Eclipse Extravaganza

Indiana is in the solar eclipse path of totality!

Experience this once-in-a-lifetime solar phenomenon at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Join us for giveaways, activities, and festivities to celebrate the historic event.

Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience® (outdoors)
Viewing for the eclipse will be available in our outdoor sports wonderland beginning at 1 p.m.

Limited space is available on a first come, first served basis. Weather-dependent.

Things to do

Eclipse related activities will take place from 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Solar Eclipse Main Station
Decorate your glasses, meet STEM educators, and snap a fun family photo.

Cosmic Creativity Station
Activities and programming at this station will be tailored to younger children, emphasizing scientific concepts behind the eclipse.

Stories in the Sky Station
Explore the ways eclipses have been explained through history and investigate how people make meaning in the sky.

Corteva Agriscience STEMLab
Discover the science of eclipses through hands-on activities with real STEM equipment and tools in the Shadows of the Moon program.

Sunburst Atrium
Watch NASA's eclipse programming via livestream.

Indiana Astronomical Society Station
Learn about different types of telescopes and get a chance to peek through one as volunteers from the Indiana Astronomical Society share the wonders of the universe.

All Eclipse Extravaganza activities are included with museum admission. The Children's Museum has limited outdoor viewing capacity.

CAPCOM Go! The Apollo Story Sound and Light Show
Schaefer Planetarium and Space Object Theater
10:30 a.m. , 12:30, 1:30, 3:30, and 4:30 p.m., 30 minutes
The Apollo 11 astronauts were just a few of the nearly 400,000 people who had worked over ten years towards putting a person on the Moon. Discover how they did it!

Misson Control Family Workshop
Schaefer Planetarium and Space Object Theater
11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., 30 minutes
Participate in a space mission simulation by using collaboration and problem-solving skills to work on a STEM activity related to a NASA team inside Mission Control.

Eclipse schedule

1 p.m.—Sports equipment removed from outdoor sports areas
1: 40 p.m.—partial eclipse begins
3:07 p.m.—maximum eclipse
4:23 p.m.—partial eclipse ends

FAQs

The Children's Museum is primarily an indor institution. We cannot guarantee a prime viewing spot for the eclipse. With that being said, at 1 p.m. on April 8, our outdoor sports area in the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® will be converted to an eclipse viewing location with limited capacity. Spots will be available on a first come, first served basis and cannot be held throughout the day.

We've assembled a list of frequently asked questions related to Eclipse Weekend and the Eclipse Extravaganza to help you prepare for this astronomical day.

FAQs

Members get MORE!

All themed days, including SpeedFest, Engineers Day, Earth Day Celebration, STEM Exploration Day, and Countdown to Noon are included with museum admission.

Members can participate in all of these events for free!

Become a Member

This work is supported by the Simons Foundation and is part of its 'In the Path of Totality' initiative.