The Eighties

Elephant from Passport to the world gallery

Attendance reached the "magic million" at 1.1 million in the early '80s. Playscape, a gallery opened in 1981 just for preschoolers, became a popular destination for young visitors and preschool classes. The following year the Museum acquired Ritchey Woods, a nature preserve north of Indianapolis which hosts hiking trails and a small shelter for workshops and classes. The Computer Discovery Center was created in 1983. In 1984 the museum received the donation from Frank and Theresa Caplan of 50,000 toys and folk crafts which became the bases for a new permanent gallery, Passport to the World, which opened in 1986. The late eighties were a busy time for the Museum, with a new logo and the installation of the Glitton Water Clock in 1988, and the opening of the SpaceQuest Planetarium in 1989.
(Photo gallery below)

Playscape Gallery	Computer discovery Center	Planetarium starry night sky for a planetarium show
Fall colors at Ritchie Woods	Kids and Stars logo	People smiling at Planetarium show