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 21 thru Oct 24
Hoosier Art Salon 97th Annual Exhibition
See artwork from Hoosier artists in this annual competition.
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Thru Sept 6, 2021
RESPONSE: Images and Sounds of a Movement
See murals painted by Indy artists following last summer’s protests.
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Thru Aug 1, 2021
FIX: Heartbreak and Hope Inside Our Opioid Crisis
Unravel the opioid crisis one step at a time in this interactive exhibit.
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Thru Sept 19, 2021
State of Nature
Picturing Indiana Biodiversity
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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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Aug 3, 2021 10:00 am - 11:00 amSold Out
Small Wonders: Abstract Art
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Aug 4, 2021 7:00 pm - 8:30 pmLevi & Catharine Coffin
The Craven Connection
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Aug 7, 2021 11:15 am - 12:00 pmT.C. Steele
Children's Tours
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Aug 7, 2021 3:30 pm - 5:00 pmLevi & Catharine Coffin
Historic Newport Walking Tour
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Aug 7, 2021 8:00 pm - 9:30 pmLimberlost
Swift Night Out
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Aug 8, 2021 11:15 am - 12:00 pmT.C. Steele
Children's Tours
Latest BLog Posts
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Posted July 30, 2021
Trips and Tips
We still have plenty of summer left – lots of time to get in the car and take a day trip, an overnight jaunt or even get away for a weekend.
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Posted July 3, 2021
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 28, 2021
She’s Seen It All
Over six months, Dawn Overend used some of her time during the pandemic to tour all of our state historic sites.
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Posted June 21, 2021
LGBTQ+ Hoosiers and their impact on our culture
From mathematics to social activism and fashion design to politics, LGBTQ+ Hoosiers have made an enormous impact on our culture.
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Posted June 15, 2021
Wanted: Pair of Gently Used Leather Chaps
Katherine Gould is the curator of cultural history, and one of her roles is to add LGBTQ+ items to the museum's collection.
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Posted May 31, 2021
Meet the artist: Gentry Parker
Gentry Parker sees art as “an opportunity to speak out and put my feelings on canvas.”
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Posted May 24, 2021
Meet the artist: Elijah Stephen (Elijah Norwood)
Among the paintings in “RESPONSE: Images and Sounds of a Movement,” is “Take a Stand” by Elijah Stephen and Gentry Parker.
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Posted May 21, 2021
The History of Senior Cords
Senior cords were an Indiana tradition unique to this state. The trend likely originated at Purdue University in the first decade of the 20th century.
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Posted May 17, 2021
Meet the Artist: Gary Gee
Among the paintings in “RESPONSE: Images and Sounds of a Movement” is “8:46” and “We the People…” by Gary Gee.
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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.
