Milestone Moments from the First 100 Years of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Milestone Moments from the First 100 Years of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
From humble beginnings to five floors of indoor fun and a 7.5 acre outdoor sports wonderland, our story has grown over the past 100 years. Take a look back at some milestone moments from our first 100 years.
1925
On Dec. 5, Mary Stewart Carey and four others founded The Children's Museum in a carriage house at the Propylaeum.
1933
The Children's Museum Guild forms with eight members. They open the first Haunted House in 1964 and continue to run it today.
1937
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt paid a visit to see a collection of dolls made by Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers employed at the museum.
1946
After a stint in Garfield Park, the museum moves to Mrs. Carey's home—but quickly runs out of room. The museum then acquires the Parry house at 30th and Meridian streets in an auction.
1968
Crowds line Meridian Street to watch the Reuben Wells, perched upon a flatbed truck, make its way to the museum from Altoona, Pennsylvania.
1973
Ground breaks on a new, dedicated museum building at 30th and Meridian Street. At 225,000 square feet, it will be the largest children's museum in the world—a distinction still held today, though the building is now 482,950 square feet.
1976
First Lady Betty Ford visited The Children's Museum and was one of the first people to ride the newly-installed Carousel.
1979
Mascot Rex is introduced—with a look perhaps better suited for the Haunted House. His original mask is now part of the museum's permanent collection.
1988
French physicist-turned-artist Bernard Gitton and two of his assistants install the Water Clock
1996
Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks and the CineDome (now home to Creatures of the Cretaceous® in Dinosphere®) is open.
2009
New additions to The Children's Museum include:- The Skywalk across Illinois Street
- Brachiosaurs "Seymour" and "Riad" peeking in from the outside
- The Welcome Center
2018
The biggest expansion in 40 years brings the indoor-outdoor Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience®, including a 7.5 acre outdoor sports wonderland where you can keep score in smiles as you try out different sports.
2025
We have a year that's jam-packed with centennial celebration events—including the Centennial Ferris Wheel!The year-long celebration reaches its epic conclusion with our once-in-a-century Birthday Bash. And you're invited!
You can dig deeper into our century of memories, wonders, and dreams by exploring our temporary exhibit, Memories, Wonders, and Dreams: Stories from 100 Years. Open through Jan. 4, 2026.
