rhythm! discovery center

This little museum, operated by the non-profit Percussive Arts Society (also in this building along with Drum Corp International) provides an educational look at percussion through the years. Exhibits change regularly (2014 featured the actual drum kits used by some famous drummers) and there are many interactive displays. Great stop for any music lovers, not just drummers.

Had a great time visiting! Interactive, hands in exhibits! Let the drummer in you play a drum kit or try out the various percussion instruments. Great staff and very helpful!

My family (two boys: ages 12 and 14, my husband and I) LOVED this experience. When I called to inquire about how long it would take to tour the museum, the museum representative recommended 45min-1hour. We stayed for a little over an hour and could have stayed for another 15-20 minutes if we didn't have reservations at a restaurant. My youngest son is creative and very musically-inclined, so he naturally loved the experience. However, my oldest son, who is a superb athlete was equally enthusiastic as his brother. We were able to read about and see acoustic artifacts from centuries ago through modern times, including drum sets from renown artists who played with The Beatles and Rush. The most exciting part was the numerous opportunities to play a wide variety of percussion instruments throughout the museum - from djembes to electronic drum sets. What validated the "worth-it"-ness of the trip it was hearing one of my sons tell my dad about the experience, including sharing with him the three types of percussion instruments. We would do this again! The only reason I didn't give the museum five stars is because it is so interactive and self-guided that some people who need high structure may be a bit overwhelmed. But, like I said, we would go again!

If you like drums, this is the place to visit. I first visited this museum with The Sprit and Place Festival and have been back.

My family and I had a bit of a tough time finding the entrance, but once we did it was pure percussive mayhem from then on! If you enjoy experiencing new things this is a great place to check out. Rhythm puts a unique spin on the traditional museum experience. It's highly interactive and engaging for the entire family. The overwhelming excitement being able to play so many different instruments gives is fantastic. I definitely recommend checking out Rhythm with your family or even by yourself!

We visited Rhythm! Discovery Center on our last trip to Indy, and my son still has not stopped talking about it. I hadn’t heard much about Rhythm! Discovery Center before my visit, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had no idea that this place is largely interactive. My 3-year-old had a blast – and I did too! There were so many percussion instruments. Instruments made of wood, skin, and metal. We tried them all! We must’ve banged on every drum, shaken every tambourine, and played every xylophone in the place!We really loved the interactive tribal-like circle featuring the many percussion instruments created right at home by The Leedy Drum Company, a company that began in Indiana. Their Interactive Area was also a lot of fun – I can see many field trips having a good ol’ time here. So many instruments to choose from. Believe me, my son tried them all!Probably our favorite parts of the museum were the sound-proof rooms that allowed you to play a real drum set and be as loud as you wanted to be – we felt like rock stars!Handy Tip: Visit Rhythm! Discovery Center late in the day. We arrived about an hour and a half before closing and had the entire place to ourselves. I’m sure it’s very noisy at peak times.

I was going to get her a drum kit for Christmas until I discovered my 6 year old had been jamming on a professional Yamaha kit worth over $2k...I'll be coming back and letting her have the time of her life as often as I can! She's really quite good and tried all sorts of things I can't afford or pronounce. Jump in and have fun jamming- or just drool over full kits from your childhood heroes on display. Buddy, Neil, John, Ringo all here!

We found this via Trip Advisor. Was a great fit for our group ranging from 2 to 8. Adults loved it too. Cool exhibits from past musicians, but so much hands on stuff. Very laid back environment. Great value. If we lived close I would get a membership. You can have a good time if you just have an hour or certainly can spend more time.

I walk past this place often while at work, and decided to stop one day. It was a differnt type of experience but enjoyable.

We took our 9, 7 and 3 year olds and we all really enjoyed it. The hour we spent in the museum included at least 40 minutes in the practice rooms. Both our 9 and 7 year olds are drummers and that was their favorite part. Everything was clean and nicely presented. The staff was friendly and helpful when asked questions. This is a very small place but worth the cost (under $40.00 for two adults and three kids) if you or your kids are interested in drums.

Bring earplugs if noise bothers you! :) I wish I had more rhythm in this place - what a cool idea. There are several areas to try out all kinds of percussion instruments. I would have liked to see someone who knew what they were doing practice on some of the equipment. My kids are 5 & 2 so I think it would be a little better when they are older, but they definitely had fun banging on all the drums and bells they could.

Fun place to spend a couple hours with kids who like to make a little noise! Drums to play, signs to read and discover all about the origins and how different drums work.

Great fun! Highly recommended for a family outing. It's very interactive and you're able to play a variety of instruments. My kids loved it!

Awesome place for both drummers and non-musicians. Interactive, though the nicest instruments were not allowed to be played on. Logically, old drums from the early 1900's

My two sons (8 and 10) had a great time in this museum playing all the different drums. It was quite educational also, with information about how drums work and the various types of instruments. A display where kids hit the drum and then you can see the air waves come from the drum as a hanging display is rustled was particularly effective about showing how sound is vibrations in the air.We're lucky we went when it wasn't busy, if this museum was more full the sound would have been deafening. As it was I took one of the free ear plugs that they offer, remember to ask.