1. Science Central

Science Central is an interactive science center in Fort Wayne with more than 200 creative, unique, and fun hands-on displays that let you learn about science. Science Central is all about STEM subjects, which stand for science, technology, engineering, and math. It’s a fun and interesting place to learn. In the center’s permanent exhibits, you can learn about balance and gravity by riding a bike balanced on a 25-foot-high thin metal rail. You can also watch shows in the Lincoln Financial Foundation Demonstration Theater about the human body, the weather, and other topics. There is also Kids Central in the science center. It is for kids ages two to seven and has a water table, a big piano keyboard, and the Fort Discovery play area.

1950 N Clinton St, Fort Wayne, IN 46805, Phone: 260-424-2400

2. Squire Boone Caverns and Village

100 Squire Boone Rd SW, Mauckport, IN 47142, Phone: 812-732-4381

3.The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is home to more than 120,000 items and objects, as well as interesting permanent displays. The museum is in the United Northwest and is the biggest children’s museum in the world. It has some of the best collections in the world, such as the American Collection, the National Art Museum of Sport, the American Collection, and the World Cultures Collection. Going to the Egyptian tombs is like going back in time. You can also travel around the world and see China, get close to a dinosaur, learn about Greek culture, get lost in a haunted house, go into space, and watch a range of live shows.

3000 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46208, Phone: 317-334-4000

4.The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education

The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is a modern tourist center in Indiana Dunes National Park. It is on the western side of the park and gives people information about all the things they can do and see in the park. The Indiana Dunes National Park covers 15 miles of the southern side of Lake Michigan and has a lot of different types of habitats. It also has 50 miles of hiking trails that go through quiet forests, lush wetlands, rough dunes, and sandy beaches. Bird watching and guided nature hikes are some of the other things you can do in the park. The 15,000-acre park is home to 1,100 native plant types. At any time of the year, the Paul H. Douglas Center is always open.

100 N Lake St, Gary, IN 46403, Phone: 219-395-1824

5.Fort Harrison State Park

6000 N Post Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46216

6.Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo

The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is a 40-acre animal sanctuary that takes care of and protects over 1,000 animals in exhibits that are meant to look like the animals’ natural environments. The zoo opened in 1965 and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It is located in Fort Wayne’s Franke Park, which has beautifully landscaped fields. Some of the best things to do at the zoo are to go on a real safari drive in a Land Rover and see giraffes, lions, hyenas, wildebeest, and zebras, and to go on a Sky Safari and glide through the trees 38 feet above the ground. In the Indonesian Rain Forest show, you can ride a surfboard, pet a stingray, and get up close to orangutans, tigers, and big snakes.

3411 Sherman Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46808

7.Fort Wayne Museum of Art

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is in downtown Fort Wayne. It has a wide range of fixed collections and traveling shows that show modern and historical art. There are many collections in the museum, such as American Brilliant Cut Glass, Indiana Impressionism, Prints & Drawings, and Special Collections and Archives. An Early Learning Center is part of the museum. It’s a fun place for kids to improve their visual literacy skills through engaging displays like a drawing area with a self-identity gallery, a magnetic tree gallery, and a building area that helps with motor skills. Fine arts and crafts that can be bought are shown in the Paradigm Gallery.

311 E Main St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, Phone: 260-422-6467

8.Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens

2505 Conservatory Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46203, Phone: 317-327-7183

9.Hall of Heroes Museum

At the Hall of Heroes Museum in Elkhart, you can fly with Superman. The museum is the only one in the world that is dedicated to superheroes and comic books. Its goal is to show and preserve the eight-decade history of superheroes in toys, movies, and cartoons. The two-story museum is a copy of the Hall of Justice from the classic Super Friends cartoon. It has a huge collection of TV and movie props, old toys, a copy of Bat Cave, Adam West’s personal Batman costume from the 1960s TV show Batman, and the original shield from the movie Captain America. There are also over 60,000 comic books and over 100 original comic art pages from well-known cartoons and comic books in the museum.

1915 Cassopolis St, Elkhart, IN 46514, Phone: 574-333-3406

10.Hesston Steam Museum

The Hesston Steam Museum features four different gauge trains and a wide range of old farm equipment that honors the era of steam-powered machines. The museum is in Hesston and is on 155 acres of land. It is run by the Laporte County Historical Steam Society and has a unique three-rail narrow gauge railroad that narrow gauge locomotives can move on. There are also steam or gasoline-powered quarter-scale locomotives and a 7.5-inch gauge railroad on the property. On display at the museum are a number of different types of machinery, such as a 60-inch insert tooth blade Hesston Sawmill from 1900, an electric power plant, and steam traction engines from the early 1900s.

1201 E 1000 N, La Porte, IN 46350, Phone: 219-778-2783

11.Hoosier National Forest

The Hoosier National Forest covers 203,000 acres and is in the hills of south-central Indiana. It has beautiful scenery with rolling hills, curvy back-country trails, and small towns at crossroads. There are four different parts to the forest, and some of the most famous places to visit are the Potts Creek Rockshelter Archeological Site, the Lick Creek Settlement, and the Jacob Rickenbaugh House. There are almost 266 miles of trails through the forest that can be used for hikes, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Along the way, there are beautiful waterfalls, wintergreen plants, and hemlock trees.

811 Constitution Ave, Bedford, IN 47421, Phone: 812-275-5987

12.Indiana Dunes National Park

Indiana Dunes National Park is a state park on the southern shores of Lake Michigan in northwest Indiana. It used to be called Indiana Dunes National Park. Over 15 miles of beautiful beaches, huge rolling dunes, and blowouts can be found in the park. There are also ponds, wetlands, fields of wildflowers, and groves of black oak savanna and maple sugar trees that change color with the seasons. Mount Tom is the tallest hill in the park at 192 feet. Mount Holden is next at 184 feet, and Mount Jackson is at 176 feet. The Three Dune Challenge is a network of hiking trails that lead to and through the dunes. The trails go through white pine woods and sand depressions called dune blowouts.

1215 N State Rd 49, Porter, IN 46304

13.Indianapolis Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo has a zoological park, an aquarium, and a botanical garden. It is home to over 3,800 animals from 320 types. The zoo is in White River Park and is divided into biomes, which are areas of the world with similar climates, plants, and animals. Each biome has a number of exhibits, habitats, and displays that show off the animals that live there.

This zoo is famous for its cutting-edge dolphin pavilion, which has a variety of ways for people and dolphins to interact. It has the Underwater Dolphin Dome, where you can see dolphins from below the water; the Marsh Dolphin Theater, with its big pool and coastal village setting, where every day there is a dolphin show; and the Dolphin In-Water Adventure, an interactive dolphin program.

1200 W. Washington St., IN 46222, Phone: 317-630-2001

14.Marengo Park Cave

Marengo Park Cave is a privately owned cave in Marengo where you can do many things, like walking walks of the cave, exploring the cave, and gem mining. Two schoolchildren found the Marengo Cave in 1883. It is one of only four show caves in Indiana. The owner of the land where the cave was found quickly let the public explore it on guided tours. You can take either The Crystal Palace or the Dripstone Trail, two walking walks that go into more detail about the cave and its amazing rock formations. In the cave, you can also go on experiences and do fun things like exploring the cave, crawling through waterfalls, pedal karting, gemstone mining, running through mazes, and a cave crawl for little kids. People who want to stay at the cave for a few days can camp or stay in one of the houses.

400 East State Road 64, Marengo, IN 47140, Phone: 812-365-2705

15.Muncie Children’s Museum

The Muncie Children’s Museum is an engaging and interactive museum with hands-on displays and exhibits that provide a safe and creative space for learning through play. The museum has a lot of fun, new exhibits for kids of all ages. Some of the themes are Water Works, Veterinarian Office, Recycling Center, Schoolhouse, Barnyard, Make Believe Theater, and Book Nook. There are also many events, workshops, and field trips at the Muncie Children’s Museum that are based on the Indiana Academic Standards for Science and Literacy and are meant to get kids to explore, investigate, and try new things.

515 S High St, Muncie, IN 47305, Phone: 765-286-1660

16.Museum of Miniature Houses

The Museum of Miniature Houses is one of only a few museums in the country that is all about the art of fine-scale miniatures. The museum’s goals are to keep and show off scale miniatures, teach people about the fine art of making miniatures, and make sure that the art form lives on for future generations. The museum has a collection of over a thousand miniatures, such as dollhouses, room boxes, and intricate one-of-a-kind things. These are shown in a variety of changing exhibits all year long. These shows focus on the idea of architectural scale, the significance of details, and the beauty of decorative arts. Notable items include a tiny Victorian home and a miniature copy of Major Taylor’s bicycle, an Indiana athlete. There are free audio tours and docent-led talks of the museum, and there are magnifying glasses in every room so you can see the details better.

111 East Main Street, Carmel, IN 46032, Phone: 317-575-9466

17.National Model Aviation Museum

The National Model Aviation Museum is the world’s biggest model aviation museum. It is located at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie and has exhibits with more than 11,000 interesting items from over two hundred years of aeromodelling history. The museum has a permanent collection of model airplanes, kits, engines, and other flying gear. The gallery is very large and has engaging rotating exhibits and hands-on activities for people of all ages. There are many teaching programs and field trips for school and scout groups, and people can take guided tours of the museum to learn more.

5151 E Memorial Dr, Muncie, IN 47302, Phone: 765-287-1256 ext. 504

18.National New York Central Railroad Museum

The National New York Central Railroad Museum is a train museum in Elkhart that works to protect the New York Central train (NYC). There are outdoor displays of railroad equipment like steam, diesel, and electric trains as well as a 1974 caboose at this family-friendly museum. Inside, there are model railroads and other railroad-related items. There is a freight house built in 1907 and a remodeled NYC 20th Century Limited train set that are the museum’s most famous items. The museum also has a number of educational displays that talk about the past of the railroad and how its growth helped shape and develop the city.

721 S Main St, Elkhart, IN 46516, Phone: 574-294-3001

19.Potawatomi Wildlife Park

16998 IN-331, Tippecanoe, IN 46570, Phone: 574-498-6550

20.Red Wolf Sanctuary

The Red Wolf Sanctuary is dedicated to preserving and protecting North American wildlife, and it is home to many species that are native to North America and have been saved or are recovering from injuries that will change their lives. The refuge gives animals that have been rescued from bad situations a safe and natural place to live. There is also a team of professional, veterinarian-trained staff to care for the animals. The refuge is home to many animals, such as grey wolves, red foxes, coyotes, arctic foxes, bobcats, black bears, opossums, and several raptors. People can adopt animals, and all the money raised goes to helping the animals get better care. You can only view the sanctuary by making an appointment.

3027 IN-262, Rising Sun, IN 47040, Phone: 812-438-2306

21.Santa Claus Museum and Village

The Santa Claus Museum and Village is a popular place to visit near the town of Santa Claus. It tells the story of the town’s past, from its early days as the small settlement of Santa Fee to its current status as a busy city. The museum has interesting displays that explain the town’s famous name, its growth, and its role in the tourism industry. There are also many historical papers, artifacts, photographs, and hundreds of letters from kids to Santa Claus. There are also lovely displays of old toys and Santas of all shapes and sizes. Kids can write a letter to Santa at the Original Santa Claus Post Office. Don’t miss the 22-foot-tall historic Santa Claus Statue or the beautiful historic Santa Claus Church from 1880.

69 North, IN-245, Santa Claus, IN 47579, Phone: 812-544-2434