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This is March! This is The Children’s Museum! When you combine the two, you have Museum Madness!
We pit16 of your favorite permanent exhibits and icons against each other in a no-holds-barred single-elimination tournament to see which one is your favorite! Over the course of a week, we asked our Facebook and Instagram communities to vote in each round of Rex’s favorite tournament.
The matchups
Dinosphere® vs. American POP
Dinosphere® brought experience—hundreds of millions of years of it—to the tournament. With real fossils, real paleontologists, and amazing interactive programming, Dinosphere® was the odds-on favorite for many.
With items like Taylor Swift’s dress, Lady Gaga’s shoes, a golden ticket from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and boy band collectibles American POP hoped to have the brand recognition to cause our dinos a little bit of heartburn. But was it enough to bury the competition?
Bumblebee vs. Beyond Spaceship Earth
Bumblebee is everyone’s favorite greeter at The Children’s Museum. Did he have what it takes to take down his opponent?
With the recent addition of an Apollo Mission Control Console in the exhibit’s Schaefer Planetarium and Space Object Theater, the high-flying Beyond Spaceship Earth exhibit reloaded for a potential deep run in this year’s tournament.
Playscape® vs. Lilly Theater
Since it’s geared primarily for children 5 and under (and their families), Playscape® is the youngest entry in the tournament. But don’t let its youth fool you! With components like the Art Studio, Reaction Contraption, and Water Table, the youthful energy of the exhibit could cause some matchup headaches.
World-class actors grace the stage throughout the year to give our visitors wonderful live performances inside Lilly Theater. The theater’s shows are always top-notch!
Take Me There:® Greece vs. Fireworks of Glass
Getting to take a vacation to Greece without leaving Indiana? That’s what you can do in Take Me There:® Greece! It’s a great place to learn about Greek people and experience Greek night life. What could be feta?
Towering over the competition at 43 feet tall, Fireworks of Glass certainly has the advantage in the height department. As the centerpiece of the museum’s core, you could say that the tournament runs through Fireworks of Glass. That could give the exhibit more than a height advantage.
Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® vs. Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks
With 7.5 acres of smiles, laughter, coaches, and sports, the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® has it all. With so many people keeping score in smiles in our outdoor sports wonderland, did they remember to vote in this year’s tournament?
Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks encompasses so many elements to help you see the vast amount of STEM-based careers that are available. We even have our very own science educators hosting programs throughout the day. It literally rocks—just check out the gems.
Water Clock vs. Mini Masterpieces
One of the highlights of everyone’s visit to the museum is the Water Clock with its siphons, discs, and blue water. It was only a matter of time before this icon made some waves in Museum Madness.
They say that experience is key to winning a tournament in March. The small but mighty Mini Masterpieces is the longest-standing exhibit in the museum. In addition to the amazingly intricate detail, the exhibit also includes some unique features, including an interactive element where you can design your own miniature house, a fun "Eye Spy" game, and a miniature The Propylaeum—the museum's first home!
Carousel Wishes and Dreams vs. All Aboard!
Defending champion Carousel Wishes and Dreams has all the marks of a museum favorite. The Carousel itself is more than 100 years old and is a masterpiece of art and engineering, with intricately carved animals that seemingly come to life with each turn. Throw in the playhouses, mirror maze, and vintage video games, this exhibit is a real “round-about” of fun. It always proves to be a tough Museum Madness “out.”
The mighty Reuben Wells and the All Aboard! exhibit is always a heavy hitter. We literally built the entire museum around the 75-ton steam engine. But that isn't the only part of this fan favorite exhibit. With highlights of the more than 6,000 train sets in the museum’s collection you can plan on seeing only the favorites of favorites in All Aboard! Throw in the train that moves along the tracks near the ceiling and the hours of pretend play with the wooden train sets and ticket counter, and there's something for everyone in this exhibit.
Ball Machine vs. National Geographic Treasures of the Earth
Another museum icon, the mesmerizing Ball Machine is always destined to make a lot of noise during Museum Madness.
National Geographic Treasures of the Earth is the whole package. With scuba diving around a shipwreck, digging up broken statues, exploring a pharaoh’s tomb, and live interactive programming, it’s always a wise Museum Madness pick!
Here were some of the key questions everyone asked leading into the tournament:
- Will there be any upsets this year?
- Will Carousel Wishes and Dreams defend its 2023 crown?
- Can Dinosphere® redeem itself from last year’s championship loss?
You’ll find these answers and more in our recap of all the drama, thrills, and spills from the 2024 Museum Madness run.
The results
Round 1
The opening round of Museum Madness brought some intriguing matchups. Some were brutal. Others were blowouts. There might have been a few surprises along the way. Here are the results of Round 1:
Dinosphere® vs.American POP
Winner: Dinosphere®
Bumblebee vs. Beyond Spaceship Earth
Winner: Beyond Spaceship Earth
Playscape® vs. Lilly Theater
Winner: Playscape®
Take Me There:® Greece vs. Fireworks of Glass
Winner: Fireworks of Glass
Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® vs. Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks
This matchup came down to the wire and almost went into overtime!
Winner: Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience®
Water Clock vs. Mini Masterpieces
Winner: Water Clock
Carousel Wishes and Dreams vs. All Aboard!
Many thought this matchup would be a nail-biter. In the end, the winner was clear.
Winner: Carousel Wishes and Dreams
Ball Machine vs. National Geographic Treasures of the Earth
Winner: Ball Machine
Round 2
And then there were eight.
Dinosphere® vs. Beyond Spaceship Earth
Winner: Dinosphere®
Playscape® vs. Fireworks of Glass
Winner: Playscape®
Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® vs. Water Clock
Winner: Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience®
Carousel Wishes and Dreams vs. Ball Machine
Winner: Carousel Wishes and Dreams
Round 3
We whittled the exhibits down to four. The 2024 Museum Madness semifinals were intense.
Dinosphere® vs. Playscape®
This classic battle between youth and experience was one for the ages. Playscape® put up a valiant effort, but it wasn’t quite enough for our prehistoric beasts.
Winner: Dinosphere®
Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® vs. Carousel Wishes and Dreams
This was another matchup that went down to the final seconds, with our sports wonderland holding on for the victory. You might say the exhibit had ice water in its veins. Old National Bank Avenue of Champions Sports Legend Slick Leonard would've been proud.
Winner: Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience®
The 2024 Museum Madness champion
We have two words for the championship matchup—barn burner. A contest between Dinosphere® and Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® was exactly everything you could imagine.
In the end, Dinosphere® stomped through this year’s Museum Madness tournament. It was a tough contest, but Bucky the T. rex (and company) claimed the 2024 crown.
While Dinosphere® won our Museum Madness tournament this year, you're the real winner when you visit The Children's Museum! All of the exhibits and daily programs are included with museum admission. Get your tickets today and discover why we're consistently named the country's best children's museum!
