The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis dates back to 1925 and now, with more than 130,00 artifacts and more than 4,00 programs, is the world’s largest children’s museum.
Highlights include the Dinsophere, the historic carousel, a 55-ton steam engine, cultural exhibits, a 43-foot tall tower of Chihuly glass, an international space station exhibit, and a plethora of sports-themed, interactive outdoor exhibits.
If you visit, be sure to set a good part of your day, because it’s the kind of attraction that offers something surprising and engaging at every turn for both kids and adults.
Behind The Scenes At The Children’s Museum
Like most museums, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis can only display a very small part of its collection. And with such a large collection, that means that a lot of really great stuff is kept in storage.
Lucky for us, Chris Carron, the museum’s Director of Collections, offers occasional behind-the-scenes tours of the treasures.
Here are just a few of our favorites.
The Children’s Museum has the world’s largest collection of Mr. Potato Head memorabilia
Inside this matchbox is a diorama of a village populated with dress fleas. It is one of the smallest objects in the collection.
This Steiff bear was once used as a store display. It’s big, but the museum’s dinosaurs are far bigger.