Indiana State Museum

The Indiana State Museum is a museum located within White River State Park in Indianapolis, Indiana. The museum houses many exhibits on the history of Indiana from prehistoric times up to the present day. It is the location of one of only four IMAX theaters in the state of Indiana.

History

The museum was started in 1862 by then-state librarian R. Deloss Brown as a natural history collection. For many years, the museum was located in various rooms in the state Capitol building in Indianapolis. It was moved into its first permanent home in the old Indianapolis City Hall building at 202 N. Alabama St. in 1967. The Indiana State Museum Society was established in 1969 as a private fund-raising support organization. The museum moved to its current location, 650 W. Washington St., on May 22, 2002.

Galleries

With over convert|40000|sqft|m2|-3 of exhibit space, and over 300,000 artifacts in collections, the museum covers the history of the natural world, Native Americans, cultural history, and the future of Indiana.

= Gov. Frank O'Bannon Great Hall=

* Dean and Barbara White Auditorium
* Legacy Theater: The Indiana African American Experience
* Treasure Cases

First Floor

* Birth of the Earth
* The Ancient Seas
* R.B. Annis Naturalist's Lab
* Age of Ice
* Native American

econd Floor

* Nineteenth State
* The Hoosier Way
* Crossroads of Indiana
* Enterprise Indiana
* Global Indiana
* Heritage Corner
* American Originals

Third Floor

* Rapp Reception Hall
* The Ford Gallery
* NiSource, Inc. Gallery of Indiana Art
* Changing Exhibits Gallery
* Tomorrow's Indiana
* Footprints

92 County Walk

"The 92 County Walk is a one–of–a–kind art experience that spotlights Indiana’s 92 counties by featuring an original sculpture for each one. The sculptures are incorporated into the building’s façade, sidewalks and even a stair rail. The collection of sculptures showcases the craftsmanship of Indiana artisans and is designed to engage your imagination about the state’s rich cultural history." [http://www.in.gov/ism/Exhibits_Collections/BuildingFeatures/92cntywlk.aspx]

ee also

* "Back Home Again" Steam Clock
* Foucault Pendulum
* L. S. Ayres Tea Room

External links

* [http://www.indianamuseum.org Indiana State Museum official website]
* [http://www.in.gov/ism/StateHistoricSites/index.aspx Indiana State Historic Sites]
* The Indiana State Museum is located at coord|39|46|7|N|86|10|9|W|display=inline,title