Visits to the Oakhurst Mansion and Gardens are part of the Minnetrista complex of activities in…read moreMuncie. The Oakhurst Mansion was built in 1894 by George and Frances Ball in the Arts and Crafts style. The Balls were avid readers and created the Blue Book of Canning, that teaches food preservation. This remarkably maintained house is open for self guided tours. The interior contains all original woodwork, trim details and some furniture. Family history is abundant throughout the home. My granddaughter enjoyed the interactive activities throughout the house, especially canning in the kitchen and creating a family tree. Immaculate gardens surround the house. The garden is filled with oak trees and other dense hardwoods. Paths meander through the garden. There was one clerk present during our visit that checked us in and invited us to explore the house and grounds. She was friendly. Admission was included in the $15 tickets that we purchased at the Bob Ross Experience (but can also be purchased on line). There is ample parking in the lot northwest of Oakhurst. Accessible ramps are located at the east entrance of the home. They are opened Wednesday - Sunday.

The campus of Minnetrista is beautiful! My sister and I often drive here and park to start and end…read moreour run from the campus. There are nice paved paths that easily connect to the Cardinal Greenway or just a short jog to the White River. The paths through Oakhurst Gardens are not really long enough to do your full run, but they are a nice little detour from typical sidewalks! I would highly recommend the garden paths for an easy stroll on a nice day. This is a safe and free area to enjoy a nice walk. Even in February the gardens are well kept and the ornamental sidewalk designs provide enjoyable scenery. I am looking forward to going back as spring awakens the blooms in the garden. Another plus about parking/visiting this area for a walk or run is that the Minnetrista museum building is unlocked during business hours and you can sneak in to use the restroom!

Plant Studio Landscape is an up and comer that rivals the well established and overpriced nursery…read moreand landscaping companies in east central Indiana. The owner is eager and very accommodating. Their lawn maintenance is top notch with attention to detail. I am impressed with their hard scape as well. They put in a 40 foot waterfall and 30'X30'butterfly garden for me and it is beautiful. I highly recommend them for your landscape needs.

From the owner: Plant Studio Landscape is your source for high-quality landscaping in Muncie, IN. As stewards of…read morethe land, we are responsible for integrating the natural subtleties of the landscape with your specific vision. By turning your dreams into a reality, we give you a yard that will make your neighbors jealous. We shape and sculpt the outdoor space using our collective talents to accentuate the existing elements and reflect your personal aesthetic. Whether you're looking to beautify your property with a brand new patio or would like to spruce up your curb appeal with lush landscaping services, we can handle jobs both big and small. Call us today to get your new yard on the way!

We needed a bouquet for a funeral. We live nearly three hours from Muncie. My wife called and was…read moreable to describe what she was looking for. When we got to the funeral home, we found the bouquet that were chosen. Beautiful orchids that were in very nice ceramic planter. To say we were happy would be a massive understatement! We thought the price we paid was very fair as well. Great customer service all the way around.

We would Definitely recommend this flower shop The went…read moreabove and beyond in their customer service and delivered two beautiful arrangements for the funeral. Unfortunately i did not get any pictures of them, but did get this picture of my pickup arrangement The Leah

My husband and I visited Northern Tropics on July 4, and was surprised they were open. We were…read moreimmediately greeted by a few folks who showed us which greenhouses held what plants. This place was so much bigger than I'd thought it was! And they have an entire greenhouse for house plants! I was in love. The lady I spoke with gave me advice like we had been friends for 10 years. My husband was thrilled with the pepper plants he bought because ours (bought from another place) were not doing well, and he wanted to replace them. We got everything we wanted, and are planning another trip! I also visited Ted in the Brewery and walked away with the first growler of beer I'd ever purchased. Salt of the earth people and amazing products!

This is a hole in the wall place that you can't miss out on if you're a beer lover. We did our own…read morelittle beer tour up until his region and were recommended Northern Tropics. It's a small building off of a garden nursery and we completely would have missed it had we not been told about it. Fun divey spot and every single one of their 20+ beers HIT. I love breweries like this that experiment with flavors and variations. Great value if you're looking to try something different and off the beaten path. I'm just sorry we don't live closer!

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.

Great, creative place and space for special events. Always helpful with questions about house…read moreplants.

This nursery I went to in Muncie has horrible customer service. I spent 1 hour to drive there due…read moreto being told they had a plant. I tried to have one of their your employees to stop chatting amongst each other to help me, but the young girl acted like I was interrupting her conversation. She told me they didn't have it and wasn't getting more plants. I was upset due to the lack of professionalism and wasting time to drive there. 3 days later someone in my group stated they bought this plant from the same place .

The best little flower shop! I order from Liggett's for my mother's final resting place and they…read morehave always delivered more than I've expected. They also designed her funeral flowers and they were exquisite. Although their arrangements are always gorgeous, the cost has always been low. I always appreciate the kindness from the staff and the beauty they deliver.

The staff was almost unbelievably helpful. They are very kind and patient. Their vegetables grew…read moreextremely well in my garden and the floral department flowers are beautiful. The entire staff is also very attractive.