All in a Day’s Work

I got to visit with a  rare peregrine gyrfalcon named Malachi; Patrick, the American kestrel; and a Eastern screech owl named Rhiannon today, as part of the Environmental Educators Symposium taking place at the museum.  The falcon was better trained than my dogs and calmly spread his wings and shook out his tail upon the command, “show [...]

A New Look

This is a big week for the museum gift shop, as well as the Imax Theater.  The theater is installing all new carpet for the first time in…well, in many years!  So, instead of popcorn and pop-encrusted flooring, it is emitting that great new-carpet smell and the look is crisp and clean!
Meanwhile, the gift shop [...]

Paddle Boats at Lunchtime

Indianapolis has a beautiful canal district right in the downtown area, little-known to probably thousands of people in the city, but well-enjoyed by those of us who work nearby.
Today at lunchtime, the DNR sponsored the annual Paddleboat Races, with two mighty Indiana State Museum teams, one defending last year’s title.
When it came right down to the [...]

Chattering Children

There’s something about the excited chatter of a multitude of children’s voices…maybe it doesn’t have this effect on you, but it always puts me in a better mood.  These day-campers from Carmel-Clay’s “Vacation Station” were obviously having a blast at the Indiana State Museum today, as part of their weekly field trip series.  Ah, the [...]

Red Hats and “Radical Lace”

The Red Hat ladies have found us!  Yes, ladies from the Red Hat Society converged on the Indiana State Museum recently for lunch at the famous recreated L.S. Ayres Tea Room.  Apparently the Red Hat ladies are a pseudo-sorority of women 50+ who have no bylaws or rules of any kind, other than that their main responsibility is “to [...]

Friday the 13th

This, apparently, is the only Friday the 13th to occur in 2008.  People seem to have different reactions to it;  for me, its a “lucky” day, since I was born on a Friday the 13th (oh yes, I should buy a lottery ticket!).  For others, its more like “don’t step on a crack or you’ll [...]

The Earth Moves

Schoolchildren watch raptly as the Indiana State Museum’s Foucault Pendulum moves, knocking over domino-like objects in its path. The pendulum is proof positive that the Earth really does revolve, for the pendulum hangs freely, swinging back and forth as the building and Earth rotate beneath it.
The pendulum was devised by French astronomer and physicist Jean-Bernard-Leon [...]

“Scales and Tails Fest: A Celebration of Pets”

Despite torrential downpours, Scales and Tails Fest: A Celebration of Pets went off without a hitch at the Indiana State Museum this past weekend. There were at least 50 rescue dogs and kittens, most looking for new homes, plus owls, a yellow-headed vulture, a live skunk, dozens of snakes of varying sizes, and even roosters. All gathered throughout [...]

Indiana Television History

A new exhibit opened recently at the Indiana State Museum, showcasing historical items from RCA, which was ranked No. 1 in the world in electronic production and sales for many years “back in the day”.
The company has a long and significant history in Indiana. RCAbegan producing radios in the state in 1929 and even produced the world’s [...]