Today, the Guild includes around 100 active members and more than 500 associates—representing a diverse cross-section of Indianapolis and its surrounding communities. Collectively, the Guild clocks nearly 40,000 volunteer hours each year, providing vital support to every aspect of the museum.
Their work spans many initiatives, like integrating exhibits into classrooms, partnering with infoZone Library to read to local schoolchildren, supporting the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience®, planning the Museum’s neighborhood holiday party, and awarding scholarships to museum interns.
The Guild’s most significant and impactful initiative? Its annual Haunted House. Debuting in 1964, the first haunted house drew 26,000 visitors over 10 days and raised $13,200—making it a resounding success that kicked off a beloved tradition. Today, it holds the distinction of being the longest continually-running haunted house in the nation, with over 3.3 million visitors in its 61-year history. Most notably, it’s responsible for raising nearly $17.4 million to date, with over $3 million raised in the last six years alone.
Guild members handle every aspect of the haunted house, taking on tasks like developing the theme, sewing costumes, designing/building rooms, managing operations, and more—all to raise funds for the museum’s educational programs and exhibits. In fact, the Guild is the museum’s largest annual donor.
In 1975, for example, Haunted House proceeds helped launch a new pre-history exhibit. This year, in honor of the museum’s centennial celebration, the Guild is pulling out all the stops with a one-of-a-kind takeover and theme: Bewitched BOOseum.
