Princess Tiana’s new story is here, and she needs your special spice! Produced by Walt Disney Imagineering and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Tiana’s Joyful Celebration is the first-ever museum exhibition dedicated to Princess Tiana. This unforgettable celebration will run March 7, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis before traveling to other museums across the U.S. 

In Tiana's Joyful Celebration, visitors can experience the diverse, vibrant culture of New Orleans with Princess Tiana and her friends. In this immersive exhibition, families will work together to prepare the finishing touches for a festive Mardi Gras season parade going on in Tiana's childhood neighborhood. Tiana’s Joyful Celebration is a bilingual exhibit, with labels available in both English and Spanish.  

There’s so much to do to help Princess Tiana get ready for the big day. Guests will learn the power of teamwork by decorating Mardi Gras season parade floats, designing fun costumes and masks, helping the community band rehearse, cooking up delicious gumbo, and learning a dance all as visitors are fully immersed in a joyful celebration of community and tradition. 

This latest adventure for Princess Tiana has it all: food, culture, music, art, dance, and more. Everyone must come together and contribute their unique talents – a bit of their special spice – to pull the parade together in time.  

“Tiana’s Joyful Celebration brings the heart and rhythm of New Orleans, along with Princess Tiana’s vibrant spirit, right here to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis,” said Jennifer Pace Robinson, president and CEO of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. We’re thrilled to welcome families into Tiana’s Joyful Celebration as you add your own special spice – creativity, joy, and teamwork – to Tiana's Mardi Gras season parade. Our sincere appreciation to Walt Disney Imagineering for their support and letting our museum team’s creativity shine. It is sure to be a magical celebration of culture, imagination, and the power of coming together.” 

The shared vision of Walt Disney Imagineering and The Children’s Museum aims to celebrate culture and embrace creativity through uniting the storytelling of one of Disney’s beloved princesses and educational excellence to create an unforgettable family experience. 

“All of us at Walt Disney Imagineering are deeply honored to help share another new chapter of Princess Tiana’s legacy through the opening of Tiana’s Joyful Celebration Exhibition at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis,” said Carmen Smith, senior vice president, Walt Disney Imagineering/Disney Consumer Products. “Bringing this vision to life, especially after the opening of the Disney Parks attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, brings more of Princess Tiana’s inspirational story to the community, inside and outside of our parks. As a celebration of culture, the power of coming together, and the one and only Princess Tiana, this exhibit in collaboration with The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a space where families and friends can share joy, learn from one another, and feel the heartbeat of New Orleans. We invite everyone to visit the exhibition in Indianapolis this year, or one of our partner museums as it travels the United States starting in 2027.” 

In July 2025, Walt Disney Imagineering and The Children’s Museum officially announced Tiana’s Joyful Celebration at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture event in New Orleans. It also included a stop at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, the iconic New Orleans restaurant that inspired Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, which introduced the world to Disney’s first Black princess and Tiana's story.  

After wrapping at The Children’s Museum in 2027, Tiana’s Joyful Celebration will take its magic on the road and travel to 12 other museums nationwide, including The Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio, The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, The Fort Worth Museum of Science and Industry in Fort Worth, Texas, The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, The Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa, Florida, and others.  

For more information about Tiana’s Joyful Celebration, visit www.childrensmuseum.org/tiana. 

**Costumed characters are not part of the exhibition.  

About Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative force that imagines, designs, and brings to life all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, cruise ships and more. Founded in 1952 as WED Enterprises to design and build Disneyland, Walt Disney Imagineering is where imagination and creativity combine with cutting-edge technology to create unforgettable experiences. These experiences are brought to life by a diverse array of talented Imagineers from around the globe who work collaboratively to enhance and expand on Disney’s legacy of immersive storytelling. 

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.