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Children's Museum of Indianapolis
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Children's Museum of Indianapolis

See all things to do
See all things to do
Children's Museum of Indianapolis
4.5
3,939 reviews
#9 of 169 things to do in Indianapolis
Children's Museums
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10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
The largest children's museum in the world just got even bigger with the addition of a new 7.5-acre outdoor health and fitness area that encourages activity through multiple sports. The new space, called Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience includes basketball, football, hockey, soccer, pedal car racing (drag strip and oval track), golf, baseball, and tennis. The indoor portion of the new area includes the National Art Museum of Sport along with the World of Sport and History of Hoops. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis itself is made up of 500,000 square feet with exhibits and activities that are fun and interesting for the entire family as they explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures and the arts through exciting interactive exhibits on five floors. Families will discover some of the most rare dinosaur fossils in the world and see what it's like to live and work in space. There's also a theater with children's plays and live entertainment.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
3,939 reviews
Excellent
3,061
Very good
625
Average
186
Poor
48
Terrible
19
volleygirlamy
Waynesville, OH150 contributions
Highly recommend for little kids
Feb. 2023 • Family
5 and 4 year old had so much fun! We arrived just after 10 when they opened. Lesson learned: buy tickets online at least two weeks in advance. They are less expensive.
We spent the whole day and easily could have gone back for a second. So much for the kids to do.

Tip: pack your own lunch. The food was not great and super expensive. We got 5 pieces of pepperoni pizza, and 4 breadsticks and it was $56.

The kids loved it and I can’t recommend it enough!
Written February 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mike Carle
Cincinnati, OH7 contributions
Kinda like an educational Disney
Jan. 2023 • Family
We went with our kids aged 8, 10, and 12. They loved every part of the museum. You'll want to leave plenty of time to really enjoy each area because there's so much to do. The attention to detail is great - you feel immersed in the exhibits, kinda like an educational Disney
Written January 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
JN S
Bloomington, IN129 contributions
Fun!
May 2022
So fun. So much to do. Okay, the kids liked it too. Lots of antique toys. Buttons to push.. Hands on exhibits, and the old train from the Madison Incline Railroad.
Written January 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jacob H
Indianapolis, IN273 contributions
August Visit
Aug. 2022 • Family
Enjoyed going here as a kid and recently visited again. Spent nearly entire day, but still didn't see everything!
Written January 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lena H
Bowie, MD309 contributions
Worth the high fee
Jan. 2023 • Family
I had the same concern as some other reviewers for the cost. We paid $160+ for 3 adults and 2 children. But we spend the entire day there. Our kids are small and they are crazy about cooking, trains and sandboxes. They found everything here. The play area for children 5 and under was amazing. We spent a couple hours just there, playing with sand, water and birds they have there in little bird houses. We left exhausted but our kids had had the time of their lives.
What I didn’t like: food was kind of limited in choices so definitely bring your own lunch. And the family bathrooms didn’t have a kid size toilet? That’s what I found really strange. It’s a kids museum. My kids are 2 and 4 and the little one will only use a child sized toilet. We had to go down to the first level so she could use the bathroom and be able to wash her hands. The area for 5 and under - would certainly warrant not only a small toilet but also where a child can reach the sink. There was no step stool. Again, I found it bizarre as I had expected them to have everything necessary for toilet trained children.
Other than that we had an absolute blast and if you are worried about the cost - you will see it’s worth it!
Written January 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Fred M
3 contributions
note good
Dec. 2022
why are you charging so much The exhibits are not changing and the top floor is not as interactive as before
Written December 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Brandon
Pittsburgh, PA297 contributions
A must do!
Nov. 2022 • Couples
AMAZING! This is a must do if your in Indie. I would say anyone will be lost in here for hours no matter your age. It was fun to learn and get to interact with the exhibits. If it wasn't winter we could of easily spent several more hours just at the sports experience. Could not recommend more.
Written November 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
bigrich88
Columbus, Ohio, Usa52 contributions
Great place for the kids
Aug. 2022
our grandkids really, really enjoyed coming here. we've taken the older ones years back and they really enjoyed it as well. there's a lot for the kids to do and learn while they're there, inside and outside.
Written October 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ashley D
1 contribution
Horrible
Oct. 2022 • Family
Not only was the food overpriced, but I couldn’t get a single person to wait on me. Will not be coming back!!!
Written October 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Seth Hunter
Kissimmee, FL29 contributions
Indy Weekend 2022
Jul. 2022 • Family
Indy weekend trip. We took the kids to the children’s museum. We had a fantastic time. There is enough to see that you can spend a whole day there. The place is very clean and well organized l. Our kids loved the dinosaur exhibits. We will definitely be back soon.
Written October 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS - 2023 What to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Children's Museum of Indianapolis is open:
  • Tue - Sun 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Children's Museum of Indianapolis tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Children's Museum of Indianapolis tours on Tripadvisor