My family loves to get out there and explore. We have taken the kids to many museums, exhibits and interactive attractions but we had never been to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. This past weekend, we had the opportunity to visit and discover the Children’s Museum for ourselves. We got up close to dinosaurs, interacted with real scientists and even took a trip to Egypt.

I received discounted admission to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

My daughter summarized The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis best when she told me this:

Mom, this museum was not what I expected. It was actually a real museum – but for the whole family! There was alot of stuff that even the grownups could do. It had all the normal fun stuff like other museums we’ve been to, but there was so much other stuff! I liked how you could get into the exhibits – like in the dinosaur and train section.

This Museum is definitely more than the typical Children’s Museums. There is an entire section devoted to Science Works where you have the water works area, the Construction Zone and the kids playground. This is the place at the top of the building where the adults get to sit back and watch the kids just discover on their own.

Fireworks of Glass

The 43 foot Fireworks of Glass tower is a beautiful centerpiece of the museum. What is even more fun is the Glass Works area under the glass tower where the kids can create their own glass creation.  You can even recline on a revolving chair and look at the glass ceiling.  You really feel like you’re part of a kaleidoscope.

Fireworks of Glass is the largest permanent sculpture of blown glass by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. The 43-foot-tall tower rises above a glass ceiling.

The Dinosphere

The Dinosphere was one of my kids favorite exhibits.   You feel like you have stepped back in time.  The music helps set the stage for the world of dinosaurs.  Be ready to spend quite a bit of time here.  There are so many interactive games, quizzes and buttons to push that we could have spent the whole day here.

There are real world paleontologists working on the other side of a glass window.  You can see them doing their research and study while the kids get to do imagination play and discovery on this side.  There is even a real life dinosaur bone that the kids can touch and explore.

If you have young children, there are several great play areas where the kids can enjoy playing with plastic dinosaurs.

experience the world of dinosaurs like never before. You’ll be immersed in the sounds, smells, and sights of the time period as you explore one of the largest displays of real juvenile and family dinosaur fossils in the United States.

• Come face to face with more than 14 full-size dinosaur skeletons
• Talk with real paleontologists
• Touch a real dinosaur bone
• Participate in a hands-on dinosaur dig
• See one of the finest collections of dinosaur art in the nation.

National Geographic Treasures of Earth

National Geographic Treasures of the Earth brings the thrill and the science of real archaeological discovery to you and your family.

This was a fun place for the kids. They got to talk to a real diver and see an actual cannon that had been brought up from the ocean.

We all had fun digging and building the Ming Dynasty Statues. One nice thing about each of the exhibit areas is that there is plenty of things to do so you don’t have to wait in line for your turn. My kids were able to enjoy each of the exhibit areas and activities.

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Have you been to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis? What is your favorite exhibit? I’d love to hear!

I received discounted admission for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. No financial compensation was received.