Dinosaurs, Cowboys And Classic Cars – Indiana’s Awesome Museums

Forbes Lifestyle Travel Dinosaurs, Cowboys And Classic Cars – Indiana’s Awesome Museums Joe Yogerst Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I roam the world for epic nature, urban areas and road trips. Following May 30, 2023, 01:35pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Dinomania reigns inside the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

PHOTO BY JOE YOGERST There are all those cool Smithsonian museums in Washington DC, and it’s hard to beat the Met, MOMA and the natural history collections in Manhattan. But nothing quite tops the Hoosier State when it comes to a museum road trip that’s equally awesome for grownups or kids. Indiana’s museums include a wide range of topics from dinosaurs and fine art to history, vintage automobiles and sports mascots.

If that’s not enough to entice, consider the fact they’re often hands on, inexpensive and located in interesting locations that lend themselves to further exploration. The following Indiana museum road trip begins at Indianapolis International Airport in the state capital. But you could just as easily rent a car at Chicago O’Hare and start from there.

Total distance is roughly 280 miles (450 km) via Lafayette and South Bend. But you don’t have to follow this route. It’s easy to create your own meander through Indiana’s museums depending on the interests of yourself or fellow travelers.

Incredible Dale Chihuly glass masterpiece at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. PHOTO BY JOE YOGERST Very Close Encounters of the Dinosaur Kind If you’ve never held a genuine dinosaur bone in your hands, consider a visit to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. MORE FOR YOU There’s Something Fishy About ‘The Little Mermaid’ Audience Review Scores — Update — The Critics Must Be Crazy Here Is The Leaked Allegedly Final MCU Fantastic Four Cast It s A Big Deal Crypto Suddenly Braced For A Huge China Earthquake After Bitcoin Ethereum BNB XRP Cardano Dogecoin Polygon And Solana Price Swings Located on the north side of downtown Indy, it’s hard to miss.

The building with the three ornery looking Alamosaurus dinosaurs bursting through the front wall and the two giant two Brachiosaurs peeking in through the glass façade. Sure, it’s for kids. But adults will also get a kick out of a collection that spans everything from ancient Egyptian mummies and China’s terracotta warriors to a full-sized mock up of the International Space Station and a Dale Chihuly glass sculpture comprising 3,200 pieces.

One of the other highlights is the Power of Children, which tells the story of four remarkable 20 th century kids — Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, Ryan White and Malala Yousafzai — through live theatrical performances and replicas of their bedrooms, classrooms, etc. But the main event for most kids (and adults) is the Dinosphere, where the skeletons of Jurassic giants, Cretaceous creatures and Mesozoic sea monsters are displayed in habitats that reflect what the Earth looked like at those times. At the Paleo Lab, you can watch paleontologists clean, prepare and study the latest bones from dinosaur digs around the country and reach through a window to touch real dinosaur bones.

3000 N. Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46208. Childrensmuseum The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Waiting and Mad by American artist Charles M Russell, 1899.

Gift of the Harrison Eiteljorg Gallery . . .

[+] of Western Art. (Photo by Indianapolis Museum of Art /Getty Images) Getty Images Wild, Wild Western Art Indiana businessman Harrison Eiteljorg spent much of his life (and fortune) collecting art and artifacts from Africa and North America. He bestowed his thousand-plus African artworks to the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

But he decided to fund the creation of his own museum to display his incredible collection of Native American and classic American Western art. Situated on the west side of downtown Indy — on the same campus as the Indiana State Museum and the NCAA Hall of Champions — Eiteljorg Museum is one of the city’s must-see attractions. The Native American collection runs a broad gamut from traditional feather headdresses and beaded leather coats to 21 st -century paintings and sculptures by leading indigenous artists in the U.

S. and Canada. The neighboring American West gallery features works by legendary artists like Charles Russell and Frederic Remington as well as impressive modern works by Daniel Smith and Peter Nisbet.

The current temporary exhibit (which runs through August 6 th ) highlights the emotive black-and-white photography of Dorothea Lange and other Depression-era shooters. And don’t be afraid to bring the kids. The Discovery Area and Education Center in the basement offer hands-on exhibits and creative experiences for children.

500 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Eiteljorg Eiteljorg Museum | Native and Western Art and Artifacts | Indianapolis Tippecanoe Battlefield monument near West Lafayette, Indiana. PHOTO BY JOE YOGERST Tippecanoe Battlefield Museum Outside of a few isolated skirmishes during the War of 1812, the American Midwest hasn’t been the scene of many momentous battles.

The one exception is the Battle of Tippecanoe, a brief but violent encounter between Native Americans and the U. S. Army that played out on November 7, 1811.

This small but intriguing museum on the outskirts of modern-day Lafayette lies on the original battlefield. Through displays and artifacts, the collection recounts the intrusion of white settlers into Native American lands, push back by Tecumseh’s confederation of tribes, and the American military response under future president William Henry Harrison, who was then governor of the recently created Indiana Territory. Rising above the park area around the museum is an 85-foot obelisk erected in the early 20 th century to mark the 100 th anniversary of a battle that tipped the balance of power in the Midwest firmly in favor of the Euro-American settlers.

200 Battleground Ave, West Lafayette, IN 47906. Tippecanoehistory Tippecanoe Battlefield & Museum 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk. PHOTO BY JOE YOGERST Studebaker National Museum It’s now a long-forgotten marquee, but once upon a time Studebaker was at the cutting edge of motoring style and innovation.

The South Bend collection traces the history of Studebaker from its birth as a horse drawn carriage maker in 1887 and the luxury cars it manufactured after World War One to its innovative military vehicles (like the M29 Weasel) and futuristic streamlined cars (like the Commander, Sceptre and Avanti) of the 1950s and early 60s. In addition to more than 70 Studebaker vehicles, the museum also boasts the largest collection of carriages used by U. S.

presidents (including Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant), an original Conestoga covered wagon, and classic neon signs, as well as fire trucks, funeral hearses and other work vehicles. 201 Chapin St, South Bend, IN 46601.

The Studebaker National Museum Home – The Studebaker National Museum How many mascots can you name at the Hall of Fame? PHOTO BY JOE YOGERST Mascot Hall of Fame A splash of living color amid the otherwise gray and rust-colored steelworks of Gary, this lakeside museum brings together mascots from across the sporting spectrum. Ready made for kids of any age, the hall of fame includes creative hands-on activities like the Marvelous Mascot Maker, the T-Shirt Shooter Stadium and Design a Mascot, as well as play areas, souvenir shop, snack bar, and an official Build-A-Bear Workshop where kids can clad their furry friends in their favorite mascot costume. The hall of fame was founded by David Raymond, the human inside the Philly Phanatic baseball mascot for 16 years who later became a mascot and character developer for colleges, companies and sports teams.

As of 2022, the HOF had 25 inductees ranging from the San Diego Chicken and Phoenix suns Gorilla to Bucky Badger from the University of Wisconsin and Aubie the auburn Tiger. 1851 Front St, Whiting, IN 46394. Mascot Hall of Fame | Honoring the craft of the very best in the Mascot Industry.

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