Doesn't the name Minnetrista make you think that you'll be visiting a place with puppets? Like…read moremarionettes, right? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but there are no puppets or marionettes here. But there is an exhibit dedicated to Ball jars. Fun fact: Minnetrista was created by the Ball family, who created Ball canning jars, which you can learn about here. They are also the "Ball" behind Ball State University, which is located in Muncie. I had no idea! You will learn interesting facts like these, and others about this area of Indiana, at Minnetrista. The main museum itself is a bit small, and part of it is conference and meeting rooms. But the museum is just one part of Minnetrista. This is actually a 40-acre campus with gardens and paved trails. As you stroll along the grounds, you'll come across some houses. Some of the houses are part of Minnetrista, and you are welcome to pop inside and check out what's going on. What's going on in one of them is an exhibit dedicated to Bob Ross, the painter. At the Bob Ross Experience, you can step inside the historic home where The Joy of Painting was filmed, and see some of the actual filming equipment and art supplies that were used to create the television show. It's sort of surreal that Bob was painting his happy little trees right here in humble Muncie. Some of the houses that you encounter are not a part of Minnetrista, but belong to IU Health or other entities. It's not really clearly marked on the houses which is which. I'm sure if you consulted a map, it might tell you! I consulted no such map, and I was just walking around blindly. I visited during the late fall, when it was cold and the gardens were dormant, for the most part. But I bet this place is amazing in the spring and summer, when everything is in bloom.

Minnetrista is an event center and museum that was built in 1988 by the five Ball brothers. The…read moremodern center is part of a complex of museums and gardens on the former Ball property that sits across from the White River in Muncie. There is an admission fee to visit the galleries of $15/adult and $12/child, but the ticket grants admission to the other museums and garden as well. During our visit, we saw the Narwhal exhibit, which is a small exhibit dedicated to narwhals. A curator greeted us at the entrance and was available to answer questions. My granddaughter is a narwhal fan enjoyed the interactive displays. We also visited a special children's exhibit called Good Night Forest. Again a curator welcomed us and invited us to build a backpack and enjoy the nighttime activities set up for the kids. My granddaughter loved the firer fly dance, wandering through the dark forest listening for animals and the shadow puppet show. There were fun and educational activities suitable for all ages. We also visited a permanent exhibit describing the Ball Store History. I liked seeing all the vintage items and describing them to my granddaughter. We also toured a display for a local artist competition. The staff is super friendly and engaging. The center is immaculate and accessible. There is plenty of parking in their dedicated lot. Minnetrista is a great legacy from the Ball family to the community. Exhibits change and can be found on their website. I highly recommend a visit if you like art and history.

What a fun place on a holiday with kids! It was crazy as it was free and a school holiday, but they…read morehad a ton of fun interactive events and booths for the kids. Our gang especially loved the rock painting and IMAX movie. We love that they also have a special reserved spot for eating or snacks. We brought our lunch so we're able to spend the whole day there and enjoy all the various activities. It is a big place so you can entertain lots of ages. We will be back!

The Indiana State Museum is a fabulous venue that archives state treasures and educates the public…read moreabout State history and resources. I take my granddaughters a couple times a year to visit the mastodons and mammoths, Indiana fossils, and other exhibits. Today, we visited Santa's house and rode the Snowfall Express Christmas Train. The fun ride takes the kids through an imaginary winter wonderland. Before the ride, Kid's can play with hands-on puzzles. Santa and Mrs. Claus invited the kids into their home and talk about their wishes. Parents could take photos or purchase Museum generated photos. (I did both.) Afterward, the kids enjoyed an interactive area on the first floor of the museum. The kids managed a sound track, made shadows behind a light screen and much more. They played (and learned) for over an hour. We had lunch in the Cafe. We get a 10% discount with our Museum membership. The food is good and reasonably priced. The staff is super friendly. Indoor parking in the garage is discounted for members. We go to all of the Museum's special events. We never miss GeoFest in February.

Seeing a movie in IMAX is a unique experience that feels more immersive than a typical theater…read more It's nice to have one available in the Indiana State Museum. If you're entering after 5 pm, you should use the south entrance to the museum, since the canal north entrance is locked. Tickets can either be bought at the ticketing counter or online, but online tickets are also scanned in here to check in. Then, the concessions counter is right by there. The prices for concessions are a little steep, but nothing outrageous. You can enter the theater from the first or second floor. The theater is pretty steep, so there's a bit of stairs depending on where you need to go. There is accessible seating at the very top row of the theater with companion seats. The seats are fairly comfortable but the rows are spaced kind of close, so you can feel people bumping your seat if they are moving about even pretty normally. The seats also don't recline much either. Picture posted to this review is the point of view from row K. Overall it was a good experience and I'd possibly be back.

I love this place so much that we bought two of the new chairs and are getting our names engraved…read moreon them. This is one of the largest screens in the country. The sound system is unmatched. And I've seen so many amazing movies here. The staff are great. The experience is great. I have no notes. It's perfect.

This restored, historically and materially rich home is a real treat to tour. I strongly recommend…read moreeveryone visits this home turned museum at least once.

I stumbled across the Elwood Haynes Museum while traveling on my recent Tenderness Tour in the…read moreKokomo area. While I'd heard about the museum before, I knew very little about it and I can honestly say that visiting it wasn't on my itinerary for my Kokomo visit until we happened to drive by it while searching for our evening dining location. The Elwood Haynes Museum is located in the mansion owned by Elwood Haynes, a Kokomo-based inventor credited with multiple firsts including being the first to produce cars commercially back in 1894. He lived in Kokomo until his death in 1925. Haynes also invented stainless steel. Seriously. Being that the Elwood Haynes Museum was actually a residence, you might guess that wheelchair access is kind of an issue. It definitely is kind of an issue, though kudos must be given for efforts to make the mansion as accessible as possible. You go up a rather narrow, somewhat steep driveway and park in the back of the house. If you have a high vehicle or an RV type vehicle, the odds you're going to achieve this are slim to none. There's only a few parking spots, a likely indicator that visits to the museum tend to be in smaller groups. The guide who was present for our visit acknowledged that the vast majority of visitors are out of towners rather than locals, though they do host local student groups. They've concocted a rather large, wooden ramp designed to provide wheelchair access. It likely meets ADA requirements in terms of grade, though be aware the wood itself feels a little flimsy. For those with limited range of motion or upper body strength, it may be advised to have a companion or assistant with you. You then enter via a side door that leads to your standard residential hallway. As this was a turn of the 19th century house, you can easily guess that hallways are rather narrow. I had zero issues moving into each room on the first floor - a bathroom on the first floor is largely wheelchair friendly with appropriate rails. The second floor would not be accessible to a wheelchair user, while the third floor, a small area, is not open to the public. They also have a basement area that is not open to the public. There's also an attached carriage house that had three of Haynes's vehicles within it along with a safe that had been created from the materials he invented. The Elwood Haynes Museum really is rather fascinating, though it's a rather quick view with a maximum of 1-2 hours needed to enjoy the entire museum. Admission is free, though donations are welcomed and somewhat encouraged in a low pressure sort of way. The exhibit, in addition to the vehicles, includes a wealth of photos, documents, inventions and other items related to Haynes, a figure who contributed greatly to modern motoring yet remains relatively unknown when compared to many others. The volunteer who was present was friendly and knowledgeable about Haynes's history and worked at a comfortable pace in explaining the museum. This was definitely an unexpected gem during my time in Kokomo.

For history buffs, or car buffs, or fans of invention, this is a "must stop" place to visit while…read morein Kokomo. The home of Elwood Haynes is partly a time capsule showing the Haynes residence and all those wonderful antiques you might expect. The other part of the building is the museum tribute to Mr Haynes and some of the other famous inventors/inventions of Kokomo. I hadn't done any research before going, so I was surprised to learn how many incredible inventions were created/discovered by Haynes. What is most commonly related to is that Haynes designed, funded the building of, and drove the first commercially built auto in the country! Local inventors (The Apperson Brothers) owned a shop and were paid by Haynes to build the frame and moving parts of the first auto after Haynes had bought a one horsepower engine that ran on gasoline. At that time, gasoline was considered a waste product from natural gas production and it was another of Haynes' inventions that made gasoline more usable as a fuel. On July 4, 1994, Haynes successfully drove his vehicle for an hour, covering about six miles. But that was just some of what this man accomplished. He discovered a means for making brass at the age of 15. He also invented the small thermostat that is used to regulate home temperature. He also created numerous alloys, including stainless steel and Stellite (used in blading small turbines and numerous other tools/equipment that should not rust.) The museum shows photos throughout the building from Haynes' life. Upstairs, the rooms are not maintained as living spaces, but rather, as tributes to the other inventors and "firsts" that Kokomo is known for. You will see exhibits about the Appersons, the first pneumatic rubber tire, first carburetor, lots of Delco radio inventions, and even some canning innovations. And of course, there are lots of exhibits about alloys and their uses. The staff is friendly and goes the extra mile to make sure you have all the information you desire. Note: Although the garage is off limits, you can still see three of the first cars produced in Kokomo through the windows. Review #2486

Newfields is pretty neat. There's a nice little nature trail outside where you can take a brief…read morewalk and there's a small beer garden along the trail. The space is really nice. The staff is very friendly. Admission is $25. Some of the art I dug and some I didn't, but there was a dark room with a video board ceiling that showed a video of the moon and stars on the ceiling that is captivating. I could have sat there for 15 minutes and just gazed at the ceiling. It was beautiful and peaceful.

This is such a beautiful museum, I always learn something new each time I visit…read more The staff are always open to questions and are always excited to talk about their favorite pieces. The community events they offer are such a treasure, and the rotating exhibits make every visit feel like the first time. I feel so lucky to live close by to have access to this amazing place. Don't forget to check out the staff's exhibit on the first level, everyone who works there is insanely talented!

A sweet little gem of a museum. Pressed glass was made in and near Greentown all around the turn of…read morethe century in 1900 and this museum highlights the indiana Goblet and Glass Company. Many fine and very rare examples of pressed glass as well as artifacts from the factory are on display. The docent is very knowledgable about glass in general and Greentown's factory in particular. As of October 2012 the museum is open in the afternoons. Worth the short drive from Kokomo for antique pressed glass admirers because of the collection and the background information on manufactoring.