The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
3000 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46208-4716
P.O. Box 3000, Indianapolis, IN 46206-3000
(317) 334-3322 FAX (317) 921-4019
3000 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46208-4716
P.O. Box 3000, Indianapolis, IN 46206-3000
(317) 334-3322 FAX (317) 921-4019
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, a nonprofit institution committed to enriching the lives of children, is the largest children’s museum in the world. The more than 400,000-square-foot facility houses 11 major galleries that explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures and the arts. The Children’s Museum is a place to learn and do. Whenever possible, exhibits are “hands-on” or participatory in nature. The Children’s Museum strives to be one of the vital links in the lives of children as it supports their intellectual curiosity and love of learning. The museum, situated on 19 acres of land in Indianapolis, presents thousands of programs and activities each year.
| MISSION: | To create extraordinary learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. |
| YEARLY ATTENDANCE: | 1 million+ |
| FUNDING: | The Children's Museum is a nonprofit institution [501 (C) (3)] with revenues from investment income; contributions and grants from individuals, foundations, corporations and groups; earned income; program and workshop income, memberships; and admission income. |
| BUDGET: | Total museum budget $23 million in 2004: 49% support from endowment 17% contributions and grants from individuals, foundations, corporations, The Children's Museum Guild and other organizations. 9%, museum store and leased restaurant. 25% admission and memberships, program and activity fees. |
| GOVERNANCE: | An independent, nonprofit institution with a 30-member board of trustees. In addition, there is a 15 member Board of Advisors. |
| HISTORY: | 1924: Mary Stewart Carey, an Indianapolis civic and social leader, provided the stewardship and inspiration that contributed significantly to the founding of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. 1924: Civic leaders met for the first time to discuss the foundation of a children's museum. 1925: Incorporation of The Children's Museum. 1925 – 26: The museum's first homes were in a carriage house behind a mansion in Indianapolis ' Old Northside and at the Garfield Park shelter house. 1927 – 1946: Located in founder Mary Stewart Carey's Indianapolis home. 1946 – 1976: Housed in the St. Clair Parry mansion on 30th and Meridian Streets in Indianapolis. The current museum is on this site. 1976: Grand opening of new building. 1983: New restaurant, additional storage, loading dock and air handling system added. 1988 – 1989: Welcome Center and SpaceQuest® Planetarium open along with Special Exhibit Gallery 1 and 2 and Entrance 2. 1996: Grand opening of the CineDome™ Theater. 1998: New museum store, food court and sack lunch area open. 2000: infoZone opens. 2001: CineDome closes. 2004: Dinosphere opens, along with 900-space, four-level parking garage and expansion of dining area of food court. |
| CONSTRUCTION COST: | 1976: original building: $6.8 million 1983: extension - $1.8 million 1988: extension - $16 million 1996: CineDome Theater and Allen W. Clowes Festival Park - $14 million 1998: addition - $10 million 2004: addition - $50 million |
| FACILITY DIMENSIONS: | 433,500 sq. ft. 1976: building - 225,000 sq. ft 1983: Addition - 19,000 sq. ft 1988: Addition - 80,000 sq. ft 1996: CineDome Theater - 32,000 sq. ft (renovated in 2004 to become Dinosphere) Outdoor - Allen W. Clowes Festival Park and Clowes Garden Gallery: 50,000 sq. ft. 2004: Addition - 46,000 sq. ft. added, along with complete renovation of 32,000 sq. ft. large format theater Parking Garage: 293,200 sq. ft. |
| ARCHITECTURE: | The Indianapolis architectural firm of Wright, Porteous and Lowe designed the 1976 building. The exterior was dictated by the interior design's form and function. Wide, gently graded ramps provided a solution for how to move large groups of children efficiently through the museum. The ramps wrap around a five story central core with galleries, working areas and offices located on the north and south sections of the building. The east window walls and core skylight provide natural light. Since 1976, several additions have complemented the museum's structure. These include the Welcome Center (designed by Woollen, Molzan & Partners), which expands from the west wall of the original building and provides a grand entrance to visitors year-round. In 1996, the 310-seat CineDome theater opened. Designed by Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Inc., its domed roof and pitched angle contributed to its becoming one of Indianapolis ' most distinctive buildings. The CineDome's patterned bricks are repeated in the gently curving wall of Festival Park. In 2004, the museum's largest combination renovation/expansion ever, designed by Ratio Architects, opened to the public. The CineDome was transformed into Dinosphere: Now You're In Their World, a one-of-a-kind immersive dinosaur experience. At the same time, the dining area of the food court was doubled, additional collections storage space was added and a new entry/exit sequence for Dinosphere was completed. The 900-car parking garage opened to the public, including a skywalk across Illinois Street and pedestrian walkway to the entrance of the museum. |