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
-
May 28 Thru Oct 30
Cardboard Engineering: Build a City
An interactive construction experience.
Learn More -
Feb 5 thru July 17
Collecting Indiana
Recent Art Acquisitions
Learn More -
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.
Learn More
Wander Our Galleries
-
An Evolving Collection
Gallery One
Opens June 25! Interact with our unique collection of objects in playful and unexpected ways.
Learn More -
The Animals that Shaped Indiana
Ancient Seas
Explore the marine life that once called Indiana home.
Learn More -
Explore Indiana's Natural History
R.B. Annis Naturalist’s Lab
Explore Indiana’s natural history through your senses.
Learn More -
A State of Change
Frozen Reign
Explore the Ice Age, beginning with a trip through an ice tunnel beneath a glacier.
Learn More -
Indiana's Founding People
First Nations
Discover how ancestors of today’s Native Americans built vibrant communities in Indiana.
Learn More -
Discover Diverse Landscapes
Natural Regions
Discover Indiana’s diverse and dramatic landscapes as early European explorers would have seen them.
Learn More -
Indiana's Journey to Statehood
Contested Territory
Learn how Indiana moved from territory to statehood.
Learn More -
Step into pioneer Indiana
19th State
Step into pioneer Indiana and learn why and how settlers made their homes in our state.
Learn More -
People Who Lived in Early Indiana
The Hoosier Way
Learn how Indiana forged its identity as it emerged from the Pioneer era.
Learn More -
Connecting Through Railroads
Crossroads of America
Learn how Hoosiers connected physically through railroads and shared messages through newspapers, books and music.
Learn More -
Contributions to U.S. Milestones
Enterprise Indiana
Experience American milestones through the lens of Indiana’s contributions.
Learn More -
Indiana's Influence on the World
Global Indiana
Demonstrating Indiana’s influence on a global scale.
Learn More -
Hoosiers who made an impact
American Originals
Visit a room filled with the faces of famous Hoosiers.
Learn More -
People Who Shaped Indiana
Legacy Theater
Providing a diverse cultural experience of Black heritage in Indiana.
Learn More
Visit Our Historic Sites
-
Evansville, Indiana
Angel Mounds
A thousand years ago, southwest Indiana was home to a thriving community of Native Americans.
Learn More -
Corydon, Indiana
Corydon Capitol
From Corydon’s colorful beginnings, Hoosier statesmen carefully built the foundations for the state we know today.
Learn More -
New Albany, Indiana
Culbertson Mansion
The Culbertson Mansion reflects the affluence of a man once considered to be the wealthiest in Indiana.
Learn More -
Rome City, Indiana
Gene Stratton-Porter
Explore the home of a beloved author, photographer, naturalist and entrepreneur.
Learn More -
Madison, Indiana
Lanier Mansion
The perfect opportunity to encounter, explore and experience life as it was in the 1840s.
Learn More -
Fountain City, Indiana
Levi & Catharine Coffin House
As conductors for the Underground Railroad, the Coffins helped more than 1,000 freedom seekers to safety.
Learn More -
Geneva, Indiana
Limberlost
The Limberlost Swamp was the perfect laboratory for author Gene Stratton-Porter to study nature.
Learn More -
New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony
Explore the birthplace of two 19th-century utopian communities
Learn More -
Nashville, Indiana
T.C. Steele
Hoosier painter T.C. Steele and his wife Selma built their home in 1907 amongst these rolling hills.
Learn More -
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes
Explore Indiana’s oldest city, where territory officials made decisions that changed the future of the entire Midwest.
Learn More -
Metamora, Indiana
Whitewater Canal
Discover how this 1840s feat of engineering changed Indiana from a pioneer outpost to the “Crossroads of America."
Learn More
Programs
-
May 28, 2022 10:00 am - 12:00 pmWhitewater Canal
Canal Field Day
-
May 28, 2022 2:00 pm - 2:30 pmWhitewater Canal
Whitewater Canal Guided Tour
-
Jun 1, 2022 1:00 pm - 2:00 pmIndiana State Museum
Members Only! Curator Presentation of Collecting Indiana
-
Jun 1, 2022 6:00 pm - 8:00 pmIndiana State Museum
Canal Nights | Race Day
-
Jun 4, 2022 9:00 am - 11:00 amNew Harmony
Beekeeping 101
-
Jun 4, 2022 10:00 am - 2:00 pmIndiana State Museum
Major Taylor: Freewheelin'
Latest BLog Posts
-
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.
Read More -
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.
Read More -
Posted March 28, 2022
Trailblazers: Ashley Leary
Ashley remembers the first time she realized cycling had something profound to offer her.
Read More -
Posted March 22, 2022
Saving the Indiana-endangered Crawfish Frog
Angel Mounds State Historic Site is being considered as a location to repopulate the once-common frog.
Read More -
Posted March 14, 2022
Keeping the Legend Alive
Major Taylor’s great-granddaughter likes what she sees at the Indiana State Museum
Read More -
Posted March 3, 2022
Trailblazers: DaeDae Young
DaeDae has always had a talent for restoring and fixing things.
Read More -
Posted March 3, 2022
Trailblazers: Raji Johnson
You are more likely to hear Raji approaching before you see him.
Read More -
Posted March 3, 2022
Trailblazers: Nick Gehlhausen
Most who know Nick Gehlhausen will likely have memories of meeting him for the first time while he’s on his bike or walking alongside it.
Read More -
Posted March 3, 2022
Trailblazers: Evan Cole
Evan Cole leaned his bike against the wall and began to peel off the layers.
Read More
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.
