Indiana State Museum
Encyclopedia
The Indiana State Museum is a museum
located within White River State Park
in Indianapolis, Indiana
, USA. The museum houses exhibit
s on the history of Indiana
from prehistoric times up to the present day. It has one of the four IMAX
theaters in the state of Indiana
.
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 Street 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, a new building at 650 W. Washington Street
, on May 22, 2002. The building on the Indiana Central Canal
in White River State Park cost about $105 million.
, Native Americans
, cultural history, and the future of Indiana.
in the far south, an archaeological site with surviving major earthwork mounds
built by the Mississippian culture
about 1000 CE
; to author Gene Stratton-Porter
's two homes in the north and east, where wildlife, native habitat and her early 20th-century prose are featured. Each site and its activities are highlighted on the website at www.indianamuseum.org.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
located within White River State Park
White River State Park
White River State ParkDesignationState ParkLocationIndianapolis, Indiana USANearest CityIndianapolis, IndianaArea Date of Establishment1979Governing Body...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, USA. The museum houses exhibit
Exhibit
Exhibit may refer to:*Exhibit , evidence in physical form brought before the court.*Demonstrative evidence is a term used to describe exhibits and other physical forms of evidence used in court to demonstrate, show, depict, inform or teach relevant information to the viewer.*Exhibit , a lightweight...
s on the history of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
from prehistoric times up to the present day. It has one of the four IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theaters in the state of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
History
The museum was started in 1862 by then-state librarian R. Deloss Brown as a natural historyNatural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
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 Street 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, a new building at 650 W. Washington Street
Washington Street (Indianapolis)
Washington Street is the primary east-west street in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The street follows the route of the National Road for almost all of its length in the city of Indianapolis. For a time, its entire length was designated as U.S...
, on May 22, 2002. The building on the Indiana Central Canal
Indiana Central Canal
The Indiana Central Canal was a canal intended to connect the Wabash and Erie Canal to the Ohio River. It was funded by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act, Indiana's attempt to take part in the canal-building craze, started by the Erie Canal. $3.5 million was allocated for the project, the...
in White River State Park cost about $105 million.
Galleries
With more than 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) of exhibit space, and over 300,000 artifacts in collections, the museum covers the history of the natural worldNatural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, cultural history, and the future of Indiana.
Gov. Frank O'Bannon Great Hall
- Dean and Barbara WhiteDean WhiteDean White is an entrepreneur from Crown Point, Indiana. His father challenged him to "make a million dollars by your 40th birthday". White claims that he's "Missed, at the most, 12 days of work since 1946."...
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
Second 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 including the Richmond GroupRichmond GroupThe Richmond Group also known as the Richmond School, is a group of American Impressionist painters who worked in the Richmond, Indiana area from the late 19th Century through the mid-20th Century...
and Hoosier GroupHoosier GroupThe Hoosier Group was a group of Indiana Impressionist painters working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are primarily known for their renditions of the Indiana landscape. Artists considered members of this group include T. C. Steele, Richard Gruelle, William Forsyth, J. Ottis...
painters - Changing Exhibits Gallery
- Lincoln Financial Foundation Gallery (Opening Sept. 2010)
92 County Walk
"The 92 County Walk is an art experience that spotlights Indiana’s 92 counties by featuring an original sculpture for each. 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."http://www.in.gov/ism/Exhibits_Collections/BuildingFeatures/92cntywlk.aspxState historic sites
The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is a statewide institution, with 12 historic sites spanning the state. However, the state historic sites lack the strong funding of the state museum and are often overlooked by the museum administration. The historic sites range from Angel MoundsAngel Mounds
Angel Mounds State Historic Site is located on the Ohio River in Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties eight miles southeast of Evansville and just upriver of the confluence of the Green and Ohio rivers. Administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Indiana State Museums...
in the far south, an archaeological site with surviving major earthwork mounds
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
built by the Mississippian culture
Mississippian culture
The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1500 CE, varying regionally....
about 1000 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
; to author Gene Stratton-Porter
Gene Stratton-Porter
Gene Stratton-Porter was an American author, amateur naturalist, wildlife photographer, and one of the earliest women to form a movie studio and production company. She wrote some best-selling novels and well-received columns in national magazines, such as McCalls...
's two homes in the north and east, where wildlife, native habitat and her early 20th-century prose are featured. Each site and its activities are highlighted on the website at www.indianamuseum.org.
See also
- "Back Home Again"Back Home Again in Indiana" Indiana" is a song composed by Ballard MacDonald and James F. Hanley, first published in January of 1917. While it is not the official state song of the U.S...
Steam Clock - Foucault PendulumFoucault pendulumThe Foucault pendulum , or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the...
- L. S. Ayres Tea Room
- List of State Historic Sites in Indiana
External links
- Indiana State Museum official website
- Indiana State Historic Sites
- The Indiana State Museum is located at 39°46′7"N 86°10′9"W