On the Town - Indianapolis

From this month's Indy 500 to Super Bowl 2012, there's plenty to get revved up about when it comes to sports in Indianapolis. But there's also culture (including the world's biggest children's museum) farm-to-table cuisine and bustling nightlife.

 

PLAY TO LEARN

EDUCATION AND FUN GO HAND IN HAND AT THE WORLD'S BIGGEST CHILDREN'S MUSEUM.

BY DIANE BAIR AND PAMELA WRIGHT

The journey at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis (www.childrensmuseum.org) starts 65 million years ago. The "Dinosphere," which boasts one of the largest displays of juvenile and family dinosaur fossils in the US, recreates a prehistoric forest, complete with the sounds of roaring dinos and changes in weather (think thunder and lightning). And at the Paleo Lab and dig site, kids can hunt for fossils.

This popular exhibit is just one of many at the largest and arguably the best children's museum in the world that transports kids to other times and places. And it highlights the museum's overriding goal: education.

Despite the shrieks and laughter, there's a lot of learning going on in this light-filled place. Visitors - more than 1 million each year - are encouraged not only to look and listen, but also to touch, smell and move in a variety of environments.

Kids can submerge themselves in a brightly colored coral reef or explore a 35-foot long train and build a model of the engine. In "Nature's Backyard," they can pretend to be earthworms as they crawl through the "dirt" to explore the habitats of underground animals.

"Another good example that illustrates our philosophy is 'The Power of Children' exhibit," says Cathy Donnelly, manager of exhibit development. The interactive display takes families on a journey through the lives of three courageous children: Anne Frank, Ryan White (an Indiana native who valiantly battled HIV/AIDS in the 1980s) and Ruby Bridges (one of the first children to integrate schools in the South in 1960). "They're featured in immersive settings, with objects, sound-and-light experiences and live theater presentations."

Beginning June 27, your hand stamp also gets you a ticket to Egypt. After arriving, you can exchange your dollars for Egyptian pounds, learn a few Arabic words, and then head for the lively, open-air market filled with vendors, a spice shop and coffeehouse. It's all part of the new $5 million "Take Me There: Egypt" exhibit.

"Understanding similarities in world cultures fosters awareness, acceptance and even respect for people from other societies and traditions," Donnelly says.

For many curious children, few things are as exhilarating as being transported to another time or place - and parents can take pleasure in knowing their kids are learning worthwhile lessons along the way.

DID YOU KNOW? There are more than 3,200 pieces of glass in the museum's 43-foot, 9-ton Fireworks of Glass tower by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. The ceiling holds another 1,600 pieces, featuring more than 14 different shapes. It took six people 14 days to install more than 4,800 pieces of glass.

FUN FACT The Children's Museum of Indianapolis displays more than 10,000 artifacts - and that's just one-tenth of its collection. Museum icons include a 55-ton steam engine, a working 1927 carousel and the largest water clock in North America.