New exhibit opening June 21 offers unique perspective on museum collection
INDIANAPOLIS – What is the biggest object at the Indiana State Museum? What is the oldest? What is the fastest? What is the most valuable?
Visitors often wonder about the most noteworthy pieces among the more than 500,000 artifacts in the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites’ collection. That curiosity became the catalyst for Museum Marvels, a new exhibit opening June 21 at the museum.
For this whimsical experience, which continues through Oct. 19, curators combed through the museum system’s collection to find the items that truly stand out. From the smallest to the largest, the most colorful to the most surprising and even the cutest to the grossest, visitors will gain a fresh and fun perspective on the collection as they explore the wonderful variety of pieces.
Museum Marvels highlights iconic artifacts that represent significant moments from Indiana’s past that continue to resonate with Hoosiers today. Visitors will see Michael Jackson’s gold jacket, RCA’s beloved Nipper dog statue, former Indiana University coach Bob Knight’s red sweater and John Cougar Mellencamp’s hand-written lyrics for his hit song “Small Town.” In addition to well-known items, the exhibit also showcases fascinating but perhaps lesser-known objects like a smoking doll, the “Smiling Lincoln” painting and an original Golden Troupe costume.
Beyond the nearly 60 pieces included in the exhibit, including several that are on display for the first time, Museum Marvels features different playable experiences that offer an even deeper look inside the collection. The digital Museum Marvels Game Show challenges visitors to guess objects based on a category, visual cues and recorded clues from the game’s announcer. Families and friends can decide what items best fit certain descriptions as they play the Artifacts to Artifacts card game. Plus, guests will hear more about the Museum Marvels in a fun song that plays in the exhibit and pick up a takeaway guide that teases other noteworthy artifacts found elsewhere in the museum.
Museum Marvels is free for members and included with museum admission, which is $23 for adults, $17 for youth (ages 3-17) and $21 for seniors. Visitors can go to IndianaMuseum.org to learn more and save by purchasing admission in advance.
About the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is a museum system with locations across the state, offering visitors a chance to engage with Indiana’s past and present and see how their actions help shape the future. At each location, visitors are invited to explore big questions and create lasting experiences that will resonate long after each visit ends. Whether interested in art or architecture, history or science, there’s something for everyone and every interest. The Indianapolis museum is located in White River State Park in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. The historic sites are located across the state, stretching from Rome City in northeastern Indiana to Evansville in the southwest. Learn more at IndianaMuseum.org.
