indiana historical society

The facility is beautiful and is very family friendly although it's great for all ages. The festival of trees in December was beautiful. The Indiana experience is entertaining and educational. The Cole Porter room invovles live, interactive music.

Wonderful place to spend an hour or a day. Right on the canal 2 minute walk to the Medal of Honor monument, 5 minute walk to center of downtown. They have some very good traveling exhibits and displays, check the website to see whats "on" here

this museum took about two hours to visit and was interesting. Exhibits were well presented and very representative of the city's history.

The Indiana Historical Society continually produces interesting exhibits in the "You Are There" series. It's really neat to be immersed into a time period instead of simply reading about it, looking at a photo/painting, or hearing something from that time. They have characters you can speak with, pick up items, and participate in whatever is going on. I've seen three so far, and they've all been superb. Looking forward to going back!

The Indiana Historical Society is located by the Indianapolis Downtown Canal at 450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis. The Historical Society is a great experience for history buffs and people wanting to learn a bit more about Indiana and Hoosier History. The Indiana Experience begins as an interactive display where you can choose different topics, counties, cities and time periods to explore the entire state. You can also simply sit back and watch a pre-set film which has been done by the museum.Next is the gem of this museum. There are 3 "You Are There" Exhibits where you will go through a small exhibit and a prep talk by the docent. After seeing a picture of a historic event or place.... you will walk back into time (through a fog screen) into a recreation. These recreations come with historically accurate (down to the finest detail) sets and actors. I felt like I walked right back into time. It was eerie and fascinating at the same time. Brilliant and bold! The scenes I went back in time to were: A Photo Studio (in 1904 Fort Wayne Indiana), A Flood Relief Station (in a 1914 Indianapolis Tavern), and The Doctors Office of Harvey Middleton (an African American Doctor from 1939). Each came with historical actors and a brilliant (none-other) experience. Masterful and Unique. Stunning.

My husband and I were intrigued by a clock outside this building whose hands were going backwards. Come to find out that it was a building filled with so much of Indiana's history. We stopped in to discover they were having a Festival of Trees and it was free day. The trees were beautiful, each one having a different theme and were so much fun to look at. There were tables set up for children to do all sorts of craft activities. We walked into the main room and there were these huge timepieces hanging from the ceiling set at different times that some important time in Indiana history happened. Everyone who worked there was extremely knowledgable on the historical events. The greeter explained everything to us and then we were on our own to explore. Some of the rooms stay the same while they change some of the events in others. That particular day, they had a room set up to show the flood, I believe from 1913. The interpreters were in full costumes and as you listened to them you felt as though you were living through it. The Cole Porter room was fun as there was someone there singing and you could sing along with him. Definitely need to go back again. The museum is situated right on a canal that you can walk, jog or bike along. They have boats that you can use in the warmer weather. I would check online for days it is open and the hours as these do change. There is usually a fee but it is well worth it.

This a excellent place to spend an afternoon and learn about Indiana. My favorite part is the Cole Porter Room where there is a live singer who will sing Cole Porter songs at your request. They provide a menu of the songs. Also there is an area with interactive touch screens which allow you to explore every county in the state as well as much, much more. Another plus is the "you are there" exhibits where by taking an old photograph of Indiana history they create a living history room with actors who take you back to that time and just wonderfully knowledgeable about the event they represent. There is a cafe, the IHS is also located on the canal in Indy so on nice summer days, you can enjoy a walk or taking your lunch outside. In addition to the above, the IHS has a bookstore/gift shop offering books from Indiana Authors or local gifts. And finally, the IHS houses a research library.

We went for the Fesitval of Trees, but were surprised by interacting with segments of history with period re-enactors. Everything was very well-done. Didn't allow enough time to see everything. Will be back again. Great family and school field trip destination.Photo opportunity from the living room from The Christmas Story along with the famous leg lamp.

The festival of trees is well worth the visit. Christmas trees presented and decorated by local clubs, societies and businesses. Really puts one in the holiday mood. Really enjoyed "going back in time" with the actors. The gentleman singing Cole Porter tunes was really good. The tree in the Cole Porter room was decorated with a Paris theme with an Eiffel Tower as the tree topper. The day we went was the Indiana local authors book sale. We picked up a few author signed books. I could not resist a few of the beautiful ornaments in the gift shop.We had a wonderful lunch at the cafe.Parking tip: Park behind the building and not on the street. The parking meters are a hassle.

We had a "ladies' day out" on Dec. 12th to see the Society's "Festival of Trees" ("A New Hoosier Holiday Tradition"), a presentation of Christmas trees decorated by local businesses, clubs, & family groups. There were 25 large trees throughout the IHS building, as well as 4 others decorated by the staff, all of which were well worth the $7.00 admission price ($6.50 for seniors). The trees were diverse & interesting, particularly the unexpected ones such as the "Orange Is the New Red" (trimmed all in orange & white only), & the "I Love Paris" tree in the Cole Porter Room. We were encouraged to vote for our 3 favorites, which was difficult to do, as so many were worthy of winning. Their theatre was also showing "A Christmas Story", the film set in Indiana in the 1950's & made famous by marathon broadcasts on cable TV. Even though we didn't have time to see it, we had a lot of fun with the "living room" set up in the lobby. It was complete with the Red Ryder BB gun under the tree, as well as the horrible pink bunny suit that Ralphie had to wear--& there were many of the suits, along with the black framed glasses, that visitors of nearly all sizes could try on to model for the delight of family photographers. While we came there for the trees, we did enjoy one of the "You Are There" exhibits, where visitors can immerse themselves via a live enactor & authentic set in a period of time in our state's history. We were very glad we stopped to hear the presentation of the first African-American cardiologist, who spoke to us directly & shared what his practice was like in the 1930's. There was so much more to see & do there that we plan a return trip in the spring, particularly for the upcoming "That Ayres Look "exhibit about a former iconic major department store in downtown Indianapolis that debuts in March 2015. This is an excellent attraction for both adults & children!

It's nothing like anything I have ever experienced, living historical tableaux that transport you into the past like no other museum. Talk to the Jewish refugee from the death camps, visit a police station during prohibition ... an ever changing range of past times that you can experience for yourself. Loved it. Right in the canal district, on the canal it's a great start to a walk round Indy.

I didn’t do my research on this one! Expecting static exhibits, they actually have three exhibits that contain live actors. One is the first African American doctor in Indianapolis. I was expecting a preachy lecture, but it was actually very interesting and positive. As others have said, the sister is really great, and they aren’t shy about engaging people. The photography studio was also interesting since I like the technical aspects of photography. I thought the static exhibit on the flood was good, but the actors in the flood relief center were not as engaging. Not their fault, how do you make a flood relief center exciting? The Cole Porter room was closed (darn). Destination Indiana had lots of interactive screens that were interesting and a great movie. Be sure to go the library and reading room upstairs and look at their exhibits and art work. The building is a pretty good work of architecture too.Parking is free until 6pm if you park on the lot on the north side of the building and get the ticket validated. I toured the museum and then walked around downtown, the capital is just a few blocks away and definitely stop at the Indiana State Library, an overlooked gem with great art deco architecture in the older portion just across from the historical society.

This was a fun way to spend some time learning about Indiana's history! Located right on the canal, it is a beautiful building with lots of information that you could spend the entire day learning. They also have great reenactment exhibits where you "step back in time" and the people you talk to tell you the history of that time period as if they were living in it! I would highly recommend if you're interested in history or if you want to plan a school field trip

The "Picture This" experience, complete with period specific characters, was fun and informative. Thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the doctor's sister!

This is my second time at the museum. I loved it more this second time around. My children ages 13 & 9 enjoy learning about the history of Indiana. The best part is the interactive "You Are There" sites which take you back in time to a point in history based on a photograph. The knowledge that the actresses and actors have is remarkable. It is like you have stepped back into time with the actual people sharing that moment. You get to ask a variety of questions and they share their knowledge with you. We easily spend 3-4 hours there and it feels like an hour. There is a cafe on site which is next to the canal which is a beautiful scenic spot. The food is good but pricey. The shop has a variety of finds including Cole Porter music which after attending the Cole Porter room is a must buy. I bought a couple CDs for my father as a gift. It is such a gift to have this type of museum. The amount of work that is put into the interactive exhibits is amazing. I highly recommend this museum if you enjoy learning about history and want to feel as though you were apart of this much earlier point in time. It was brought to my attention that the museum does a "Christmas Story" You Are There exhibit during the holidays. I was told it is very popular and I might consider returning for it in the future. I am definitely keeping this museum on my "To Do" list as I monitor future exhibits.