Indiana State Museum

Coordinates: 39°46′7″N 86°10′9″W / 39.76861°N 86.16917°W / 39.76861; -86.16917
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Indiana State Museum
Indiana State Museum in 2020
Indiana State Museum is located in Indianapolis
Indiana State Museum
Location within Indianapolis
Indiana State Museum is located in Indiana
Indiana State Museum
Indiana State Museum (Indiana)
Indiana State Museum is located in the United States
Indiana State Museum
Indiana State Museum (the United States)
Established1869
LocationWhite River State Park, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Coordinates39°46′7″N 86°10′9″W / 39.76861°N 86.16917°W / 39.76861; -86.16917
TypeHistory museum
DirectorCathy Ferree (CEO)
CuratorSusannah Koerber
ArchitectRATIO Design[1]
OwnerState of Indiana
Public transit accessLocal Transit IndyGo 8
Websitewww.indianamuseum.org

The Indiana State Museum is a museum located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum houses exhibits on the science, art, culture, and history of Indiana from prehistoric times to the present day.

History[edit]

The original collection began in 1862 as a cabinet of curiosities collected by State Librarian R. Deloss Brown.[2] In 1869, the Indiana General Assembly enacted a law that provided “for the collection and preservation of a Geological and Mineralogical Cabinet of the Natural History of this State”.[3] Under the Department of Geology and Natural Science, the collection was placed in the charge of a state geologist, who was hired on a two-year term and assigned the task of surveying, organizing, and labeling the collection.[3] Over the years, the collection grew mostly unchecked as the natural history collection increased and miscellaneous cultural items, many relating to the recent Civil War, were added forming an entirely new category of collections.[3]

Indiana Statehouse[edit]

The museum’s collection remained on display on the third floor of the Statehouse until 1919, when it was moved to the basement to make room for the Indiana Department of Conservation.[3] When the collection was placed in the basement of the Statehouse, it fell into a state of decline for almost 45 years, where inadequate protection and preservation of items resulted in many specimens disappearing or becoming unusable.[3] The neglect led to the museum completely closing once in the late 1920s and again in the early 1960s.

During the administration of Governor Harold W. Handley (1957–1961), the legislature authorized a commission to examine the State Museum, its collections, and its programs, then propose recommendations for the future of the museum.[3] The recommendation of the commission was that the Statehouse was no longer an adequate or appropriate location for the museum.[3] The Museum would require relocation if it wished to continue its purpose of educating visitors about the history and culture of Indiana.

Old City Hall Building[edit]

Planning for the new location of the museum occurred largely during the administration of Governor Matthew E. Welsh (1961–1965), whom with the help of Donald E. Foltz, director of the Indiana Department of Conservation, vetted the recently vacated Indianapolis City Hall as a possible site for the museum.[3] In 1963, the state leased the old City Hall building and began renovations,[4] officials dedicated and formally opened the new museum site in 1967.[5] The museum displayed exhibits concerning Indiana’s cultural and natural history through collections of Indiana art, political memorabilia, natural history specimens, geological materials, and Native American artifacts.[3]

In 1976, the Indiana State Museum received accreditation from the American Association of Museums, now known as the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).[6] An AAM accreditation signifies a mark of excellence to the museum community and recognizes a “museum’s commitment to and demonstration of, the professional standards for education, public service, and collections care.”[7]

The museum collection began to outgrow its Old City Hall space by the late 1970s.[8] The Museum was again on the search for a new home.

Move to White River State Park[edit]

In 1979, the Indiana General Assembly created the White River State Park Development Commission to create a new state park to celebrate Indiana,[9] and a hosting a new site for the Indiana State Museum fit ideally with the commission’s plans.[10] The museum board approved a move to the White River State Park area in 1984, however, they did not break ground for the site until 1999 due to a lack of immediate funding.[11] The Indiana State Office Building Commission hired local firm Ratio Architects to design the building.[12]

The Indiana State Museum building opened its doors to the public on May 22, 2002 with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by Governor Frank O’Bannon.[13]

Galleries[edit]

With more than 40,000 square feet (4,000 m2) of exhibit space, the museum's galleries cover the history of the natural world, Native Americans, cultural history, and the future of Indiana.[14]

Gov. Frank O'Bannon Great Hall[edit]

Gov. Frank O'Bannon Great Hall

First floor[edit]

Ancient Seas Gallery
  • Gallery One
  • Ancient Seas
  • R.B. Annis Naturalist's Lab
  • Frozen Reign
  • First Nations
  • Natural Regions

Second floor[edit]

The Hoosier Way Gallery
  • Contested Territory
  • 19th State
  • The Hoosier Way
  • Crossroads of America
  • Enterprise Indiana
  • Global Indiana
  • American Originals
  • Firefly Landing

Third floor[edit]

  • Rapp Reception Hall
  • The Ford Gallery
  • NiSource Gallery
  • South Gallery
  • Thomas A. King Bridge
  • Lincoln Financial Foundation Gallery

92 County Walk[edit]

The 92 County Walk is an art experience incorporated into the building's façade that spotlights Indiana's 92 counties by featuring an original sculpture for each county.[15] The sculptures are made of limestone, aluminum, glass, and other materials, and represent the uniqueness of each Indiana county.[16]

Collections[edit]

The museum's collection consists of items relating to Indiana's history, arts, and natural sciences. The collection of more than 500,000 objects contains six focus areas, which the museum refers to as "Centers of Excellence." These areas are Ice Age paleontology, Abraham Lincoln, Indiana art and artists, quilts and textiles, Indiana industry, technology, and agriculture, and Indiana archaeology.[17]

The Indiana State Museum, in conjunction with the State Historic Sites, care for and manage the most comprehensive collection of art from Indiana artists, ranking them among one of the largest state-owned art collections in the country.[18] The museum is also in charge of the care and maintenance of the Indiana Governors' Portraits Collection, which consists of oil portraits (and one pastel portrait) of almost all of the governors of Indiana.[19] The Indiana State Museum is responsible for commissioning the painting of an oil portrait for each new governor and the inclusion of that painting into the permanent collection.[20] Most of the portraits currently hang in government offices in the Indiana Statehouse.[20]

State Historic Sites[edit]

The museum is part of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. This statewide institution maintains the museum and 11 state historic sites. Each site interprets the history of an important person, place, or event in Indiana's history.

Indiana State Historic Sites[edit]

Site name Image Nearest city County Description
Angel Mounds State Historic Site Evansville Vanderburgh and Warrick Archaeological site with surviving major earthwork mounds that was constructed and inhabited by the Mississippian culture between 1000 and 1450CE. The site was later excavated by noted archaeologist Glenn A. Black.[21][22]
Corydon Capitol State Historic Site Corydon Harrison Historic district that includes Indiana's original state capitol, the first state office building, and Governor William Hendricks' Headquarters.
Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site New Albany Floyd Second Empire-style mansion built by industrialist William S. Culbertson in 1867 at a cost of $120,000. It contains 25-rooms within 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) and was completed in November 1869.[23]
Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site Rome City Noble Second home of naturalist and author Gene Stratton-Porter located along Sylvan Lake where she lived from 1914 to 1919 prior to relocating to California.
Lanier Mansion State Historic Site Madison Jefferson Historic house museum situated along the Ohio River built by J.F.D. Lanier, a prominent banker, railroad financier, and co-founder of Winslow, Lanier & Co. The mansion was designed by noted architect Francis Costigan and completed in 1844.[24]
Levi & Catharine Coffin State Historic Site Fountain City Wayne Home built by abolitionists Catharine and Levi Coffin in 1838–1839, later known as the "Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad."[25]
Limberlost State Historic Site Geneva Adams Log cabin home built by Gene Stratton-Porter and her husband Charles Porter in 1895 that derives its name from its location near the Limberlost Swamp, which served as inspiration for many of Stratton-Porter's novels.[26]
New Harmony State Historic Site New Harmony Posey District in the historic town of New Harmony founded by the Harmony Society, including buildings such as the Mattias Scholle House. Later inhabited by Robert Owen and his Owenites.
T. C. Steele State Historic Site Nashville Brown Picturesque property containing the home and studio of Hoosier Group artist Theodore Clement Steele and his second wife, Selma Neubacher Steele, as well as formal gardens and other natural features.
Vincennes State Historic Sites Vincennes Knox Vincennes is Indiana's oldest city and original territorial capital. This district contains many early important buildings including the Indiana Territorial Capitol, Old State Bank, and Brouillet House.[27]
Whitewater Canal State Historic Site Metamora Franklin Part of the Whitewater Canal that spanned 76 miles from Lawrenceburg, Indiana to Hagerstown, Indiana, this site contains the Duck Creek Aqueduct in Metamora, which is the only remaining wooden aqueduct in the United States.[28]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Indiana State Museum".
  2. ^ BradfordSystems (2017-09-29). "Project of the Month: Indiana State Museum". Bradford Systems. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Carmony, Donald F. (1968). "The New Indiana State Museum". Indiana Magazine of History. 64 (3): 191–208. ISSN 0019-6673.
  4. ^ "Old City Hall". Indiana Architecture Database. 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  5. ^ "The Mail-Journal 18 January 1967 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  6. ^ "Accredited Museums". ww2.aam-us.org. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  7. ^ "Accreditation & Excellence Programs". American Alliance of Museums. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  8. ^ "Indiana State Museum". indyencyclopedia.org. 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  9. ^ "History". White River State Park. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  10. ^ "Indiana State Museum". indyencyclopedia.org. 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  11. ^ "Indianapolis Recorder 3 September 1999 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  12. ^ "Indiana State Museum". Ratio. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  13. ^ "Indianapolis Recorder 17 May 2002 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  14. ^ Associates, Ralph Appelbaum. "Indiana State Museum". Ralph Appelbaum Associates. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  15. ^ "Indiana State Museum". Indiana Architecture Database. 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  16. ^ "Indiana State Museum: Art & Architecture". RATIO Architects.
  17. ^ "Collection".
  18. ^ "Indiana State Museum, Fine Arts Department". indyencyclopedia.org. 2021-03-27. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  19. ^ IHB (2020-12-07). "About the Collection". IHB. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  20. ^ a b "2022 Indiana Code :: Title 14. Natural and Cultural Resources :: Article 20. State Museums and Historic Sites :: Chapter 16. Governors' Portraits Collection :: 14-20-16-1. Governors' Portraits Collection; Care and Maintenance Budget". Justia Law. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  21. ^ "Angel Mounds State Historic Site". Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology.
  22. ^ James H. Kellar (1967). "Glenn A. Black". Indiana Magazine of History. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  23. ^ Richard K. Stem (1974-06-03). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Culbertson Mansion". U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  24. ^ "Lanier Mansion". U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service.
  25. ^ Joseph S. Mendinghall; S. Sydney Bradford (1975-09-26). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Levi Coffin Home". U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  26. ^ "Limberlost Cabin". Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.
  27. ^ "Old French House". Indiana Historical Bureau. 16 December 2020.
  28. ^ "Duck Creek Aqueduct". Indiana Architectural Foundation. 2018-10-24.

External links[edit]