Canal Nights

Canal Nights at the Indiana State Museum

Join us and community partners along the canal walk outside of the museum for a combination of outdoor activities and themed hands-on experiments.

Discover different kinds of races, test engineering designs to see if what you build travels the fastest, and take part in hands-on activities and demonstrations.

Price: This is a free event

All events take place at the museum’s canal entrance along the Downtown Canal. The canal entrance can still be accessed when parking in the White River State Park garage by walking through level one of the museum.

Wednesday June 1: Race Day

• Race into the summer! The Indy 500 isn’t the only kind of race in town. You’ll discover other types of races, test engineering designs to see what you can build that will go the fastest and enjoy hands-on activities and demonstrations. In honor of our exhibit, Major Taylor: Fastest Cyclist in the World, we’ll also have activities involving bicycles and bicycle racing.

Wednesday June 8 Nature Play Day

• Get outside and PLAY! Join the Indiana State Museum and other community partners for an evening of outdoor fun. Explore the museum grounds and White River State Park. Play and create with natural materials. Discover places across Indiana to get into nature. Canal Nights: Nature Play Day is presented in conjunction with the Indiana Children & Nature Network Nature Play Day.

Wednesday June 15: Global Gathering

• Explore the cultural diversity of Indiana and our global community. Experience the music, art, history, and traditions of a variety of nations that call Indiana home. Cultural demonstrations and activities will take you for a trip around the globe without leaving the canal.

Wednesday June 22^nd : Summer Nights Astronomy 

• June 21^st was the summer solstice and the first official day of summer, but what does solstice mean? Learn more about the seasons, sun, stars, and planets. Participate in experiments about space and telescopes and meet community partners.

Wednesday, June 29^th: Wonderful Water

• What makes summer bearable? Water! But why does water cool us down? Join us as we take a look at the science behind water, why it’s important, and other ways water makes our summers fun! Engage in experiments and hands on activities and most important of all, play in the water.

Wednesday July 6^th: Superhero Night

• Super who? Super you! Discover your super power and write your own comic book storyline. Design your own super suit and super-secret hideout. Visit with community partners who will inspire the superhero in you.

Wednesday July 13^th: Weather

• Summer weather in Indiana can change in an instant. Learn more about why the weather does what it does, signs to look for to tell you it will change, weather safety, and maybe even make thunder and rain sounds of your own!

Wednesday July 20^th: Create and Construct!

• Indianapolis is always building and changing and tonight we’ll explore the ways cities are planned and built and the equipment used to do it. Inspired by our exhibit Carboard Engineering: Build a City, you can create structures of your own using cardboard and other materials and try your hand at engineering design challenges.

Wednesday July 27^th: Eco-Citizen

• Who is an eco-citizen? You can be! This event explores what it takes to be an eco-citizen with various community partners and activities that allow you to explore environmental responsibility, pollution, recycling, and more.