Events on August 14, 2025

Visitors will feel like they are stepping into a beloved children’s storybook as they encounter whimsical scenes and engaging sensory activities in this nature-inspired experience. Designed to help build confidence and cultivate scientific curiosity, children will discover and learn about animals that emerge in their neighborhoods and local forests after the sun goes down.

June 7 through November 2, 2025

Location: Center Building, Gallery 1 & 2

Cost: Included with your admission ticket

Good Night Forest is organized and produced by the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, with support from Ball Brothers Foundation and George and Frances Ball Foundation.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event

Runs from Jun 7, 2025 to Nov 2, 2025 and happens every:

Wednesdays: 9:00am - 12:00pm Timezone: EDT

Thursdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Fridays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Saturdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Sundays: 12:00pm - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

The narwhal, with its unique spiral tusk, has inspired legend and fascinated people across cultures for centuries. Take a deep dive into the narwhal's Arctic world to explore what makes this mysterious animal and its changing ecosystem so important. Through first-hand accounts from scientists and Inuit community members, the exhibition will reveal how traditional knowledge and experience, coupled with the latest scientific research, heighten our understanding of these fascinating animals—and our changing global climate.

July 12, 2025 – September 28, 2025

Location: Center Building, Gallery 3

Cost: Included with your admission ticket

Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event

Runs from Jul 12, 2025 to Sep 28, 2025 and happens every:

Wednesdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Thursdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Fridays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Saturdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Sundays: 12:00pm - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Miss your chance for a summer vacation? Come travel vicariously through the Minnetrista Heritage Collection! Get a behind-the-scenes look at travel-themed artifacts on this guided tour with Archivist Susan Smith and Collections Manager Mindy Price. Explore items that are not currently on public display and gain a deeper understanding of the historical significance behind them. This is your chance to engage with history in a way you’ve never experienced before—up close and personal!

Experience the power of heat and glass as you explore the art of handmade bead-making in this beginner-friendly workshop. Learn the basics of torchworking as you shape and color molten glass into unique beads. Perfect for all enthusiasts, this session offers a hands-on introduction to essential techniques in a fun and creative environment.

August 14; 6–8 p.m.

Location: Education Center

Cost: $55 | Member Discounts Apply

All tools, supplies, and safety gear will be provided. Glass workshops are open to participants ages 13 and up. Preregistration is strongly preferred; limited walk-in tickets may be available—please call ahead.

Bandleader & Trumpeter Larry McWilliams

Park your lawn chair under the trees at Westside & get ready for that Big Band Swing sound from AHB Jazz/Swing Band.  Bandleader is Larry McWilliams, creator of the Jazz Program at Ball State University.