Becoming a race car driver or channeling one’s inner Tiger Woods isno longer out of reach for local youth.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis recently opened the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience, the museum’s biggest expansion in 40 years. The 7.5-acre development includes three indoor and 12 outdoor sports experiences. Visitors can score goals on the hockey rink, make touchdowns on the football field and climb the 60-foot-tall Children’s Museum Guild’s Tree of Sports.
Kimberly Robinson, director of public relations at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, said members of the Colts, Fever, Pacers, Indians and other sports team members partnered with the museum to create the expansion.
“We really wanted to have a health experience that would get the whole family involved,” said Robinson. “Different sports teams started coming on board and saying they wanted to be a part of it. We have almost every sports team in the state participating.”
While exploring the Sports Legends Experience, children will see their favorite athletes represented. At one point, a video of Tamika Catchings teaches visitors basketball dribbling techniques. On the football field, children can throw passes to Colts legends.
The exhibit is rich with Hoosier history. Outside the baseball diamond, children can read about local Negro League team, the Indianapolis Clowns. Artifacts from local sports teams can be found throughout the museum.
Robinson feels the expansion may send parents down memory lane.
“A lot of moms and dads were athletes back in the day, and even if they were not, they can learn new skills too,” said Robinson. “You can learn how to putt better, and we have instructors that can help you do that.”
The museum’s ultimate goal is to create an immersive yet non-competitive environment that encourages kids to try their hand at new things.
“It’s a great way for kids to test different sports, because they may not know about all of the sports out here, and see what they do like and what they don’t,” said Robinson. “It’s a holistic family health exhibit, and we hope that if kids, parents and grandparents start playing sports together they will get healthy and fit together.”
Tickets to The Children’s Museum range from $5 to $37 depending on date and time booked. Learn more by visiting childrensmuseum.org or calling 800-820-6214.
Contact reporter Keshia McEntire at 317-762-7853. Follow her on Twitter
Six can’t miss sports experiences
- In The World of Sport, play the role of an athlete, announcer and sportscaster. Learn about iconic moments in sports history and the hard work and skills it takes to achieve your goals.
- The National Art Museum of Sport is dedicated to celebrating sport through art. Select pieces are on display from the collection’s nearly 1,000 works, and children can try their hand at creating their own masterpiece.
- In History of Hoops, experience the excitement of basketball and its importance in Hoosier communities throughout history. This temporary exhibit features Indiana’s professional teams.
- Feel on top of the world when you climb the Children’s Museum Guild’s Tree House of Sports.This impressive tree reaches 25 feet high inside, and its leaves reach even higher!
- At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pedal Car Racetrack Experience, choose your pedal car and race with the family on the oval track or take to the drag strip for fast-acting performance.
- Get onto the gridiron at the Indianapolis Colts Football Experience. This experience gets players of all sizes ready for an epic touchdown celebration.
(Source: www.childrensmuseum.org)
