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January 2024 by William T.
Came here recently and had a pretty good time. Most of the exhibits were geared towards children, which worked for us because we had our son with us. I will say that I was a little surprised by the low number of exhibits given the price of the tickets. The train through the winter wonderland was very cool and I think our son really enjoyed it, so that was nice. We grabbed lunch at the cafe inside and it was honestly better than I expected. Overall, coming once was a pretty good idea, but not sure I'd visit again.
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January 2024 by Marcia G.
As a resident of Northwest Indiana, I must give a one star review. Apparently, according to the museum, nothing of historical interest happened in my part of Indiana. A mastodon was found in LaPorte, a few hundred natives were forced out of Michigan City, and a few famous people were born in Gary. Otherwise, nothing happened up in NW Indiana. I saw no mention of the steel industry, of the Indiana Dunes, of immigration to the Region, or of Great Lakes shipping. Focus was almost entirely on Indianapolis with occasional mention of things occurring elsewhere in the southern 2/3 of the state. If it weren't for the significant -- though typical of most state things -- disregard for us up north, I'd give the place 4 stars. They need a decent printed map, and better signage inside and to the parking.
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December 2023 by Sarah B.
If you live nearby it's a fun thing to do... more for the younger kids. Was done with everything in about an hour... isn't worth driving any sort of distance you are better off going to the children's museum there is more to do.
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December 2023 by Katie N.
Cute little museum; it took about 2 hours to walk through all of the exhibits. On the day of my visit, general admission was $20. There is underground parking right at the entrance. Of course, be prepared for field trips and annoying kids running around. I found the exhibits interesting and learned about the history of Indiana.
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November 2023 by Melissa B.
Overall, it is worth a visit here. It is a bit hard to find where the parking garage is, but follow the signs immediately before you see the museum. The underground parking is easy to navigate and, if you get it validated (they remind you, which I like), it's only $4. The tickets for us were $20 apiece, which is getting into frustrating territory. Even $15 would make sense, but for $20, they kinda have you by the collar. The first floor was about natural history, and though I'm a history buff, it's never as interesting as a more standard look through history. At first, we saw some exhibits that seemed kid-oriented, which is cool but not for us. After turning left, we finally saw some "regular" natural history displays. They could stand to have a bit of signage about this. The displays were very well put together, with lots of information about various native animals, recreated with lots of accuracy and proportionality! I also appreciate that they don't treat Native American history in what is now Indiana either by ignoring it or paying it "scraps" in the form of tokenization. Instead, there is a good information about Indiana's first peoples, which is crucial to understanding the state's history. The second floor is similarly comprehensive, and it could also benefit from a tiny bit of signage to ensure there's a chronological flow for visitors. There are some cool artifacts related to Abraham Lincoln's youth, and you continue to see a great combination of artifacts and written information throughout the floor. They have a good amount of vintage cars - not replicas, but the real deal! There are also some war uniforms. It is arresting and unnerving to see a real-life KKK robe and hood there, but I am glad they show the bad parts of state history as well. It is not fun to look at that, but it needs to be there all the same. The second floor does a good job showing women's history throughout and not just shoving it into a small corner. Another fun part of the second floor is a circular internal room where you learn about tons of different people who come from Indiana - some will definitely be surprises!
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November 2023 by Jacoby C.
Exhibits were good and interesting. I liked the sound and what it showed The top floor was closed unfortunately so it was a little shorter trip than we wanted to have there but the cafe has great food. Way better than we were expecting honestly may go back just for the fries
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October 2023 by Abel F.
Popped in on their late night hours and had a great time exploring the galleries and taking in a heavy dose of Indiana history. Great displays for all ages.
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July 2023 by Jayne H.
What a great museum! I was impressed enough with the museum, but the bonus was that there is an Imax movie theatre in the building, so I got to go to the movies, too! I especially liked the car exhibit on display when I was there in May. Well worth the price!
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July 2023 by Glenn C.
We didn't have time to see the entire museum.We enjoyed our over 2 hours traversing the corridors. Indiana was the leader in cars. I thought it was Detroit. They had a Lincoln exhibit and lots of Indiana history. The ice age and ancient animal bones were cool. If you have extra time, go to the Imax and have some popcorn. They had the new Indiana jones playing. 20 dollars to get in. 18 for seniors 60+ and 1 dollar less for AAA
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June 2023 by Jennifer L.
This museum saved our Indy staycation from Bloomington Indiana. We had to cancel our trip to the zoo because the air quality was so bad because of the Canada fires 28 June 2023. Our hotel pool was out of order. Rain incoming. Good reasonably priced kids meals in the cafeteria combined with fun exhibits for kids and adults alike ended nicely with an IMAX movie. We got a family membership at a discount because we're veterans. We will be back.
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June 2023 by Michael T.
Very nice! I am not always a fan of State museums, but this one was very nice. I went because it was covered by my Indy Pass, which allows you entry into the Indianapolis Zoo and several local museums, and I was very glad I did. The building itself is quite beautiful and interesting (see some of my pictures), and the exhibits are actually very interesting. At the time I visited, they had a special exhibit on the role Indiana played in car production in the early 1900's, which I really enjoyed. They also had an exhibit of a local artist which was very nice. And on the lower floor they had an excellent interactive exhibit on objects, where modern and historical was mixed together along with an emphasis on colors, shapes etc. I believe it was to get you to feel like a curator yourself. It was very attractive and interesting. Well worth a visit.
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May 2023 by Ed L.
I noticed the Indiana state museum that's directly across the street from my hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott - downtown Indianapolis after I had checked in. Curiosity was gold. I learned that the Indiana State Museum didn't close its doors till 8pm that day I was in town in May 2023, so I went ahead and booked myself here to gain some experience and introspective during my travels. I look about an hour or so before venturing out to find dinner options that night. The Indiana state museum was a fairly large museum that boasts a lot of exhibits and information that carves out the history of the area. I was amazed at how far back they decide to highlight in the museum and various areas of focus they decided to display. The joys of history in Indiana and around Indianapolis was evident, since Indiana wasn't part of the United States civil war until after its conclusion. The museum provides a lot of information and details on how the cultural and historical influences help shape Indiana over the years. I did the self guided tour and it was good to immerse myself to learn about other places and the history behind it. There is some element of enjoyment when it comes to learning and enriching myself thru this method. The influence of the native Americans and the early white Americans settling in the Indiana region was pretty poignant and powerful. The overall experience here at the Indiana state museum was very beneficial, enlightening, and very much rewarding. Insightful too, especially when I learned about the many hardships these early citizens to the area faced, along with the elements and just the world they were coming to, the early Americans and the importation of labor into the country in the 1830's. The museum is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. Everything seemed to be arranged to maximize the visitor experience. The museum has restrooms too, if you need them. The museum is amazing and definitely immaculate. The staff was friendly and helpful, if there was any questions or concerns that one must have about the history of Indiana, its influences within the area, and with the emerging nation after statehood. I enjoyed myself here, immersing myself with knowledge before having to run a marathon race in 2 days after my visit. Truth is stranger than fiction. If you're in downtown Indianapolis Indiana and want something to do, consider coming to the Indiana State museum. It's quite a great place to be to learn about the past. The Indiana State Museum is located at 650 W Washington Street in SW downtown Indianapolis Indiana. They have a fee for admission, but it's definitely well worth the price. As far as parking option goes, there is parking available for patrons and visitors to the museum itself. There's also paid parking garages nearby and elsewhere in downtown Indianapolis. If you need the IndyGo bus service, choose the right routes that's available to get you here. As for myself though, just happened to stay literally across the street at the courtyard by Marriott hotel, so I just popped on over as soon as I dropped my luggage into the room. If you are a museum person, this is the place for you, as well as the other one that's next door. Just had the time to do one of them during my time in Indianapolis and hope to do the others on future trips to Indianapolis. Do yourself a favor and come and see how Indianapolis and Indiana came to be. 5.0 stars for the overall experience Support local! A+
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May 2023 by Claude S.
I genuinely consider this museum the blueprint for what a great history museum should be. First and foremost, the museum has found a way to strike a perfect balance between interactive and engaging activities and more static displays, making it an awesome spot for learners of all ages. Secondly, I am always impressed by how constantly the Indiana State Museum updates and improves both their exhibits and the UX itself. It's very easy to navigate, and the journey through time from the natural history exhibits of the ground floor to the cultural history of the second floor is excellent in contributing to an immersive experience. I cannot overstate how much I value the museum's continued dedication to transparency about the violence and general harm caused by the state (and country, etc) towards Native people, enslaved people, the land itself, and more, in addition to focusing on highlighting contributions of Indigenous and Black community members in exhibits detailing their role in the State's history, past and present, even when it's deeply uncomfortable. Too many history museums shy away from the harsh truths of State / Settler violence, instead opting for a narrative that intentionally excludes or seriously downplays the impact of Colonialism and the like. I also appreciate that there are no additional fees for special exhibits (besides of course IMAX shows). The accessibility of this museum really contributes to what makes it my all time favorite.
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April 2023 by Laura M.
I always enjoy going to the museum but this week we were looking for something to entertain a 4 year old. ISM is perfect. Plenty of exhibits and events the whole family will love. Check their event's schedule ahead of time as they always have something fun for kids. This time they had easels set up so the kids could draw whatever they wanted. They also had an area where the kids could crate their own wind spinners. All the staff were great with the kids and kept them interested. We had lunch at the Farmers Market Cafe and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it is. Good basics for kids and nice choices for adults. Salads, sandwiches, wraps and desserts. I can recommend the Farmers Salad with Brie as well as the Club Sandwich which was huge. The PB&J was a hit too. Add a walk along the canal outside and everyone will leave happy.
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December 2022 by Laura S.
Took the kids to ride the holiday train. There were little play stations in the middle of the room where you wait in line for train. What a brilliant idea. The kids get to play while the grown up waits and the line circles the play area so you can see the kids the whole time. We enjoyed riding the little train, 3 times in fact. Then we visited the second and first floor briefly. There are stations for the kids to play at or do activities like look at the rocks through microscope. We arrived too late to see the short films at the IMAX. Those show quite early if you're interested. Please note the parking is pretty expensive. You will probably pay at leat $15 to $20.
