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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Aug 27 thru Oct 23
Hoosier Art Salon 98th Annual Exhibition
See artwork from Hoosier artists in this annual competition.
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Thru Oct 30
Cardboard Engineering: Build a City
An interactive construction experience.
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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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An Evolving Collection
Gallery One
Interact with our unique collection of objects in playful and unexpected ways.
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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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Aug 7, 2022 11:15 am - 12:00 pmT.C. Steele
Children's Tours
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Aug 11, 2022 6:00 pm - 7:30 pmLevi & Catharine Coffin
Freedom Doctor: Medicine in the Days of Levi Coffin
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Aug 13, 2022 10:00 am - 11:00 amLevi & Catharine Coffin
Children's Herb Garden Workshop
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Aug 13, 2022 10:00 am - 5:00 pmLimberlost
GENEVA SESQUICENTENNIAL
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Aug 13, 2022 10:00 am - 5:00 pmWhitewater Canal
CHILDREN’S DAY AT METAMORA GRIST MILL
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Aug 13, 2022 1:00 pm - 2:30 pmNew Harmony
Weaving Through Time
Latest BLog Posts
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Posted August 4, 2022
Here Come the Judges
Judging has begun and Dawn Whitelaw and David Mueller got their first in-person look at the 155 artworks selected for the show.
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Posted August 1, 2022
Celebrate National Book Lovers Day
Bibliophiles across the nation celebrate National Book Lovers Day on Aug. 9 by picking up a beloved novel – or by finding a new favorite.
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Posted July 22, 2022
Viewing Major Taylor From All Sides
Artist Walter Lobyn Hamilton designed the entry to our new exhibit “Major Taylor: Fastest Cyclist in the World"
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Posted June 30, 2022
Made of limestone, glass, and stories
92-County Walking Tour: 20th Anniversary Edition showcases the sculptures that are imbedded in the exterior walls of the museum building.
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Posted June 30, 2022
Celebrating Independence
Citizens of the United States will celebrate the Independence Day holiday this week, but did you know the Continental Congress actually voted in favor
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Posted June 13, 2022
Beauty in the Bones
Eight to 10 hours a week, Deborah Patrick and Susan Brutkiewicz can be found identifying microscopic bones.
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Posted May 16, 2022
Eleven Ways to Destress This Summer
School’s out (or close to it) and exhausted educators everywhere are looking forward to a break. Here are some tips on where to begin destressing.
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Posted April 27, 2022
The Sounds A Mural Makes
An interactive mural invites visitors to engage in the elements of dance, movement, play, sound and imagination.
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Posted March 28, 2022
Trailblazers: Ashley Leary
Ashley remembers the first time she realized cycling had something profound to offer her.
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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.
