The Children's Museum of Indianapolis Celebrates A Record Breaking Summer

Children and families visited The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in record numbers during the summer break. The museum set an all-time attendance record, welcoming a quarter of a million visitors during June and July of 2012. That number is 11% higher than the previous record set in 2011.

“It is gratifying to know that tens of thousands of children head back to school this month with richer, deeper learning experiences that are sure to enhance their education,” said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
 
Hot Wheels For Real™! & LEGO® Travel Adventure turned out to be huge crowd pleasers during the record setting time on top of the museum’s permanent exhibits and visitor favorites such as Dinosphere: Now You’re in Their World and National Geographic Treasures of the Earth.

LEGO® lovers were encouraged to use the famous building bricks as a vehicle for their imagination to create unique ways to travel. They did just that with everything from cars that sailed to boats that flew. The exhibit closed July 31, 2012.

Hot Wheels For Real is still going strong and will remain open until January 27, 2013. It features rarely seen collectible Hot Wheels® die-cast cars and amazing life-size versions of iconic favorites like Twin Mill®, Bone Shaker®, and the Deora® II!

“Hot Wheels For Real appeals to a broad audience spanning several generations. It is wonderful to see parents and grandparents reminisce about tricked out hot rods they used to drive or wish they had driven while helping children understand how various designs, sizes & shapes impact speed and maneuverability,” said Patchen. “And if a little friendly competition takes place on the famous orange track – all the more fun!”

Always providing new experiences, this past weekend the museum added a full-size Chevrolet Hot Wheels® Camaro Concept car that includes a distinctly unique Over Chrome Green paint and pinstripe. It’s packed for the track with 20” wheels and tires and black aluminum hood insert with milled extractors.

Up next is The Children’s Museum Guild’s 49th Annual Haunted House – Wicked Workshop! It will take visitors to a wild and whimsical factory where Winny the Witch and her hard-working Witchkins make everything you need for Halloween! The Haunted House offers both Defender Direct’s Frightening Hours (with the lights off, for children who dare to be scared), and IPL’s Lights-On Hours (for children who scare easily).

In response to families in need, the museum continues to offer free and reduced admission programs through the Access Pass program, the Foster Family membership program and monthly Target Free Family Nights.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary family learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Facebook.com/childrensmuseum and YouTube.

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