Take a Tour of the Tiana’s Joyful Celebration Exhibit
Take a Tour of the Tiana’s Joyful Celebration Exhibit
Princess Tiana’s new story is here in Tiana’s Joyful Celebration—and she needs your special spice! Experience the food, music, art, and traditions of New Orleans as you help Tiana prepare for a Mardi Gras season “parade.” Decorate floats, design costumes, and help the critter band rehearse in this unforgettable celebration of community!
Here’s a brief guide to the exhibit, showing you what to expect as you visit The Children's Museum.
Welcome to 1928 New Orleans
Before you take a step into the Crescent City during the height of the Jazz Age, you’ll see a large wall with historical photos that tell how chef Leah Chase, owner of Dooky Chase Restaurant, inspired Princess Tiana’s character and story.
Tiana's Co-Op Office
In the office for Tiana’s Foods Co-Op, you’ll find out that Tiana has a big plan for her childhood neighborhood. She’s assembled a krewe to form a small Mardi Gras parade, but there’s a major hiccup! The krewe has discovered that their parade time slot begins an hour earlier than they’d thought. There's a long list of items that need to be completed for the parade to start on time, including:
- Feeding the hungry krewe and decorating a float
- Beading a cape for the queen of the parade and designing costumes
- Rehearsing with the critter band
- Creating your own second line dance routine
There's much more to do. Tiana’s krewe needs your help to get the parade ready in time!
Food
From beignets to jambalaya, food showcases the rich traditions of New Orleans communities. They create moments of joy and are a memorable part of the festive atmosphere of Mardi Gras.
Tiana’s Co-Op Sno-Op
Tiana’s krewe is inventing new sno-ball flavors for the parade. Tap into your creativity to help sweeten up their menu.
Food-Themed Parade Float
Help spice up the food-themed float that looks like a giant pot of gumbo—just like Tiana’s daddy used to make! You can help make the float a feast for the eyes!
Tiana's Petit Palace Lunch Truck
Putting a parade together is hard work! Help Tiana serve lunch to all the hungry helpers. Follow Tiana’s daddy’s gumbo recipe and serve lunch to the krewe.
Vegetable Garden
A good pot of gumbo requires fresh ingredients. Help tend the pretend-play garden and decide which herbs you should add to your recipes.
Hot Sauce Test Kitchen
Use fresh fruits and veggies from the farm at Tiana’s Foods to create your own blend of hot sauce.
Costumes & Art
The work of artists and craftspeople brings Mardi Gras parades to life with imaginative floats, costumes, and decorations that celebrate the city’s creativity and cultural heritage.
Community Mural
The krewe is dressing up the neighborhood for the parade. Grab a paintbrush and add some color to a beautiful community mural on a large interactive digital screen..
Eudora's Chic Boutique
There’s a lot to do in Tiana’s mother’s dress shop—a vibrant hub of creativity.
Help create costumes and masks for the parade float riders. Use your eye for design and add your own flavor by styling a memorable look for each float.
You can also finish the beadwork on the queen of the parade’s cape, adding symbols like a crown, water lily, pepper, or music note, to show what makes Tiana’s community so special.
Lari's Lair
Elevate your experience in the exhibit by participating in the Daily Activities in Lari's Lair. Free tickets will be distributed 10 minutes before the Daily Activity begins.
Tiana's Krewe Presents: A Bayou Puppet Adventure
Help celebrate Tiana's success through an interactive puppet show where your special spice will help complete the performance!
Music
New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz. What's a Mardi Gras parade without that unmistakable bayou-infused sound?
Music-Themed Parade Float
Help jazz up the float by completing a firefly light show and arranging the float’s water lilies. Then you can crawl through the float to check on the froggy jazz band with an Afro-Cuban beat as they rehearse for the parade.
The Critter Band
The critter band needs a rhythm section to get things really cooking. Play the drums to add your own special spice.
Celebrate with Tiana
Everyone's hard work comes together at the royal-themed float located in the center of the exhibit.
Did your krewe get everything together in time?
Learn steps for the second line dance team from Terrylyn (a.k.a. Second Line Shorty), including the skip, cross step, drop, and side shuffle. Then put them all together for your own second line dance!
As the Mardi Gras parade comes together, celebrate your own special spice with Princess Tiana!
When you're ready, follow the exit signs out the back of the exhibit and into Celebration Square.
Celebration Square
Visit the NOLA Street Market in The Museum Store
Make sure you stop by The Children's Museum Store before you finish your day!
Inside, you'll find the NOLA Street Market area full of gifts and souvenirs to remind you of the joyful time you had helping Tiana's krewe start the parade on time!
All books in the store are 10% off the publisher's price every day!
Add Your Special Spice to the Celebration
Tiana's Joyful Celebration is open at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis through Jan. 4, 2027, and is included with museum admission.
