Indiana Historical Society — Attraction in Indianapolis

Was here on a Tuesday and it was pretty boring. I was the only non-worker in the whole place! There was maybe 5 or 6 exhibits and they were pretty small. I think if the museum spent less time and money on the "high tech VR" experiences in each exhibit, they would have had more room to make them more expansive. For instance, there was an exhibit about the time that the KKK showed up at the University of Notre Dame and a fight broke out where the students were tackling and stealing the hoods of the KKK members. I walked through the room twice and read the stories and the background and everything, but then after reading all about the lead-up, there is no information about this specific event. Unless I glanced over it or missed it somewhere, but it had the build-up and the after-math and nothing from it taking place. It was quite strange. There was a gallery about Chuck Taylor which was on one side of the room and the KKK thing was on the other side. There was a gallery about a musician in the 30's or 40's and then a Jewish woman who survived the death camps and moved to Terra Haute. There was one more exhibit called "Circus City", but it was closed when I was there. The cafe was also closed as well. I just figured that the "Indiana Historical Society" would have more to offer than 5...

At my most recent visit, the L.S. Ayres & IN Constitution interactive exhibits required "suspension of disbelief," but for those willing to play along, it was an amusing way to learn. Children brought to them were puzzled and probably understood little of what they were seeing.The T.C. Steele art exhibit gave a once-in-a-lifetine chance to see a large group of privately held and seldom-exhibited paintings by Indiana's iconic painter. The interactive computer-based history room is the one area where a visitor could spend hours digging into specific areas of IN history. Other exhibits were restricted to panels with text and photos about various aspects of state history. Friendly and helpful docents were ready for conversation about the exhibits. The Cole Porter room has brief biographical information & photographs, but the highlight for me was the charming and talented young lady who sang Porter songs on request. While I enjoy my visits, be aware this is a small museum as part of IHS's larger missions. Unlike, say, the Indiana State Museum, it's not a place where most visitors would enjoyably spend the day. It will be best appreciated when visited for the special exhibitions or specific research. Happily, there is convenient parking in the museum's adjacent lot (but it is small and at...

A Must-Visit Gem in Indiana!

I had the pleasure of visiting the Indiana Historical Society Museum today, and it was an incredible experience! The interactive Eva Korr "Auschwitz to Indiana" exhibit was deeply moving and heartbreaking. The Cole Porter room, modeled after a bar at the Waldorf Astoria, is filled with Porter mementos, including his Tony Award.

A lovely chanteuse in the room asked me what song I'd like her to sing of Porter's, and "You're the Top" made my day! As I strolled around, she shared various fascinating facts about Porter's life--marvelous!

The Chuck Taylor exhibit was fantastic, and the exhibit on how Hoosiers fought back against the KKK in Indiana was both poignant and inspiring. On the fourth floor, a wonderful series of photos about Gene Stratton-Porter, an American writer, nature photographer, and naturalist from Indiana, caught my eye. There are also smaller exhibits on conservation and protests.

This museum is amazing, and I can't wait to return! Highly...