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two little girls using shadow exhibit at the indiana state museum

I Visited the Indiana State Museum For the First Time In 25 Years — It Blew Me Away

Posted on November 30, 2022December 2, 2022 by Rebekah

Like most children growing up in Indiana, I visited the Indiana State Museum on a fourth-grade field trip.

In the ensuing 25 years, I’ve become an avid traveler, visiting museums around the United States and abroad. However, I had not returned to the Indiana State Museum until this month.

two young girls looking at fred the mastodon at the indiana state museum

I am thrilled to share that the facility blew me away. In fact, if you live in the midwest, the museum is an option on par with Chicago’s acclaimed Field Museum. My daughters, ages 3 and 6, accompanied me on the excursion and they enjoyed every moment!

My oldest, Lilly, wants to return to visit her new famous friend, Fred the Mastodon — who has even been featured on NPR — very soon, in fact. She took quite a liking to him.

Prehistoric Creatures

Besides Fred and a couple of his friends, including another mastodon and a wooly mammoth, the museum is home to a ground sloth, a giant beaver, a giant short-faced bear [all below], and more. All of these prehistoric animals were once found in what is now the Hoosier State.

[l-r] giant short-faced bear, giant beaver, and ground sloth skeletons at the indiana state museum

One of my girls’ favorite exhibits was an interactive station that allows kids (and adults!) to see exactly how wooly mammoth and mastodon jaws operated.

The prehistory section of the Indiana State Museum also features a replica of an ice-age cave that gets colder as you walk through it. The attention to detail makes you feel like you’ve actually stepped back to the age of the dinosaurs — or thereabouts, at least.

Interactive Exhibits at Gallery One

Gallery One, a permanent installation unique to the Indiana State Museum, features 5,000 square feet of fun engineered to help your entire family see the world in a brand new way.

The gallery features numerous installations, meant to spark conversations among museum-goers of all ages. Ella, my youngest, was fascinated by a historic engine attached to a sound mixing board. Kids can even put on headphones to create their own one-of-a-kind mixes!

little girl looking at a historic engine in gallery one at the indiana state museum

We also greatly enjoyed a “scratch and sniff” style game featuring various Indiana scents, including the iconic shrimp cocktail sauce from St. Elmo Steak House and movie theater popcorn, maybe even produced by Hoosier brand Orville Redenbacher’s.

Each of the discs you see in the following photo contains a scent. The object of the game is to match each smell to its corresponding item in the glass case. This is an incredibly fun way for kids to learn about the state without getting the slightest bit bored.

little girl playing scratch and sniff interactive game in gallery one at the indiana state museum

There are also plenty of exhibits grown-ups will appreciate in Gallery One. I was astounded by a room filled with artwork that appears to change depending on the lighting.

If you sit on the bench in the center of the space throughout the entire light show, you’ll see that each piece tells an unexpected story. This immersive experience felt like it should be at MoMA, and I highly encourage you to visit the museum to experience it yourself!

woman sitting on contemporary grey bench surrounded by museum artwork

The museum’s official webpage for the gallery shares:

Here, you’ll discover interesting and unexpected pairings of objects from our collection. Our goal is to have you, as our guest, complete the gallery experience—making it relevant and bringing it to life! Our big idea? We want you to interact with objects in provocative, playful, and unexpected ways. It’s about more than just the objects in our collection. It’s all about giving you the space to experience this unique collection in surprising, new ways.

L.S. Ayres Tea Room

As a lover of both the turn-of-the-century and shopping, the L.S. Ayres Tea Room is easily my favorite space in the entire Indiana State Museum.

l.s. ayres tea room history wall hanging

According to the museum’s details about the elegant restaurant:

The original Tea Room opened in 1905 on the 5th floor of the L.S. Ayres department store at the corner of Washington and Meridian Streets. It was so popular that in 1929 it was moved to the 8th floor and was expanded in size. For 85 years, it was the place to take children (dressed in their best, including hats and gloves) to learn proper manners, for families to gather in celebration of special events, and for women to see the current fashions as shown in “That Ayres Look” style shows. It became very dear to the community, but at a low point in the vitality of downtown, the May Company closed it in 1990.

mother and two daughters in holiday dresses at l.s. ayres team room

Today, the Indiana State Museum’s replica of the original Tea Room remains a spot to see and be seen in Indianapolis. Treat your family and friends to a nostalgic lunch buffet in this stunning space that will make you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time for an hour or two.

Upon exiting the Tea Room, your party will be greeted by another one of my favorite exhibits, the L.S. Ayres department store holiday window display from 1983.

l.s. ayres 1983 holiday window display

Inspired by the Art Deco era, the installation features animatronic holiday shoppers dressed in their winter best.

little girl in red dress coat standing by vintage l.s. ayres window display

My daughters and I all could have spent the entire day sipping hot chocolate by this gorgeous display (and very nearly did)!

Celebration Crossing

But if we hadn’t moved on from our department store windows, we wouldn’t be able to show you the adorable Celebration Crossing!

Although everything else in this guide is available to families year-round, this limited-time Christmas extravaganza began on November 25 and runs through January 1, 2023.

mother and two daughters in holiday dresses with santa and mrs. claus at the indiana state museum

In addition to classic photos with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus [above], Celebration Crossing offers a variety of wintery activities for children of all ages.

From roasting (pretend, of course) marshmallows…

two little girls roasting pretend marshmallows at indiana state museum's celebration crossing

to taking care of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and his pals…

two little girls taking care of stuffed rudolph the red nosed reindeer at indiana state museum's celebration crossing

to mailing letters to Santa…this is a well-planned area that keeps little ones occupied in a safe, contained area.

two little girls from behind mailing letters to santa at mailbox

We also thoroughly enjoyed the magnetic snowman dress-up board.

Both girls have been asking for one at home all week!

two little girls playing with magnetic snowman dress up at indiana state museum's celebration crossing

The highlight of the entire visit, though, was the Snowfall Express. This train ride through an enchanted forest — complete with “snoap” just like Disney World’s Main Street, U.S.A.! — features whimsical artwork by Indiana artist Candice Hartsough.

We even brought Bapaw along for the ride.

little girl with grandfather riding in train car wearing holiday dress-up clothes

Kids are given their very own souvenir tickets that get stamped when they board.

I couldn’t believe how adorable the moving woodland creatures were during our two trips on the Snowfall Express. Each time we noticed new scenes, including a mesmerizing depiction of the Northern Lights.

Ella was especially captivated.

little girl in train looking at snowfall express northern lights display at the indiana state museum

We also discovered an elephant wearing glasses, which endlessly amused my girls.

snowfall express woodland creatures artwork

The train engine itself is impressive, and both of my daughters briefly thought they were boarding a Disney World ride, which is a high compliment to the museum staff!

This is only the second year for the Snowfall Express ride, so I sincerely hope you take your family this holiday season if you haven’t visited the museum recently!

snowfall express train engine at the indiana state museum

We had a truly memorable day at the museum, and I know we’ll be back soon.

This is only a glimpse of all the things there are to see and do at the facility. If you visit soon, don’t hesitate to reach out on Instagram to let me know what you like best!

indiana state museum exterior

When are you going to visit the Indiana State Museum? Tell me in the comments!

The address of the Indiana State Museum is 650 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

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I’m Rebekah Barton, a lifelong lover of all things fashion and sparkly. I’m a Hoosier by birth but my heart resides in Manhattan, and I make it there as often as I possibly can. I found my place at the intersection of “mom life” and style, for the everyday woman who wants to elevate her look.

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