Indiana State Museum

Over half a million items are housed across the three floors of the Indiana State Museum, offering a hands-on experience of the best the state has to offer. Even the building itself is constructed entirely of local materials, while the interior offers a tribute to indigenous art, science and culture. The central location in White River State Park also couldn’t be more convenient as the city’s IndyGo bus stops right outside.

The majority of items in the museum’s vast collection have some connection with Indiana, and the ever-changing rotation of exhibits means that there’s always something new to discover. Make friends with Fred, the 13,000-year-old skeleton of a bull mastodon from the Indiana plains, and trace the geological history of the state in the Birth of the Earth exhibit. Learn about the Native Americans’ struggle to preserve their heritage and rights during the pioneering Wild West era of The Nineteenth State, or ride a vintage train to the Crossroads of America, when Indiana was emerging into a golden age of power and prosperity.

Watch the assembly line of local products pass by in Enterprise Indiana, which explores the changing nature of work from farm to factory, then visit Global Indiana to see some of the everyday objects that have put the state on the world map, such as the EasyBake Oven. American Originals celebrates local heroes including novelist Kurt Vonnegut and talk show host David Letterman.

Once you’ve exhausted the interior exhibits, take a wander along the 92 Country Walk, which passes 92 different sculptures and outdoor works of art, or sit back and enjoy a film in the largest IMAX theatre in Indiana. Then head for the L. S. Ayres Tea Room, a replica of the popular Indianapolis institution, to sample its famous chicken velvet soup and fried Monte Cristo sandwiches.

The Indiana State Museum is on the White River Wapahani Trail, a heritage footpath and cycle track. Nearby attractions include the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art and the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

The museum is open every day except Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas. Entry is half price on the first Tuesday of every month.