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Ladies and gentlemen, Santa and elves… start your engines! Santa is arriving at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in an Indy Racing Experience two-seater IndyCar!
Santa’s Big Arrival at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis takes place Friday, Nov. 25, the morning after Thanksgiving Day. This holiday tradition is free with museum admission and revs up at 9:00 a.m. with a special police and elf escort for Santa and sleigh-driver Ed Carpenter, driver and owner of the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing IndyCar. Viewers are encouraged to arrive at 8:30 a.m. to purchase a treat from the Gingerbread Café or grab a free cup of cocoa on the plaza, and chat with cheery elves before the big show!
Join host Zazzles the Elf in watching the “dare-dev-elves” put on a stunt to welcome Santa as he cruises into the plaza. Then, meet The Chorduroys inside for a holiday sing-along to usher Santa down the festive red carpet to the Yule Slide! One lucky member child will join Santa for the first Yule Slide ride, and once they both land, we’ll all celebrate the opening of Jolly Days Winter Wonderland!
Before you walk around the exhibit’s winter wonderland or take a trip down the two-story Yule Slide, note the special opportunities that will be happening during this big event:
Ed Carpenter Autograph Signing 10-11 a.m.
Meet Ed Carpenter, driver and owner of the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing IndyCar—and Santa’s chauffeur—on this festive day! Ed will be signing autographs on the Level 2 Mezzanine for one hour during the holiday hustle and bustle of celebration. Don’t miss him before he floors it out of here!
Gift Memberships
Give a gift for all ages that lasts all year! A membership to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis lasts for a year—and the memories last a lifetime! Who knew something to do all year could fit into a stocking?
Free Holiday Craft 8:30–10 a.m.
The tradition of ringing bells during winter holidays is thousands of years old. Bells make a happy sound and are enjoyed in “ringing out the old and ringing in the new” each season! Customize your bell with different colors of ribbon to make it your own unique instrument to celebrate the holidays.
The Museum Store Discount 8:30–10 a.m. on Nov. 25, 2016 only
Santa’s good little shoppers can save big bucks! The Museum Store will offer a 30 percent Black Friday discount on all purchases until 10 a.m.
The Elves and the Shoemaker 1–1:45 p.m. and 3–3:45 p.m.
Visit Lilly Theater for a fun-filled musical holiday tale based on the well-loved classic. The Elves and the Shoemaker retells a traditional story with a unique twist. Written with sing-alongs, dance-alongs and lots of audience participation, this musical will delight children of all ages! Tickets are free, but space is limited, so get them in advance. Members can reserve tickets ahead of time!
Yule Slide Challenge
A trip down the 47-foot Yule slide is completely free, but the challenge is the true payoff: Our goal is to count 91,000 trips down the slide by this year’s end. If visitors help us reach that goal, corporate partners will come together for a dollar-per-slide donation totaling $91,000! That fun fundraising effort enables the museum to continue its tradition of offering free admission to all visitors on December 24th from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Jolly Days: Winter Wonderland will be open Nov. 25, 2016 – Jan. 8, 2017. Families can visit Santa through Dec. 24, and while in the exhibit, participate in pretend fishing, ice-skating, and holiday baking. There will also be a castle to climb and a magical globe that, with a push of a button, allows visitors to let it snow!
The museum offers free admission to good little girls and boys and their families on December 24, 2016. Please note the museum is open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on that day. Lastly, there will be plenty of programming happening during this festive time so that families can always experience something new: Earn your elf ears, participate in “snowball” fights, sing along with The Mistletoes, and talk to animated winter characters! See the programs happening the day of your visit on our online calendar.
* Just a reminder that The Children’s Museum wants to provide plenty of opportunities for visiting children and families to enjoy the museum during the holidays and winter vacations. Although we are closed most Mondays during the winter, we will be open Monday,
December 19, 2016, Monday, December 26, 2016 and Monday, January 1, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Jolly Days Winter Wonderland is presented by Meijer and supported by Aquafina and Barnes & Thornburg.
About The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Facebook.com/childrensmuseum and YouTube.com/IndyTCM.
About Dallara IndyCar Factory
The Dallara IndyCar Factory is an interactive Facility where the public can learn how IndyCars are designed and built! Everyone can have the opportunity to see and take photos with IndyCar Show cars, and even take a ride around town in a street legal two-seater Indycar!
