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Looking for somethimg to do over the weekend I came across an advertisement for Carnival Day for the family at the History Center Downtown. Upon research I discovered that this history museum has a neat approach to teach about history by taking you back in time in living scenes. To make it more inticing to visit this particular day was that it was FREE!! However tickets to play carnival games and buy snacks would cost you .50 per ticket.
So off we we went my daughter and I on Saturday morning to expierence something else in this city. Parking was easy as the new street meters accepted debit cards to pay for hourly parking at $1.45. We realized the History center was set off the side off the canal making it a nice scene to relax at. When we entered we were given wristband and we bought $5.00 worth of tickets for my daughter to use as she pleased. The first scene we arrived at was set back to the prohibition era of alcohol. There were guides to give you a quick run down of what you would see in the scene and a bit of information about that era
in history. You walk through a gust of air that has images flashing on it and doors open and your instantly IN the scene!! The actors are looking at you and you are looking at them as your brain is taking in the realistic scene in front of you. Its so realistic that my daughter and I went speechless and had to regroup to look around at the scene. The officers and the prisoner are engaging, the arrested party kept trying to bribe my daughter to grab the keys from the Sheriff for .35, to which she shook her head "no" back and forth as her eyes were big as saucers. after leaving that scene we sat in the lobby to take in the animal show in honeor of the carnival day. My daughter spotted the snow cone stand and happily spent most of her tickets to get her favorite snack item, a huge blue snow cone! We sat oon the side as a python, macaw and a monkey made us giggle thanks to the story telling of the handler. I feel in love with the pocket watches hanging above the center, each having a diffrent time as the scenes
in the museum. I wasnt sure if my daughter could fully understand the information being placed in front of her in this museum but the next scene that depicted a Hoosier home kitchen in 1945 from the standpoint of an immigrant escaping the holocaust would sink into her head causing a deep discussion on the ride home. Why? Because this scene was freaking awesome!! As an adult I went dumb with a lack of question from the acting being so good. You literally walk into a kitchen and are invited to sit down with 3 ladies who deserve an award of some sort for being so true to their roles. You could feel the nervous tension coming from the actress who is playing the immigrant as you ask questions, as if she is really scared for what you as an American could do to her perhaps like sending her back. The social worker was prim and proper, the clothes and attention to detail of make-up and clothes are unbelievable. The food and tea on the table are real, which impressed my daughter. Nneedless to say that was the scene that made the strongest impact on us from the museum. We
decided to go to the lower level which is where you can buy meals and eat indside or at tables located next to the canal outside. However, once we walked to the canal we decided the pretty murals needed to be inspected more so off we went walking taking in the ducks and fish in the water as well as the murals. We discovered the paddle boat rentals were on the other side of the bridge next to the history museum and decided we would come back later in the summer to do that.
Overall the History Museum was a fresh breathe way to look at how history played out in diffrent eras in Indiana. I think children should be around 8 at the least to really be entertained by what they are taking in from the scenes, if only on the basic levels at that. As I mentioned before I did not know if my 8 yr old was truly getting the scenes but it opened up alot of questins on what she saw to talk about the scenes and history. I guess thats the true point of the museum and the actors do a heck of a
job transporting you in time! even if your not a history buff, I'm not...you still should give it a try because its truly unique!
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