Take a Trip Around the State
Welcome to the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites—a statewide museum network with 12 locations across Indiana. Here, we use our collection of artifacts (everything from mastodon bones to T.C. Steele paintings) and our state’s most culturally significant sites to tell larger stories around bigger themes. Whether you’re interested in art, architecture, history or science, we’ve got you covered. Come out and enjoy wide open spaces at our historic sites, explore three floors of fun at our downtown Indianapolis museum, and discover engaging online activities.
Explore Our Exhibits
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Thru March 21, 2022
Nikon's Small World
Celebrating photography through the microscope.
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Jan 22 thru May 15
How People Make Things
Bringing the manufacturing experience to life.
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Feb 5 thru July 17
Collecting Indiana
Recent Art Acquisitions
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March 5 thru Oct 23
Major Taylor: Fastest Cyclist in the World
Discover the life and career of champion bicycle racer and Indianapolis native Marshall “Major” Taylor.
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Wander Our Galleries
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The Animals that Shaped Indiana
Ancient Seas
Explore the marine life that once called Indiana home.
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Explore Indiana's Natural History
R.B. Annis Naturalist’s Lab
Explore Indiana’s natural history through your senses.
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A State of Change
Frozen Reign
Explore the Ice Age, beginning with a trip through an ice tunnel beneath a glacier.
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Indiana's Founding People
First Nations
Discover how ancestors of today’s Native Americans built vibrant communities in Indiana.
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Discover Diverse Landscapes
Natural Regions
Discover Indiana’s diverse and dramatic landscapes as early European explorers would have seen them.
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Indiana's Journey to Statehood
Contested Territory
Learn how Indiana moved from territory to statehood.
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Step into pioneer Indiana
19th State
Step into pioneer Indiana and learn why and how settlers made their homes in our state.
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People Who Lived in Early Indiana
The Hoosier Way
Learn how Indiana forged its identity as it emerged from the Pioneer era.
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Connecting Through Railroads
Crossroads of America
Learn how Hoosiers connected physically through railroads and shared messages through newspapers, books and music.
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Contributions to U.S. Milestones
Enterprise Indiana
Experience American milestones through the lens of Indiana’s contributions.
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Indiana's Influence on the World
Global Indiana
Demonstrating Indiana’s influence on a global scale.
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Hoosiers who made an impact
American Originals
Visit a room filled with the faces of famous Hoosiers.
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People Who Shaped Indiana
Legacy Theater
Providing a diverse cultural experience of Black heritage in Indiana.
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Visit Our Historic Sites
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Evansville, Indiana
Angel Mounds
A thousand years ago, southwest Indiana was home to a thriving community of Native Americans.
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Corydon, Indiana
Corydon Capitol
From Corydon’s colorful beginnings, Hoosier statesmen carefully built the foundations for the state we know today.
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New Albany, Indiana
Culbertson Mansion
The Culbertson Mansion reflects the affluence of a man once considered to be the wealthiest in Indiana.
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Rome City, Indiana
Gene Stratton-Porter
Explore the home of a beloved author, photographer, naturalist and entrepreneur.
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Madison, Indiana
Lanier Mansion
The perfect opportunity to encounter, explore and experience life as it was in the 1840s.
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Fountain City, Indiana
Levi & Catharine Coffin House
As conductors for the Underground Railroad, the Coffins helped more than 1,000 freedom seekers to safety.
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Geneva, Indiana
Limberlost
The Limberlost Swamp was the perfect laboratory for author Gene Stratton-Porter to study nature.
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New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony
Explore the birthplace of two 19th-century utopian communities
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Nashville, Indiana
T.C. Steele
Hoosier painter T.C. Steele and his wife Selma built their home in 1907 amongst these rolling hills.
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Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes
Explore Indiana’s oldest city, where territory officials made decisions that changed the future of the entire Midwest.
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Metamora, Indiana
Whitewater Canal
Discover how this 1840s feat of engineering changed Indiana from a pioneer outpost to the “Crossroads of America."
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Programs
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Jan 29, 2022 10:00 am - 5:00 pmIndiana State Museum
Create!
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Feb 1, 2022 10:00 am - 11:00 amSold Out
Small Wonders: Minerals Rock!
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Feb 1, 2022 10:00 am - 12:00 pmSold Out
Homeschool Tuesdays: City Structures
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Feb 1, 2022 1:30 pm - 3:30 pmSold Out
Homeschool Tuesdays: City Structures
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Feb 5, 2022 11:15 am - 12:00 pmT.C. Steele
Children's Tours
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Feb 5, 2022 6:00 pm - 8:30 pmLevi & Catharine Coffin
Redeeming Uncle Tom: The Josiah Henson Story
Latest BLog Posts
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Posted January 25, 2022
In Her Own Words: Beatriz Vasquez
Creator of the papel picado (cut paper) work “Mother Nature All Dressed Up,” now part of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites collection.
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Posted January 18, 2022
In His Own Words: Artist Derrick Carter
Creator of “Show & Tell,” a mixed-media artwork now part of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites’ permanent collection
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Posted January 13, 2022
I Have a Dream: Dr. King’s Legacy Lives On
On Jan. 17, 2022, the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites will honor the life, work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with free admission.
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Posted December 27, 2021
Lincoln News
See the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th Amendment Signed by Lincoln; Buy a Lincoln License Plate
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Posted December 20, 2021
The Ayres Tea Room: It’s a Family Affair
Read about four generations enjoying family time over a lunch that included (of course) chicken velvet soup; five generations overall.
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Posted December 16, 2021
Indiana’s Winter Wonderland
Dec. 21 marks the official beginning to winter, or the winter solstice. But what does that really mean?
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Posted December 9, 2021
The Life & Works of T.C. Steele
Todd Gould, creator of the documentary, Singing Winds: The Life & Works of T.C. Steele, talks about Steele’s work and importance in the art world.
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Posted November 19, 2021
Thanksgiving: A tradition centuries in the making
But do you know where this tradition came from, or when the national holiday actually came to be?
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Posted November 16, 2021
Creating the New Snowfall Express Train Ride
One specific goal: create a memorable experience that the entire family could share.
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Our Mission
To serve as a catalyst for informal lifelong learning that connects the stories of real people, places and things.
Our Vision
Be the leader in informal lifelong learning that is recognized, sought-after and celebrated regionally, nationally and globally.
