Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites

INDIANAPOLIS (July 12, 2019) – Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and see a real piece of the Apollo spacecraft during a special installation at the Indiana State Museum.

Thanks to Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust – Allison Branch, visitors to the Indiana State Museum can get up close to an actual Apollo Lunar Module fuel tank from July 17 through Aug. 18. Each of the Apollo spacecraft systems contained an Apollo Lunar Module, which used these titanium tanks to fuel landings on the moon’s surface. Not all of the fuel tanks that were built went into space – including this one – but there are 28 of these tanks still on the moon.

Four of these tanks also provided the critical fuel needed for Apollo 13’s “lifeboat” emergency return to Earth.

The fuel tanks were built by Hoosier workers right here in Indianapolis during the 1960s, and a few of the men who worked at Allison and built these titanium fuel tanks between 1965 and 1970 will be at the museum for a reunion from 11 a.m. to noon on July 20.

During the reunion, these former Allison workers will talk with visitors about what it took to turn thin and technically challenging titanium into a piece of space rated hardware used to land the first man on the moon.

Visitors also can honor the Apollo 11 anniversary and learn about everything space during a Family Discovery Day featuring activities relating to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 20. Celebrate in this “giant leap for mankind” with activities like designing and launching your own rocket, learning how to land a spacecraft and exploring the geology of the moon. Plus, see a real piece of the moon in the Birth of the Earth gallery.

The reunion and other Family Discovery Day activities are open to the public and included with the purchase of general museum admission.

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The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is located in White River State Park in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. It is Indiana’s museum for science, art and culture, offering a place where you can celebrate, investigate, remember, learn and take pride in Indiana’s story in the context of the broader world. Even the building is a showcase of the best Indiana has to offer in architecture, materials and sculpture. Easy and convenient parking is available in the attached underground garage.