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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Jan 28, 2023 - June 25, 2023
Inspired by the Dunes
Frank Dudley's inspiration from the beauty of the Indiana Dunes.
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Dec 16, 2022 - Feb 19, 2023
Nikon's Small World
Celebrating photography through the microscope.
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Nov 25, 2022 - Jan 1, 2023
Celebration Crossing
Visitors experience the magic of the holidays during this all-ages celebration.
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Thru Dec 11
Indiana Waterways: The Art of Conservation
Five artists and their views of Indiana waterways.
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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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Dec 9, 2022 9:00 am - 10:00 amIndiana State Museum
Magical Mornings
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Dec 9, 2022 12:00 pm - 9:00 pmWhitewater Canal
Metamora Old Fashioned Christmas Walk
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Dec 9, 2022 6:00 pm - 8:00 pmLevi & Catharine Coffin
Candlelight Tours
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Dec 10, 2022 8:30 am - 9:15 amSold Out
Santa's Holiday Breakfast in the Tea Room
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Dec 10, 2022 9:00 am - 9:45 amSold Out
Santa's Holiday Breakfast in the Tea Room
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Dec 10, 2022 9:30 am - 10:15 amIndiana State Museum
Santa's Holiday Breakfast in the Tea Room
Latest BLog Posts
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Posted November 22, 2022
The math of hanging a picture
When there's an art exhibit, staff members often comment not only about the pictures but the symmetry with which they’re hung.
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Posted November 22, 2022
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 21, 2022
Gene Stratton-Porter could potentially be a hazard
In 1925, the year after Gene Stratton-Porter’s death, it was estimated that about 10 million copies of her books had been sold.
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Posted November 14, 2022
LOCAL ARTISTS DESIGN NEW ORNAMENTS
The Indiana State Museum’s 92 County Tree is getting a facelift.
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Posted October 28, 2022
The Web of Mystery and Fear of Spiders
Far too seldom do we take a moment to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the spider.
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Posted October 25, 2022
The Pit Crew Gets to Work
The morning after the exhibit closed, Major Taylor's bicycle was being rolled down the hallway to the Conservation Lab.
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Posted October 6, 2022
A Decorative Weapon in Selma’s Arsenal
In a pinch, hatpins could be extracted and used in self-defense!
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Posted September 16, 2022
How dedicated Mrs. Porter was to photography
The fervor Gene Stratton-Porter applied to the medium of photography is astonishing.
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Posted August 30, 2022
How He Made That Mural
Artur Silva’s mural in the Indiana State Museum’s new Gallery One, is brimming with so many ideas and images.
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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.
