Indiana State Museum — Attraction in Indianapolis

Somehow, mere hours after leaving my first review Google review ever, I was placed in a situation where leaving a second review was necessary. My trip to the Indiana State Museum can only be described as the single best experience that freeform academia could possibly comprehend.

To start, almost every exhibit at the Indiana State Museum provides a fantastic interactive experience that is sure to catch the attention of adults and keep the interest of kiddos at any age. Personally, my favorite was the extensive knowledge of Indiana's broadcast history through television and radio. Though the Major Taylor exhibit and extensive art collection were amazing as well.

However, I believe what made this trip so special was the interactions offered by a staff that provided light hearted laughs and engaging conversation. Lucas was a knowledgeable man of his craft who referred me to the exhibit where fellow animal enthusiast Ralph would imitate the calls of wild animals.

Addie, (Aka: Carroll) was very enthusiastic in her fondness for the art of Frank Dudley, a painter who captured the blissful spectacle that is the Indiana Dunes perfectly. Her willingness to engage in conversation made my friend and I feel very welcome at the museum and gave the perception that we were but a gaggle of chums sharing in the mutual interest of the great state of Indiana.

My friend and I unfortunately only got the chance to interact with Morgan after we had finished touring the museum. She was with Carroll and Lucas as we returned to them to deliver my rankings of Ralph's animal calls. Sad to say I did not get the chance to engage in asking Morgan much about her interests in the museum and what I should focus on, but I trust she is a quality employee by the company that she keeps. She did spend quite some time defending the state of Ohio, which while misplaced, was a noble task to take on.

To summarize, the Indiana State Museum is the single greatest collection of artifacts and works of art that could possibly be assembled under a Hoosier Sun. I defend the honor of this institution with my every waking breath should I have to.

Atmosphere - Four stars, the IMAX screen was too large and made...

Went to this museum on a morning when I really needed to waste a few hours before other plans. Ended up seeing a really nice museum, set up in sections like a timeline of the history of Indiana. It was a varied selection, starting with fossils, then going to wildlife, native Americans, then settlers and more modern history. Did like how they didn’t shy away from the bad things that happened as well as the good when it came to things like discrimination and forcing natives west. Like any state museum, it did promote the good parts of the state a lot, and the back third got slightly repetitive (did you know Hoosiers are naturally conservative? The museum tells you like a dozen times then ends with things that show the opposite lol) but the general feeling of this place certainly is closer to a 5 than a 4.

This place feels good for kids too, and while none were with the small group I was in, if you’re in the area with yours this is a nice stop. The cafe, surprisingly, is rather good, and portions there are large so that’s where the higher than expected prices come from. I’m a big eater and barely finished the club sandwich so you can get a nice museum morning for 2-3 hours then lunch at the same spot if you don’t want to search other...

What a gorgeous museum that makes me proud to be a Hoosier. I went up to the Indiana State Museum on Friday night a 6pm to see the Opening of the exhibit "200 Years of Indiana Art: A Cultural Legacy" and when I walked into the Special Exhibition Gallery on the 3rd Floor I was pleasantly surprised to see that my sterling silver and marble Tuscany Tea Service that I made was the first art work that I saw. It was beautifully displayed in a specially built display case of perfect craftsmanship. The entire exhibition is wonderful with such a variety of art work and artifacts. It wasn't just all painting, although there were some beautiful paintings. There were lots of crafts and sculpture by well know artists, many of which were university and college professors at some point in their lives. I saw many works that I loved and that amazed me. I even when back the next day to spend more time in the exhibit and to see the rest of the museum. Many thanks to Mark Ruschman for curating such a wonderful exhibition and to his staff for the professional installation they did of both galleries of the show. Not to be missed!!! There is also a terrific cafe...