Edit filter log

' {{Infobox Museum |name=The Children's Museum of Indianapolis |image=childrenmuseum of indy.JPG |image size= |caption= |map_type= |map_caption= |latitude= |longitude= |established=1924 |dissolved= |location=[[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]] |type=Children's museum |visitors =1 million+ |director= |curator= |publictransit= |website=[http://www.childrensmuseum.org/'''Official website'''] }} '''The Children's Museum of Indianapolis''', the world's largest [[children's museum]], is located in the city of [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]], [[United States]]. Founded in 1925, the museum claims to be the fourth oldest such institution in the world. It is located in a working class neighborhood immediately north of downtown Indianapolis. The current building was built in 1976, and has had several significant expansions since then. == Inside the Museum == [[Image:Museum of indy.JPG|thumb|300px|right|New Welcome Center]]There are miniature exhibits throughout the museum as well as resource centers for tourists and schools. The main stairwell of the museum is actually a giant spiral ramp which allows visitors to access all five levels of the museum by walking or the use of strollers and wheelchairs. In 2006, world renowned glass artist [[Dale Chihuly]] installed a four story glass sculpture inside the central atrium of the giant spiral ramp. This installment is called "Fireworks of Glass" and is accompanied by an exhibit of Chihuly's glass blowing methods. [[Image:Indy museum glass.jpg|left|thumb|Fireworks of Glass sculpture]] ===Lower Level=== '''What If?''' is a popular attraction located in the lower level of the museum. When entering, you first explore an underwater setting (which features a few fish tanks). Visitors then come upon an open area known as the Dinosaur Discovery Area where children used to be able to dig for dinosaur bones. This area has been replaced with a few plasters of dinosaur bones with plaques. To the left of this area, visitors can enter a darkened hallway which resembles the insides of an [[Egyptian pyramid]]. While touring the "pyramid" they can gaze at Egyptian artifacts, including a replica of the real mummy which resided there on loan from the Chicago Field Museum until 2007. The lower level also hosts its own [[planetarium]] (the largest one in the state of [[Indiana]] with a capacity of 130 people), a theater, and a 55-ton steam engine designed by Reuben Wells in 1868 to conquer Indiana’s Madison Hill as well as a Pennsylvania Railroad caboose that visitors can find in the museums 'ALL ABOARD' Gallery[http://www.childrensmuseum.org/themuseum/allaboard/index.htm]. ===Ground Level=== [[Image:Indy_museum_clock.jpg‎|right|thumb|Water clock]] The Museum has an expansive courtyard, parking lot, and parking garage to accommodate large parties of visitors such as schools on field trips. The lobby of the Museum contains [[North America]]'s largest [[water clock]] as well as a large museum gift shop and a food court. The museum also boasts a {{convert|3000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} branch of the [[Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library]] called the [http://www.imcpl.org/about/locations/infozone.html InfoZone]. This replaced a geology gallery and a replica of an Indiana cave that were the first area one visited before the front lobby expansion. ===Second Level=== The second level is where many temporary special exhibits are hosted. The only permanent exhibit on this level is Take Me There: Egypt, Opening [[June 2009]]. ===Third Level=== [[Image:Childrens' Museum Indy Interior.JPG|thumb|270px|left|Interior of the Museum]] The third level features "The Power of Children: Making a Difference", a permanent exhibit featuring the stories of [[Anne Frank]], [[Ruby Bridges]] and [[Ryan White]] and the impact these children made on the world. The Power of Children creates a supportive environment where people can examine and discuss issues related to prejudice and discrimination and seek solutions to problems. Recreated, historically accurate environments reflect the special space where each child spent time. First-person interpreters, live theater and real artifacts make it possible for the public to become fully immersed in the lives of Anne, Ruby and Ryan while sounds, dramatic lighting, words and moving images draw visitors into the exhibit. Also on this floor is '''Story Avenue'''. Visitors take a walk through tour of an African American community. The people are life size mannequins that talk when visitors pass. The exhibit is an overall look at the oral story-telling traditions of African Americans. This is in the former Clowes Gallery, once the home of rotating exhibits, and for a long time, an exhibit called Pastimes, which dealt with games and leisure of the past. The exhibit became less popular when some coin-operated devices were removed or deactivated, such as an old-style flipperless [[pinball machine]] in a 1950s-style malt shop setup and a flip movie, and when the malt shop stopped serving food. Next door is the preschool play area called '''Playscape'''. Playscape includes a big raised sandbox area for children to play in, a raised water river where kids can play with water toys (water protective clothing is provided as well as an air hand dryer), a construction site, and multiple other interactive areas for children to play in. The third floor used to house the large Tyrannosaurus model. It was a walk through time featuring concepts of the formation of the earth in a witch's cauldron, a large model of Paleozoic insects the size of chickens in their environment, a model Pteranadon, an exhibit surrounding the mastodon skeleton unearthed in Indiana in the 1980s, a gallery of heads of human ancestors, and the mummy exhibit in hieroglyphed walls. People were welcomed to the exhibit by multiplate artwork of a [[Stegosaurus]]. ===Fourth Level=== Perhaps one of the museum's most popular and unique exhibits is a real life-size indoor [[carousel]] in the '''[[Broad Ripple Park Carousel|Carousel Wishes and Dreams]]''' gallery. The carousel was originally built for an amusement park (now [[Broad Ripple]] Park) in 1917 and was restored and reinstalled in this museum. It is considered the museum's biggest gallery artifact. The carousel is a [[National Historic Landmark]]. Also on this level is '''Science Works''', formerly '''Science Spectrum''', an exhibit completely devoted to exploring [[natural science]] and [[physical science]] through building activities. Children may build toy boats to float along the waterway, play in a construction zone, erect an arch, climb a rock wall, crawl through "underground" tunnels, observe a live pond, and many other activities. Within Science Works is a newly constructed biotechnology laboratory, which hosts daily events focusing on the future of [[DNA]] and chemistry. ===Dinosphere=== The '''Dinosphere''' is located in the spherical wing of the museum which is separate from the other exhibits, where the [[Iwerks Entertainment|Cinedome]] Theater was formerly located. There are several dinosaur art galleries and a wide open area which features fossil digs, real artifacts, and numerous life-size dinosaur fossils from the Cretaceous Period. Dinosphere features one of the largest displays of real juvenile and family dinosaur fossils in the U.S. [[Image:Indianapolis Children's Museum 011.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Model of the Reconstructed Dracorex Hogwartsia Skull]] Among the newest exhibits in the Dinosphere is the '''Dracorex hogwartsia'''. This is a recently discovered new type of dinosaur shown to exhibit several characteristics similar to those often associated with dragons and named after the fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry created by J.K. Rowling. From the fossilized remains of the skull and several vertebrate a scale model has been reconstructed, for display, as to what the dinosaur itself likely would have looked. For a more complete description of this dinosaur and an image of the reconstruction seen [[Dracorex]]. ==Phase II completion== Phase II was completed in [[June 2009]]. The Phase II project included: * A new Welcome Center * Extension of the skywalk connecting the garage to the new Welcome Center * Passenger drop-off lanes on the east side of Illinois Street * Expansion and relocation of infoZone * A new freight entrance * Expansion of the museum dock (all shipping and receiving) * A bike port and additional greening of the campus. [[http://www.indystar.com/article/99999999/NEWS/90622047/-1/MULTIMEDIA/Look+inside+Children+s+Museum+addition]] ==External links== *[http://www.childrensmuseum.org/ Museum website] {{coord|39|48|39|N|86|9|27|W|type:landmark_region:US-IN|display=title}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Childrens Museum of Indianapolis, The}} [[Category:Museums established in 1925]] [[Category:Museums in Indianapolis, Indiana]] [[Category:Children's museums in Indiana]] [[ja:インディアナポリス子供博物館]]'