Indianapolis — As the Indiana State Museum and Historic Site’s 150th anniversary approaches in 2019, the museum is pursuing a bold plan to transform the museum and 11 historic sites into places that not only reflect its past, but lead it into the future.
“Because of all the changes in technology, we are changing the way we tell Indiana’s stories,” said Tom King, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites president and CEO. “We are boldly transforming our galleries to change how visitors experience Indiana’s history. We’re creating more immersive, interactive exhibitions, as well as creating spaces that can be changed on a regular basis so that visitors will have something new to enjoy each time they visit.”
As a part of that bold plan, on November 2, 2016, a stakeholder preview will take place at 12:10 p.m. in the museum’s Governor Frank and Judy O’Bannon Great Hall featuring a talk by Laura L. Lott, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums.
On November 12, 2016 three newly-renovated core science, culture and history galleries, as a part of phase one renovations, will be unveiled to the public. The updated Natural Regions, Contested Territory and 19th State galleries, will excite guests as they get to crawl into a black bear’s cave, hear the sounds of pre-contact Indiana, pack their own covered wagon, hear Little Turtle’s stirring speech at the signing of the Treaty of Greenville and much more.
“By the completion of phase five construction in 2019, guests will get to travel through space and time—from the distant past to the possible future and back, all in a way that’s more interactive, more immersive and hands-on and more relevant to 21st century audiences,” said Beth Van Why, associate vice president of exhibitions.
Phase two construction will begin in the spring of 2017 and include the museum’s Ice Age and Prehistoric Native Americans galleries as well as the Naturalist Lab on Level 1 of the museum. Phase three, which includes the galleries that cover cultural history from 1840-1930 on Level 1 and the Ancient Seas area on Level 1, are scheduled to close in the spring of 2018 and reopen to the public in the fall of 2018. Phase four, which includes the Level 1 gallery What Shapes Us –formerly Birth of the Earth –is scheduled to close in the fall of 2018 and reopen to the public in the spring of 2019. Phase five, which includes cultural history galleries from 1930 to today and into tomorrow on Level 2, are scheduled to close in the spring of 2019 and reopen to the public in the fall of 2019.