The museum has housed hundreds of permanent and changing exhibits during its 80-year existence. Exhibits and galleries are connected by an open core with dramatic, zig-zag ramps rising 70 feet to the top level. Permanent learning environments include:

Outside:

• The Allen Clowes Garden Gallery gives visitors a lively glimpse of outdoor life, plus a funky Anklyosaurus to climb on.
• The fun and excitement of The Children's Museum spills over into Festival Park, which offers outdoor programming during appropriate seasons. The park is also available for rental opportunities.

Lower Level:

• All Aboard! – Includes a Victorian railway depot, complete with a 19th-century locomotive and tool car to “ride” in. The 1890’s river town of Madison, Ind., is recreated, complete with a model of the Reuben Wells locomotive pushing train cars up the hill. Visitors may also enjoy an object theater experience, which runs every 30 minutes.
• SpaceQuest® Planetarium – A 130-seat theater featuring family programs all about the universe. The innovative Digistar computerized graphic processor can create countless special space effects. The Planetarium is also equipped with a state-of-the-art audio system.
  Lilly Theater – A 350-seat performing arts venue, and the only live theater in Indianapolis especially for children. Both the Planetarium and the theatre are free with museum admission.
• What If …? – Includes three environments for young explorers: an underwater coral reef, a dinosaur discovery area and replicated tomb with a mummy named Wenu-hotep. What if … you could be whatever you wanted to be?

Level 1:

• Welcome Center – Includes the Box Office, Information Desk, Coat Check, The Children's Museum Store, Food Court and the spectacular 30-foot-tall Water Clock, the only one of its kind in North America.
• The Children's Museum Store – Experience a store that interests young and old in the arts and sciences and entices your child to learn in new ways. A wide range of fun and educational toys, books, jewelry, stationary and seasonal items are available in the store.
• Food Court – Designed as a marketplace and a respite from the hectic pace at The Children's Museum, the Food Court allows each visitor to select from a variety of foods. Linger over a morning cup of Starbucks® coffee, warm up to a hot entree or cool off with a stacked deli sandwich.
• infoZone – The Children's Museum and the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library partnered to start a new information environment that combines the resources of the library and the museum. Visitors may check out books, videotapes, compact discs and kits and use computers to do online research.
• Dinosphere® – The museum’s state-of-the-art dinosaur exhibit. This immersive experience takes you back to what life in the Creteceous period may have been like. Dinosphere® includes a working paleo lab, an interactive dig site, computer activities and real dinosaur bones!

Level 2:

• Lanzendorf Dinosaur Art – This exhibit displays many wonderful examples of paleo art from artists around the world. Paintings, sculptures and drawings inspire visitors to try their hand at sketching and modeling dinosaurs. Don’t miss the dramatic view of the main exhibit from the overlook in this space, which may also be accessed through Dinosphere®.
• Special Exhibit Gallery 1 – Features special temporary exhibits developed by the museum or brought in from around the world. These traveling exhibits run from three to nine months and reflect topics from the sciences, arts and humanities.
• Special Exhibit Gallery 2 – A second gallery space on Level 2 for smaller, temporary exhibits, as well as the home base for the Haunted House and Jolly Days Winter Wonderland.
• Special Exhibit Gallery 3 – Provides a space for children and families to explore the arts. Exhibits that give visitors opportunities to learn about and create various art forms are made by utilizing the unique and varied artifacts from the museum’s collections.
• Polar Bear – The Polar Bear has been on display since 1964. Many of today's parents remember seeing this museum icon when they were young.
• Gallery of Miniatures – Showcase many special miniature rooms. These rooms were installed to honor Mildred Compton, the museum director in the 1960s and ’70’s.

Level 3:

• Indianapolis 500 Race Car – An authentic race car, this PC9 model offers children the chance to climb in and imagine themselves speeding around the track.
• Story Avenue: African-American Voices That Teach Us All – Focuses on the importance of oral tradition. Stories become the artifacts on display in Indianapolis’ first permanent African-American exhibit.
• Playscape – Designed for children ages 6 months to 6 years, this space provides a variety of play environments that encourage children to learn through multi-sensory, pretend, constructive and physical play. Information for parents about how children learn and develop during their early years is also an important part of the experience.

Level 4:

• ScienceWorks in the Dow Science Center – This unique exhibit encourages children and families to discover science through hands-on exploration. Visitors can climb a limestone wall, learn about water flow and surface tension, and get a glimpse of the life beneath an Indiana freshwater pond! Families may also learn about science through facilitated experiences in the DOW Biotechnology Learning Center. Then visit Health House where you can learn the importance of eating well, active play and making healthy choices.
• Carousel Wishes and Dreams – This gallery provides families with the opportunity to take a ride on an antique Carousel, explore a mirror maze, play interactive games from the past and present and make new memories inside the Lilly playhouse. Many of the museum’s antique toys and dolls are showcased here in fun and surprising ways.
• Mastodon – Found in Greenfield, Ind., this mastodon skeleton is approximately 12,500 years old. Families can learn about how the mastodon was discovered and excavated 30 years ago.
• Dollhouses – Intricate furniture and detailed interiors make these dollhouses a favorite among visitors.