If you are fantasizing a holiday at Indianapolis, then make your stay memorable and enriching. Visiting the famous Indiana State Museum is a must if you want to get the real flavor of the city and trace its evolution.

Indiana State Museum entails the story of Indianapolis since its prehistoric times till today. It is located at White River State Park and houses an IMAX Theater, which is one of the four based in Indiana.

Indiana State Museum was started in the year 1862 with Indiana State Museum Society as the fund-raising organization established in the year 1969. You would be amazed at the extensive exhibit space that the venue houses- the exhibition area covers about 40,000sq feet. The museum is a home to 300,000 artifacts and also offers a deep insight to the cultural history, life of the Native Americans and the nature of Indiana. It also provides a futuristic perspective of the city through its collections, preserves and information.

There are a number of websites that would offer you details about the things that you can do at Indiana and none of these would miss out on Indiana State Museum simply because the museum is a hub of information, enrichment, and entertainment. It is fascinating to study the historical remains of Indiana that are distributed in the three different floors of the museum. The museum is also accessible being situated at the heart of Indianapolis downtown and is indeed a favorite of the visitors in this city.

The Indiana State Museum is a great travel destination where art, history, culture and science would meet. Every year, a wide variety of exhibitions and displays are held there for visitors to enjoy art works and learn more about Indiana as well as the world. Covering over 4,000 square meters of land, the Museum is home of more than 300,000 artifacts.

Collections from all over the world are placed throughout the Museum's first, second and third floor. Basically, most artifacts showcased inside the Museum are telling stories about the history of Indiana State itself. Art works from Indiana artists can be found everywhere. However, the museum also plays host to a couple of changing exhibits from which you can gain a deeper understanding of cities of other states or even other countries.

To enhance your visit to the Museum, a number of facilities as well as services are offered. Museum store and nearby restaurants and hotels are available in this area. For driving visitors, the most amazing thing must be that various parking options are located within short walk of the Museum.

Nearby parking facilities can be found along both Washington Street and S West Street. Fortunately, all of them are very close to the Museum. Therefore, it won't take you much time to get to your car after your visit.

1) White River State Park Garage - This is an underground parking garage located at Washington Street. As the nearest parking option for visitors to the Museum, it is available for both cars and vans and its address is 650 W. Washington Street. It offers about 800 parking spaces.

Opening from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays, its operation hours begin at 7 a.m. in the morning and end at 11 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. Parking rate is 3 dollars per hour and daily maximum is 12 dollars per car. If you arrive at event days, it would take 20 dollars for you to get a parking space for your vehicle in this garage. For details, call 317-234-0231.

2) Marriott Place Garage - It's also a public garage which is available for driving visitors to the Museum. You can find this garage at 501 W. Washington Street with ease. To make a reservation or get further information, you can call 317-822-9029.

This garage would open to the public 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. Parking will be charged 5 dollars per hour and daily maximum parking fee is 24 dollars.

3) 801 W Washington Street Parking Garage - This parking garage operates about 860 spaces and is accessible for motorcycles. It opens at 7 a.m. and does not close until 11 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. As to Sundays, it opens from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

It will cost you 5 dollars per hour for parking in this garage. The maximum parking fee for a day is 10 dollars.

4) White River State Park South Lot - This is a parking lot you can find at 650 W. Washington Street. Contact number is also 317-234-0231. Compared to the White River State Park Garage, this lot serves a much longer time every day. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Plus, its parking rates are also cheaper. You will be only charged 3 dollars per hour for parking in this lot. Maximum parking fee is 10 dollars per day. When it comes to event days, parking rate is only two dollars more than regular price.

5) Government Center Washington Street Parking Facility - Compared to other parking options mentioned above, this parking garage is a little far away from the Museum. It's a state garage which operates from 10 a.m. until midnight on weekdays. As to weekends, it would be available 24 hours per day.

Parking within 30 minutes would be charged 1 dollar while the first hour costs you 2 dollars. After that, it takes 1 more dollar for every additional hour.

Other parking facilities can also be found along W Ohio Street and N capitol Avenue. Or you can just take advantage of some on-street parking spaces. For detailed information about these parking options or other choices, click the following link.

Map of Parking Facilities in Indianapolis

http://www.indydt.com/interactivemap.cfm?&lm=vd

Before you locate parking lot or garage around the Museum, you also need to pay attention to directions, especially when you are a first-time visitor to the Museum. For your convenience, we list out several routes for visitors from north, south, east or west to refer to. Take a glance and find the most suitable route for you.

- Travel from the North: Remember to head south on I-65 before you take Exit 114. Take Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street south and then turn on to Washington Street. Keep straight on Washington Street until you see the Museum on your right. Go ahead to park in the White River State Park Garage.

Or you can choose to proceed on I-69 and keep going south until you come across I-465. Go west on I-70 and then turn onto I-65. Head north to take Exit 114. Bear to the left to get onto Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. Then take a right turn to Washington Street. Continue straight until you find the Indiana State Museum on the right. Keep going to reach the White River State Park Garage.

- Travel from the South: Go west on I-70 toward I-65. Head north on I-65 before taking Exit 114. Bear left on West Street to change to Washington Street. Stay on Washington Street until you arrive at the Indiana State Museum. If you prefer to park in the White River State Park Garage, keep straight on Washington Street and the garage would be on your immediate right.

- Travel from East: Stay on I-70 and keep heading west before you turn onto I-65. Go north on I-65 and then take Exit 114 to change to West Street. Bear to the right to get onto Washington Street. Continue to proceed on Washington Street and then the Museum would show up on your right.

Or you can take I-74 as well. Continue heading west on I-74 until it becomes Southeastern Avenue. When you come across Washington Street, turn onto it. Keep driving straight on Washington Street for about 10 blocks and you will find the Museum located on your right.

- Travel from West: Go east on I-74 until you see I-465. Keep south on I-465 and then turn onto Washington Street. Continue to proceed on Washington Street and you will arrive at the Museum within a matter of minutes.

If you opt to head east on I-70, remember to turn onto West Street and take Exit 79A. Keep proceeding on West Street or Missouri Street. And then bear left onto Washington Street. Continue for approximately 6 miles and you will find the Museum situated on your right. Keep going to find a space for your vehicle in the White River State Park Garage.

Learn More about Directions to the Indiana State Museum

http://www.indianamuseum.org/visit/info/dire.html

Use Google Maps to Find more Detailed Directions to the Museum

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=indiana+state+museum

Other than information regarding parking and directions, you also need to be clear about admission fees when planning your next trip to the Museum.

- Normally, ticket price for the Museum is 7 dollars for adults and 6.5 dollars for senior aged 60 or older. As for children between 3 and 12 years old, ticket would only cost 4 dollars. Members would be welcomed to the Museum free of charge all the years around.

- If you plan to pay a visit to the IMAX, don't forget that you need to purchase another ticket to get access to the Theatre. Ticket for adults costs 9.5 dollar while children would only be charged 6 dollars. Senior ticket is only 2 dollars cheaper than adult ticket. Members, of cause, can enjoy discounted ticket. For senior and child members, ticket price would be 1 dollar less than regular ticket. And Adult members can save up to 1.5 dollars per ticket.

- However, admission for IMAX special engagements would be much pricy. It costs adult and senior 14 and 11 dollars respectively. Children ticket is 10 dollars. Discounted ticket price for adult members is 12.5 dollars while it costs senior members 10 dollars. Child members would be charged 8 dollars.

- A combo including admission for both museum and regular IMAX shows is offered for visitors to save a certain amount of money. This ticket would cost adult 13 dollars and senior 11 dollars. Combo ticket for children is charged 8 dollars.

- If you are interested in special exhibitions held in the museum as well as the IMAX, there is also a combo ticket for you. With this ticket, adult would be only charged 19.75 dollars. Combo ticket price for senior and children is 16.25 and 13 dollars respectively.

Please be advised that ticket prices for members and other visitors mentioned above are subject to changes without notice. For further information or the latest price, check the following page.

Ticket Information about Indiana State Museum

http://www.indianamuseum.org/visit/info/tick.html

Indiana State Museum is called the soul of Indiana. It's a place to know the past, present and future of Indiana. By blending culture with science, Indiana State Museum shows the world the proud history of the Hoosier state and wisdom of people on this vast land.

Indiana State Museum is located within the White River State Park in Indianapolis. It has the only IMAX Theater in Indianapolis and an exhibit space of over 40,000 square feet displaying an extensive collection of more than 300,000 artifacts. Plus, the institution boasts 11 historic sites distributed all over the Indiana State. If you want to know more about the Indiana State Museum's history, collection, admission and etc, please visit their homepage at:

Indiana State Museum Hours

http://www.indianamuseum.org/index.html

Museum Hours: Since Jan. 4, 2010, Indiana State Museum has been closed on Mondays. So now the opening hours of the museum is from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday. On Sunday, the museum will be open from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

On Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, Indiana State Museum will be closed. Hours may vary on Holidays. If there are special events such as parades or races, hours might vary a little bit either due to restrict traffic in the neighborhood. You'd better refer to their calendar for exceptions:

Indiana State Museum Calendar

http://www.indianamuseum.org/visit/events.asp

IMAX Theater Hours: You should notice that the operating hours of IMAX Theater is different from the museum. IMAX Theater offers 45 to 1 hour IMAX films in stunning IMAX 3D. Eager to know what's coming up at IMAX Theater? Let's take a quick preview.

The film "In The Long Run" will be presented at 7:00 pm on February 5th. It only plays for one night. Don't miss it if you are interested! On February 11, 2011, IMAX Theater offers Sea Rex 3D: Journey to a Prehistoric World. On April 8, 2011, "Born to the Wild 3D" is presented. As for the exact showtimes and tickets, you can check out the latest info by calling 317-233-IMAX or visiting:

IMAX Theater Showtimes and Ticket

http://archive.imax.com/indy/tickets.htm

Museum Store Hours: There is a two-story gift shop at Indiana State Museum. It offers a wide selection of souvenirs and gifts including Indiana arts and crafts, special jewelry, educational toys and much more.

The museum store is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm from Tuesday through Saturday. On Sunday, it's not open until noon. And it will be closed at the usual time. For more info, you can contact the store at 317-234-2468 or visiting:

Museum Store

http://indianamuseum.org/shop/

Historic Sites Hours: The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites Institution boasts 11 historic sites across the state. They are great destinations to hike, picnic and explore the rich history of Indiana. In the following part, we'd like to give you a bird's-eye view of the opening hours of all the 11 historic sites:

1.Angel Mounds - From Tuesday to Saturday, it's open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. On Sunday, it's open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

It's closed on Mondays, New Years Day, Easter, Primary Election Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and other state holidays.

2.Corydon Capitol - From April 1 to Nov.24, it's open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday. On Sunday, it's open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. From Jan.2 to March 31, it's open from noon to 4:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

It's closed on Mondays, Easter, Primary Election Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Nov. 25 - Jan. 1.

3.Culbertson Mansion: It's open only during April 1 to Dec. 19. Tuesday through Saturday, it's open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. On Sunday, it's open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

It's closed on Easter, Primary Election Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.

4.Gene Stratton-Porter State: Generally, it's open only during April 1 to Dec.1. Tuesday through Saturday, it's open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. On Sunday, it's open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. During Dec.2 to March 31, it will be open by appointment only.

It's closed on Mondays, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter, Primary Election Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve.

5. Historic New Harmony - It's open from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm daily. And it's closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

6. Lanier Mansion - It's open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. And it's closed on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Primary Election Day, Columbus Day, General Election Day, Vetrans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

7. Levi Coffin Home - From June 1 to Aug.31, the opening hour is 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm from Tuesday through Saturday. During Sept.1 to Oct.31, it's open only on Saturdays from 1:00 PM TO 4:00 pm.

It's closed on Primary Election Day, Independence Day, Columbus Day, Election Day and Veterans Day.

8. Limberlost - During winter from Dec.21 to March 31, the opening hour is 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Saturday. From April 1 to Dec. 18, it's open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Wednesday through Saturday. On Sunday, it's open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

It's closed on Primary Election Day, Columbus Day, Election Day and Veterans Day.

9. T.C. Steele - From Tuesday to Saturday, it's open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. On Sunday, it's open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

It's open all year around except Easter, Primary Election Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.

10. Vincennes - It's open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. And it's closed on Sundays and most state holidays.

11. Whitewater Canal - The opening hour of Metamora Grist Mill is 9:00 am - 5:00 pm from Wednesday to Sunday during the period from April 1 to Nov. 20.

It's closed on Easter, Primary Election Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Election Day and Thanksgiving.

For further information about State Historic Sites, please visit:

State Historic Sites

http://www.indianamuseum.org/sites/whitplan.html

Located within the White River State Park, the Indiana State Museum has some of the most ancient artifacts that talk about the history of this state. There are over 300,000 artifacts in the three storey museum. Also, located in the museum is the Indiana State Museum Gift Shop.

http://www.in.gov/ism/VisitorInfo/MuseumGiftShop/index.aspx

The gift shop in the museum is spread over two floors and offers a large variety of unique art objects, toys, posters, books, prints, clothing, etc. Visitors can buy gifts for their friends, family members and for themselves as well. There is also an online Indiana Museum Gift shop that offers a limited number of items.

http://www.inculture.org/2008/index.html

The gift shop is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sundays from 12pm to 5pm.

For out of town visitors there are a number of hotels in Indianapolis that are close to the Indiana State Museum. The closest and best hotels are:

1. Marriott Indianapolis Downtown

Located at walking distance from the museum this fantastic Indianapolis hotel has recently been renovated. Due to its ideal location it is also close to a number of other must visit places in Indianapolis. The hotel offers all the modern amenities and services such as free wireless connection, video games, picnic area for barbeque and the hotel offers a smoke free environment.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/indcd-courtyard-indianapolis-at-the-capitol/

2. The Westin Indianapolis

This hotel is less than half a mile away from the museum. It is also in the heart of the city which makes it a convenient location for out of town visitors to not only visit the museum but also a lot of the other historic and modern places in Indianapolis. It is also connected by a skywalk to the Indiana Convention Center and Circle Center Mal. The hotel offers a long list of services and amenities such as indoor pool, gym, high speed wireless and one of the finest massage services.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1033

Dish up your senses with superb movie experience at Indiana State Museum IMAX Theatre. Double-pack of entertainment is waiting for you as IMAX that sits conveniently in the Indiana State Museum, serving a quota of art work and cinematic pursuit together. Rich offerings by Indianapolis, IN hotels have extended its reach to some superior entertainment centers like IMAX. Read on and explore more about the shows and booking process:

1. Indiana State Museum IMAX is offering tradition IMAX films or documentaries that last for 45minutes to one hour in stunning 2D and 3D effects. The IMAX DMR is like a feather on the cap, screening re-mastered Hollywood movies in exclusive film format. The academy IMAX technology is simply miraculous that produces brilliant images and leaves you with awe.

http://www.imax.com/indy/theatreinformation/index.htm

2. With a popular domain established online, finding shows here and booking them has not remained a hard nut to crack. With just few clicks, you will be exposed all the shows and their respective timings.

http://www.fandango.com/imaxtheatreindianastatemuseum_aajls/theaterpage

http://www.bigmoviezone.com/txshows/theaters/index.html?uniq=484

3. Making it more convenient, you can make telephonic booking by dialing (317) 233-IMAX or calling IMAX box office. Else buy them online by logging into the website.

http://www.imax.com/indy/theatreinformation/index.htm

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Indianapolis-IN/IMAX-Theater-Indiana-State-Museum/93747950436