How to Explore the Children's Museum of Indianapolis: A Gallery Guide

With a dozen galleries and 400,000 square feet, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis can be overwhelming to first-time visitors. Here's how to make the most of your time at the museum and create great memories for you and your children.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Money for admission
• Comfortable walking shoes
• A sack lunch or money to purchase a meal in the cafeteria
• Your camera for the many great photo opportunities

1. Park in the museum's parking lot or in the parking garage across the street. When you walk into the museum, head to the ticket booths on your left to purchase admission tickets.

2. Start at the museum's Dinosphere gallery, to the right of the main entrance. Constructed within the old IMAX theater space, the gallery re-creates the Jurassic atmosphere with changing skies, nature noises and occasional thunderstorms (which might scare very young children). Sure, there are posed dinosaur bones here, but that's not all. Kids can dig for bones in a sand pit, guard eggs in a dinosaur "nest," crawl through tunnels to discover the bugs of the Jurassic period and even smell the scents dinosaurs would have recognized. Plan to spend at least an hour here.

3. When you exit the Dinosphere exhibit, you'll be on the museum's lower level. First, visit the ticket booth for your free tickets to one of the day's planetarium shows. Next, head to the All Aboard gallery, where you can explore a real train and play in a make-believe train station. (The paper train "tickets" make good scrapbook fodder.) You'll also find a collection of model trains running on tracks along walls and the ceiling, so give the kids time to crawl through the tunnels and watch the trains from several levels.

4. Still on the lower level, enter the "What If?" gallery. This is a varied exhibit that incorporates undersea adventures and an exploration of ancient Egyptian culture. There are plenty of hands-on activities in both sections, including the chance to appear on TV dressed like a fish. Kids can also explore a small submarine, build Egyptian monuments with blocks and look into the face of a real mummy.

5. Unless it's time for your planetarium show, walk up the circular, central ramp to the second floor. On the way, you can't miss the breath-taking Fireworks of Glass sculpture, a recent installation by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. Once you reach the second floor, pose for a photo with the stuffed polar bear and head toward the balcony overlooking the entry hall. In galleries opening onto this balcony, you'll find temporary, traveling exhibits on a variety of topics. It's also where you'll find the sack lunch area, if you brought your own lunch.

6. Your next stop is the Passport to the World gallery, still on the second floor. The "plaza" area of the gallery often features international singers, dancers or musicians, so check the daily schedule for performance times. Passport is one of the museum's older galleries, and it's not as interactive as it could be, but there are often crafts and other activities to join. The gallery has displays on international clothing, celebrations, language and music.

7. Is it close to 1 p.m. yet? If so, round up the kids and head back to the entry hall to watch North American's largest water clock turn from 12:59 p.m. to 1 p.m. People expect the clock to be at its most impressive at noon, but 1 p.m. is much better. The water-filled spheres and discs marking the hours and minutes completely empty out at that time, leaving only the solitary "1" sphere full. If you haven't already eaten, now's a good time to grab a bite at the food court.

8. Back up the ramp you go, all the way to the third level. Have the kids sit in the driver's seat of the authentic Indianapolis 500 racecar for a great photo opportunity. If your kids are younger, visit Playscape, a play area that caters to children ages five and younger. They can play in water and sand features, pretend to be gardeners or construction workers, explore an artificial woodland and much more. Next door to Playscape is Story Avenue, which highlights the African-American community's storytelling tradition.

9. Head across the third floor to the Power of Children exhibit, which tells the stories of Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges and Ryan White. The exhibit encourages children to make a difference in their own way--and lets them know it's possible to have a real, positive impact on others.

10. Head up the ramp one more time to the fourth floor, where you should start with the ScienceWorks exhibit. Oh, what fun--but it's educational, too. Explore the environment of a freshwater pond, handle snakes at the periodic animal shows, learn about nutrition and play with construction equipment. Visit the Creek Area water table, where children usually choose to flood the tiny towns, then build your own boat in the Dock Shop. There are plenty of other interesting things along the way. As you leave the gallery, take a few minutes to peer into the dollhouses on display in the hallway.

11. Now for the best gallery of all: Carousel Wishes and Dreams. The gallery feels like a mini-carnival. Buy a token and board the historic carousel, then explore the mirror maze or play a vintage board game with your kids. Then you'll probably need to ride the carousel again.

12. Is it almost 5 p.m.? If so, the museum is getting ready to close, but not without some fanfare. The museum's dinosaur mascot starts a parade near "Carousel Wishes and Dreams," which leads visitors down the ramp to the entry hall. It's a vibrant ending to a very full day.

13. Did I say we were finished? We're not. You still have to visit the museum's gift shop, which doubles as the best toy store in town. All you have to do now is give your kids a budget.

Tips & Warnings

• Museum admission is free on Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, El Dia de Los Ninos and Christmas Eve. Be warned: As you might expect, the museum is exceptionally crowded on those days.
• Museum admission is also free on the first Thursday of each month from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Check the schedule for the museum's Lilly Theater, which often has short, kid-friendly performances during the day. It's an alternative way to take a break, if, say, the darkness of the planetarium is a concern for your kids.
• If you plan to visit the museum more than twice a year, purchase a membership. A basic family membership costs just $80 a year, or the equivalent of about two visits with two adults and two children. Members are also invited to sneak previews of new exhibits, and they get free rides on the carousel and 15 percent off at the museum store.
• Check the museum's Web site before you visit. The museum is closed on Mondays from September to February, and also on some holidays.
• For younger children, the museum may be too much for one day. If so, you can break up the itinerary into two half days.

Resources

• Children's Museum of Indianapolis