Conversations Start Here
From topical social issues to deeper dives into the worlds of art, science and history, our exhibitions are carefully curated (and created) to engage (and delight) with powerful, hands-on stories that put you at the center of the action. Whether you're passionate about art, science, history or culture, you'll find something to talk about at the Indiana State Museum.
Featured Experiences
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March 18 - Oct 29, 2023
Influencing Lincoln
Discover how the 19th-century Black community fought for full citizenship.
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Open thru Oct 15, 2023
Vintage Vision: Cars of the 1920s
Indiana was once a mecca of automobile manufacturing and wow, we turned out some beauties.
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Open thru June 25, 2023
Inspired by the Dunes
Frank Dudley's inspiration from the beauty of the Indiana Dunes.
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Past experiences
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Dec 16, 2022 - March 31, 2023
Nikon's Small World
Celebrating photography through the microscope.
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Oct 16, 2022 - Dec 11, 2022
Indiana Waterways: The Art of Conservation
Five artists and their views of Indiana waterways.
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August 27, 2022 - Oct 23, 2022
Hoosier Art Salon 98th Annual Exhibition
Annual competition displaying artwork from Hoosier artists.
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March 5, 2022 - Oct 23, 2022
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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May 28 - Oct 30, 2022
Cardboard Engineering: Build a City
An interactive construction experience.
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June 5, 2021 - 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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Feb 13, 2021 - Sept 19, 2021
State of Nature
Picturing Indiana Biodiversity
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Feb 5, 2022 - July 17, 2022
Collecting Indiana
Recent Art Acquisitions
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Feb 1, 2020 - Aug 1, 2021
FIX: Heartbreak and Hope Inside Our Opioid Crisis
An interactive exhibit that unraveled the opioid crisis one step at a time.
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March 28 - Aug 2, 2020
Cause & Æffect
Exploring artworks born of female activism in this new experience.
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June 22 - Sept 29, 2019
It’s About time:the Artwork of Felrath Hines
Abstract Art: Experience, Experiment and Understand It.
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March 16 – Aug 18, 2019
Color of Style
Who we are shapes how we dress - and the colors we choose to wear.
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March 10 - July 29, 2018
Lois Main Templeton: A Reinvented Life
A retrospective of original paintings from the early 1980s to the present.
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April 30, 2016 - Jan 29, 2017
Indiana in 200 Objects
Exploring the history, science and culture of the Hoosier state through 200 iconic and interesting objects.
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