It’s The Children’s Museum like you’ve never seen it before – for the first time ever, the annual Haunted House is bringing all your favorite, iconic museum exhibits and experiences to life in one creepy, haunted adventure: Bewitched BOOseum!  

Opening Friday, Oct. 10 and running through Halloween, the brand-new Bewitched BOOseum is an eerie mashup of The Children’s Museum’s most beloved moments and icons from its 100-year history. Founded and run entirely by The Children’s Museum Guild, the Haunted House is the museum’s biggest annual fundraiser, haunting children and families for 61 years now.  

“Bewitched BOOseum puts an eerie twist on some of our most popular and classic museum exhibits — where aliens and dinosaurs roar, our Carousel becomes the Scare-o-sel, and even science gets seriously scary,” said Jennifer Pace Robinson, president and CEO. “Our Guild witches have been brewing up something ghoulish, and we can’t wait for kids of all ages, and kids at heart, to come through our annual Haunted House this year and be delightfully scared!” 

The Haunted House is one of the only in Indiana designed for all ages, with options for those who scare easily and who dare to be scared. Friendly Hours (Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; extended to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays), will have lights on, upbeat music, goodies and treats, and friendly greeters. Frightening Hours (Thursday-Saturday, 4-8 p.m.) are for thrill-seekers looking for more intense scares with haunting music, jump scarers in creepy masks, and dimmed lights. The Haunted House is fully accessible, which now includes the “spinning” vortex tunnel bridge that has become a classic for visitors.  

New this year are special theme days throughout the run of the Haunted House! Every Tuesday is a unique theme day with free giveaways, every Wednesday the Indiana Department of Transportation will be distributing free bike helmets to Haunted House visitors, and every Saturday during Frightening Hours free books will be given out courtesy of the NCAA®. 

There are a variety of Halloween and Fall-themed events at The Children’s Museum to skele-brate all month long. On Oct. 14, Museum My Way lets visitors with disabilities or sensory sensitivities enjoy the Haunted House and parts of the museum in an individualized experience. For the adults, Halloween After Dark on Oct. 18 lets you explore several exhibits in the museum, and the Haunted House, for an adults-only party after-hours. And on Oct. 25 is Twilight Fright, a perfect outing for kids/tweens ages 7-14 with the Haunted House during Frightening Hours, outdoor sports challenges, food included, and more. A full list of events can be found here.  

The longest continually-operated Haunted House in the nation is entirely imagined, created, decorated, and staffed by the 100 members of The Children’s Museum Guild. Each year, this all-women group donates more than 36,000 hours of volunteer time to the Haunted House.  

Tickets are $8 for members, $9 for non-members. All funding from the Haunted House goes directly to supporting several museum programs including infoZone Library, free admission days, and programming for local youth. 

Visit childrensmuseum.org/haunted-house for more information on The Children’s Museum Guild’s Haunted House, including special theme days, friendly/frightening hours, and to purchase tickets. It’s sure to be a night of FRIGHT and DELIGHT!  

Presented by Old National Bank.
Friendly Hours sponsored by Shepherd Insurance and Financial.
Frightening Hours sponsored by the NCAA®.  

About The Children's Museum of Indianapolis      

We ignite joy, wonder and curiosity by creating powerful learning experiences for children and adults. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org and follow us on social media @childrensmuseum.   The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is proud to partner with Riley Children’s Health, Old National Bank, Ice Miller LLP, and The Heritage Group.