The Indianapolis Zoo, Children's Museum, Caribbean Cove Indoor Water Park and summer butterfly exhibit are kid-friendly activities for family travel to Indianapolis.
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
From the water clock at the entrance that fascinates both children and adults, to the basement mummy’s tomb, to rides on the historic carousel, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis deserves a day of your vacation. Other highlights include:
- Fireworks of Glass, the largest permanent exhibit of Dale Chihuly’s blown glass. The 43-foot tower extends up the center of the visitor ramps for close viewing, or you can get below it and look up at a ceiling of another 1600 of Chihuly's blown glass sculptures.
- ScienceWorks, the fourth-floor hands-on science room. This favorite includes construction equipment, a water center with locks, screws, pumps and the kids’ boats, and a climbing wall, to name just a few activities.
- The Dinosphere, with enough real fossils, life-size dinosaur replicas and interactive activities to enchant any would-be paleontologist.
- The SpaceQuest Planetarium, where you can lean back and learn the Native American stories of the night sky, or watch Galileo discover the workings of a telescope. The Planetarium is free, but get your tickets ahead of time so you don’t miss the show you want.
White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis:
- The Indianapolis Zoo is set up in forest, plains, ocean and desert biomes, where you can watch the animals in replicated natural habitats. The zoo also has a successful breeding program; you may get to see elephant, tiger or giraffe babies. Watch out for the emus - they’ve been known to reach through the fence to take your map away! Aquarium exhibits include a shark touch pool and underwater views of the polar bears, seals and sea lions, plus a spectacular underwater dolphin dome. Watch elephant, bird and dolphin shows, and visit the petting area and family roller coaster. On hot, humid days, the misting stations and water play area are great to cool off!
- The Butterfly Exhibit at White River Gardens is a special event during the spring and summer. Walk into a conservatory filled with thousands of butterflies who just may leave their exotic trees and plants and land on your shoulder. The best days to visit are warm and sunny - the butterflies are less active (and less visible) on cool, overcast days.
- Canal Boats are a delightful way to relax while you’re in downtown Indy. You can rent paddle boats or arrange for a gondola ride on the canal. The rental booth is inside the White River State Park, .
- The IMAX theater is inside the Indiana State Museum and is a great place to enjoy air conditioning while watching 3-D dinosaur, shark and sea monster movies, or a film about Egyptian mummies and pharaohs.
Caribbean Cove Indoor Water Park, northwest Indianapolis
If you’re travelling to Indy from out of town, consider getting the Caribbean Cove package at the Holiday Inn in northwest Indianapolis (3850 DePauw Blvd). The attached water park includes:
- Two body slides colorfully running around the ceiling and in and out of the building;
- A third tube ride, brighter and better for young children;
- A lazy river complete with rafts;
- A basketball pool, with several hoops in the center so you don’t have to chase the ball if you miss;
- A kids’ play area with a waterspray and a huge bucket that dumps water every few minutes.
- A food court for extra hungry times (although kids eat free at restaurant with their parents).
The copyright of the article Indianapolis for Kids in Indiana Travel is owned by Jennifer Jensen. Permission to republish Indianapolis for Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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