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The Access Pass program is lucky to have a variety of participating attractions offering something for every age and for all different interests. While your junior high or high schooler might not think places like The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis or WonderLab have something to offer them, they’d be surprised by the exciting age-appropriate programming offered at each attraction.
In our COVID world, be sure to double check each attraction’s website or social media channels before visiting to see if each of these exhibits and activities are open.
Conner Prairie
Conner Prairie has indoor and outdoor experience areas appropriate for all ages including 1836 Prairietown, 1859 Balloon Voyage, 1863 Civil War Journey, Lenape Indian Cap, Animal Encounters, the William Conner House and Treetop Outpost. In addition to a variety of programs, Conner Prairie also offers Prairie Pursuits, which are how-to classes and workshops geared to adults and teens in a variety of topics from historic trades to culinary skills to the arts.
Eiteljorg
Along with extensive collections of American Indian and Western art, the galleries at the Eiteljorg offer interactives and hands-on activities for teenagers to learn more about these creative expressions. Other activities and events geared toward teenagers include art workshops, lecture series, and public tours.
Indiana Historical Society
All of the Indiana Historical Society exhibits are well-suited to teenagers, including the You Are There series, Destination Indiana, Cole Porter Room, and the W. Brooks and Wanda Y. Fortune History Lab. Look for value-added programming on the opening day of a new exhibit, and there are many extra offerings during Festival of Trees. The William Henry Smith Memorial Library also offers free access to IHS's extensive archives for those who would like to dig into Indiana's history.
Indiana Repertory Theatre
Each year, the Indiana Repertory Theatre features A Christmas Carol, great for this age group to experience the theater. IRT also offers a Young Audiences show each season, geared toward middle and high schoolers. Past shows have included The Diary of Anne Frank and The Watsons Go to Birmingham.
Indiana State Museum
All of the Indiana State Museum exhibits are appropriate for this age group and offer hands-on activities, interactives, and educational insights. Throughout the year, special programming is available that appeals to teenagers, such as haunted history events and Adventure Days. Each of the 11 historic sites also have educational experiences for teenagers.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
Teenagers will appreciate the history and background stories that make up the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Along with the special exhibits, they’ll enjoy seeing the numerous past Indy race cars, racing helmets, and other gear. The track tours, while family friendly, are best suited for older students and adults as they last between 30 minutes and 2 hours depending on which options are available.
NCAA Hall of Champions
With two floors of sports-related activities, the NCAA Hall of Champions is a great spot for teenagers to burn some energy and have fun in the process. The interactive museum features 24 sports and a gym where they can play a little one-on-one, sports games, ski simulator, vertical jump challenge, trivia games, and more.
Newfields
All of the exhibits at Newfields give teenagers experience viewing, appreciating, and analyzing art. Several new rotating exhibits come through each year, and the permanent collection is full of art from a variety of mediums done by artists from around the world.
Rhythm! Discovery Center
Each exhibit at the Rhythm! Discovery Center pairs interactive instruments with objects on display. The virtual practice rooms give visitors the opportunity to play real instruments in a variety of acoustic environments. Rhythm! Discovery Center also hosts Community Programs on the weekends that include facilitated drum circles and performances.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Just because it has children’s in the name, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have something to offer everyone. Teenagers visiting The Children's Museum of Indianapolis can interact with history and social issues in The Power of Children®: Making a Difference. In POP, they can get a taste of popular culture from several different eras. Other great choices for older kids include visiting the geology lab in Corteva Agrisciences ScienceWorks and speaking with the paleontologists in Dinospehre®. In the Riley Health Sports Legends Experience®, they can test their athletic skills at different sports activities like football, basketball, golf, and car racing.
Terre Haute Children’s Museum
While it’s technically another children’s museum, the Terre Haute Children’s Museum has plenty to see and do for teenagers. In Fiddling with Physics visitors learn basic physics concepts by building and racing cars and rocket ships. The WTHCM studio lets them go behind scenes and in front of the camera to put on their own weather broadcast. The Ropes Challenge Course is another crowd favorite with this age group.
WonderLab
At WonderLab, kids will love to experience science through tons of hands-on activities and interactive exhibits. SandScapes, an augmented reality sandbox, lets their imaginations soar as they build volcanoes, explore the Rocky Mountains, and switch between different climates and biomes. In the Fitzgerald Hall of Natural Science, teenagers can check out live insects, amphibians, and reptiles in natural habitats. WonderLab also hosts special camps, workshops, and events throughout the year geared toward teenagers and young adults like STEM Sundays and Coder Dojo.
