DIY Birthday Parties at The Children's Museum
DIY Birthday Parties at The Children's Museum
Celebrate Big: Your Guide to DIY Birthday Parties at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Birthday parties are always welcome at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis! Combining your child’s special day with a trip to the world’s biggest and best children’s museum is the perfect way to create an amazing family memory.
DIY Birthday Party Tips
- Call customer service at 1-800-820-6214 to purchase tickets for groups of 20 or more.
- On the day of your party, visit the Concierge Desk on Level 1 for a special birthday sticker so your child can let everyone know it’s their special day.
- Decorate your table in the Food Court with a fun table covering and centerpiece.
- Please note: balloons are not permitted in the museum and decorations can not be hung on the walls
- Please clean up and discard decorations before you leave the Food Court
- In our Food Court, pizza, treats, cotton candy, ice cream , and drinks are available for purchase. You are also welcome to bring your own food to eat in the Food Court. Electricity, microwave, and refrigeration are not available so please plan snacks accordingly.
- Ride the Carousel. Be sure to ask for a birthday announcement from the staff.
- Carousel rides are free for member children and children under age 2; nonmember cost is $2 per ride per child. The $2 fee per child rider helps fund ongoing care and maintenance of the Carousel. Accompanying adults are free of charge.
- Use your membership benefits to make the day extra special.
- All members save 10% on purchases in The Museum Store
- Donor Members (Explore Club and up) receive a 10% discount in the Food Court
- Want to turn the birthday into an event? Contact our catering department at least a week in advance of your visit. We have packages that include catering and room rental starting at $2500.
Theme Ideas
You can also create an itinerary around the birthday child’s favorite museum-related theme. Use the exhibit pages of our website and our daily calendar for inspiration for where to visit. Ideas include (but aren't limited to):All Things Dinos
See your favorite dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and two giant sauropods in Dinosphere® and talk to real paleontologists as they work on fossils uncovered at our dig site in Wyoming.
Planes Trains, Boats, and Automobiles
Find all the different modes of transportation on display throughout the museum, including the IndyCar race car photo opp, All Aboard!, Beyond Spaceship Earth, Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks, and The World of Sport.
Sports
Can you fit in all 7.5 acres of outdoor experiences in our sports wonderland into a single birthday bash?
Out of This World
Explore the final frontier in Beyond Spaceship Earth and the Schaefer Planetarium and Space Object Theater.
Science
”Eureka!” Make a discovery and feed curiosity in Dinosphere, Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks, and National Geographic Treasures of the Earth. Check our Eli Lilly Visiting Scientist schedule to see if she's hosting a program and talk to a real scientist during your visit. You'll also want to check the calendar for daily activities in Corteva Agriscience STEMLab.
Art
Spark some creativity in art-inspired exhibits and experiences like the National Art Museum of Sport, Dinosphere Art Lab, Fireworks of Glass, American POP,Playscape® (for children age 5 and under), and live peformances on the Lilly Theater stage. Check our Visiting Artists schedule and see when they're hosting a workshop.
Have a memorable birthday at The Children's Museum
We hope you have a memorable birthday full of joy, wonder, curiosity, and a few surprises along the way!
