kids can pretend to work or visit a cute ice cream shop, hang out in a playhouse, climb into a tree house for a bird’s eye view, or use a secret passage from one end of the area to the other.
Also in this area there are some board games and some classic video games for parents and kids to explore together. A mirror maze is always fun. This one includes a place to stop for a tea party with some big teddy bears.
Going down the large ramps in the middle of the museum will take you to level 3. On level 3 there is an exhibit called the Power of Children. This exhibit is best for older kids. I think kids need to be at least 8 for this particular exhibit. Kids can learn about kids who have used their voices and influence in very difficult situations. They will learn about Anne Frank, Ryan White, Ruby Bridges, and Malala Yousafzai.
The other exhibit on level 3 is called playscape. This area is focused on the younger visitors to the museum. It is designed for children 5 & under. Opportunities for art and music are included as well as water play and sand play. There are also blocks, balls, and a wind tunnel. A special fenced in area is perfect for the new walkers. Inside that area are some enclosed play spaces for crawling and sitting babies. It is great to have a special area for the youngest kids to enjoy safely.
On to level 2, you will find several more exhibits. One of these is called Take Me There, Greece. You enter the exhibit by sitting in a pretend airplane for a pretend flight to Greece. Once you exit the plane you can visit Greek homes, a market, a restaurant, and a fishing boat. You can learn about Greek money, dancing, food, music, and art. There is also an area dedicated to sea turtle research that is happening in Greece.
American Pop is also on level 2. This exhibit showcases some American Pop Culture. There are items to be seen from different time periods and also some toys and hands on activities.
There is a part of the dinosaur exhibit on level 2. It looks at art and dinosaurs. You can learn about analyzing dinosaur bones and the process of figuring out what the dinosaur looked like. There are some drawing activities and a clay activity.
Level 2 also has a few different temporary exhibit spaces that feature different exhibits at different times. Recent topics include Scooby Doo, Doc McStuffins, Barbie, Winter Holidays, Ancient Greece, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not.
Level 1 is the home of the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience. This is a very large exhibit space with indoor and outdoor things to see. Inside you can learn a little bit about gymnastics, rowing, baseball, basketball, auto racing, and the histories of various sports. Outdoors there are spaces for kids and adults to learn and play several sports. Each area looks cute and also allows for actual play. Sports available include basketball, football, soccer, baseball, hockey, tennis, and auto racing. There is a track available for walking or running. It also has fitness stations set up for kids and adults to pause their walk and do different strengthening exercises. Mini golf is also available. There are a couple of different courses of varying difficulties depending on the ages in your party.
Also on level 1 is the dinosphere exhibit. There are multiple skeletons to see and a place to dig up new skeletons. There is a paleontology lab where you can watch real paleontologists work on real fossils. You can also talk to them and ask questions. There are many other parts of the exhibit teaching about and allowing play about dinosaurs as well.
The cafeteria and gift shop are located on level 1. This is also the level where you will enter and exit the museum.
One of my favorite things in the whole museum is on this level. It was a favorite when I was a kid and is still a favorite. It is a Rube Goldberg style ball machine. Kids move the balls between a few locations on the outside and then the balls roll around and bounce on things inside making sounds. I could listen to it for a long time and I love to watch it.
There are several more exhibits on the lower level also. There is a theater with a live cast who perform live theater on a rotating basis. Sometimes tickets are required even though they are included with admission, so check early in the day if you’d like to attend.
The Beyond Spaceship Earth exhibit allows you a chance to visit the International Space Station. There are interactive activities there to learn about life in space.
Fireworks of Glass features a large Chihuly piece of glass sculpture. It reaches the full height of the museum. From the Fireworks of Glass exhibit you can look up through the bottom of the piece. Kids can create their own art from “glass.” There is also a video game about how blown glass is done.
National Geographic Treasures of Earth is an exhibit on this floor. Here you can see, learn about, and play with mummies, pyramids, terra cotta warriors, and ship wrecks.
All Aboard is also located on the lower level. This is a train exhibit. There are model trains to watch and interact with. There is a train station for kids to sell and collect tickets. A simulated train ride and a train table are also found here.
I highly recommend anyone visiting Indianapolis with kids of any age visit the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis! There are so many things to see and do. It is a great place for fun and learning along the way.
