Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites

Indiana Innovation Day

Grades K-8
Sept. 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
$6/student, $2/chaperone, free for teachers 

$50/per program non-refundable deposit required at time of booking to secure reservation. Deposit will go towards total program fee. 

Are your students curious and love hands-on learning? Join us for a day of innovation as we travel from the past to the present and explore the history, technology and innovations of Indiana through interactive activities, design challenges and more. Students will also have the opportunity to connect with community partners to discover their innovative creations.  

There is limited space so register early! Only Indiana Innovation Day-related field trips offered during this time. No self-guided field trips available. 

Click here to book your trip. Fill out the form and select ‘Innovation Indiana Day – Sept. 20, 2024’ from the ‘any additional programming?’ drop down menu. 

Contact Brittney Basaran at 317.409.7136 or [email protected] with any questions. 

NATIVE AMERICANS: BEYOND THE HISTORY BOOK

Grades K-12
Nov. 14, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Included with admission

November is Native American Heritage Month! Join the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources and museum staff for a variety of hands-on activities, opportunities to learn about Native American history in Indiana, a close-up look at items from the museum’s archaeology collection, and a drumming and dancing performance by Iron Bear Singers.

Click here to book your trip. Fill out the form and select ‘Native Americans: Beyond the History Book- November 2024’ from the ‘any additional programming?’ drop down menu. Contact Brittney Basaran at 317-409-7136 or [email protected] with any questions. 

STATEHOOD DAY

Grade 4
Dec. 11, 10 a.m-1 p.m.
Statehood Day Presentation in Great Hall at 11 a.m.
Included with admission

We invite you to come celebrate Indiana’s birthday at the Indiana State Museum with fun, interactive activities that encourage students to think about what it means to be a Hoosier – past, present and future. Join us in the Great Hall for our Statehood Day presentation that includes a reading from a winner of the Statehood Day essay contest and learn what it means to serve from officials from state agencies and offices. We’ll finish the presentation by singing ‘happy birthday’ to Indiana! 

Space is limited, so please contact the museum at 317.232.1637 to schedule your field trip. 

Statehood Day programs will also be held at the Indiana State Library and Indiana Statehouse. 

The Indiana Statehouse Tour Office, in conjunction with the Indiana Center for the Book, holds an essay competition to commemorate Indiana Statehood Day each year. More information can be found here. 

HOLIDAY SOUNDS

K-Grade 12
Dec. 4-6, 12, 18-20
10-10:30 a.m., 10:45-11:15 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Included with admission

Enjoy the sounds of the season in a spectacular holiday atmosphere as school and community choirs, bands, ensembles and soloists perform holiday music daily in the museum’s Great Hall. 

Click here to book your trip. Fill out the form and select ‘Holiday Sounds” from the ‘any additional programming?’ drop down menu. Contact Brittney Basaran at 317.409.7136 or [email protected] with any questions. 

GEOFEST: THE INDIANA STATE MUSEUM GEM, FOSSIL AND MINERAL SHOW

K-Grade 12
Feb. 21-23, 2025, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Included with admission 

Bring your students to explore Paleozoic seas, discover mysteries in Ice Age caves, test their knowledge of Indiana’s geology and investigate the world under their feet. Hands-on activities and million-year-old specimens in our galleries help illustrate Indiana’s geological past. Shopping for gems, fossils and minerals from around the globe is available.

Registration is required by calling Visitor Services at 317.232.1637. 

STEAM DAY

K-Grade 6
March 5-6, 2025, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
$6/student, $2/chaperone, free for teachers 

$50 non-refundable deposit required at least two weeks prior to program to secure reservation.  Deposit will go towards total program fee. 

Students will connect to the museum on a deeper level as they interact with hands-on, minds-on activities throughout the museum on these special STEAM Days. The galleries will have 8-10 activities spread throughout all three levels to tinker and discover Indiana’s connections to science, technology, engineering, art and math. Look for a special bonus outside the Education Center for a design challenge that will have your students creating prototypes to solve a real-world challenge. 

There is limited space so register early! Only STEAM-related field trips are offered during this time. No self-guided field trips available on these days. 

Click here to book your trip. Fill out the form and select ‘STEAM Days” from the ‘any additional programming?’ drop down menu. Contact Brittney Basaran at 317.409.7136 or [email protected] with any questions. 

ANNUAL PINEWOOD DERBY®

K-Grade 12
March 26-30 & April 2-6, 2025, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Included with admission

On your mark, get set … for the second-greatest spectacle in racing! The Indiana State Museum and Crossroads of America Council BSA invite you to build and race Pinewood Derby cars down the two-story, 125-foot racetrack and watch them speed across the finish line! 

ANNUAL ECO-SCIENCE CHALLENGE

K-Grade 12
April 25, 2025, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Included with admission 

Deadline for application: April 12, 2025 

Innovative Hoosier students are invited to get involved in becoming the solution to global climate issues. Students can submit science challenge projects on a range of topics including aquaculture, vermiculture, composting, social awareness, urban farming, alternative energy and recycling initiatives in their schools and communities. Monetary prizes will be awarded to the schools of the winning students to assist in continuing eco-science-related work.

Fill out the Eco-Science Challenge application.

Click here to book your trip. Fill out the form and select ‘Eco-Science Challenge” from the ‘any additional programming?’ drop down menu. Contact Brittney Basaran at 317.409.7136 or [email protected] with any questions.