IHS kicks off 'Indiana Experience'

Friday, March 5, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS -- Since 1830, the Indiana Historical Society has been the state's storyteller connecting people to the past.

Its new Indiana Experience, opening March 20, is a high-tech, interactive experience that allows HIS to share its tremendous archival holdings of 1.6 million photographs in a highly visual and enjoyable manner with the public.

The elements comprising the new exhibit include three-dimensionally recreated historic photographs with trained first person interpreters, who interact with visitors and elicit personal connections to the past. This allows visitors to step through-and into-the image to become part of that history.

Destination Indiana is a facilitated, interactive opportunity for visitors to "travel through time" using innovative digital technology, touch screens and immersive displays of historic images and documents to explore and understand the story of Indiana, as a place.

The Fortune history lab is a hands-on demonstration lab allowing visitors to learn and participate in conversation and preservation activities. Within that space, Investigation Stations provide a series of activity areas for visitors to engage in the process of "doing" history as they learn how to analyze historic documents, research their family tree, search for clues in historic photographs and explore careers in history.

The Cole Porter Room is an intimate multimedia space with a performer and facilitator and original materials dedicated to the interpretation of Porter's life and work.

The Indiana Experience also includes a Town Hall Series with public forum discussions with expert panelists exploring contemporary, yet enduring topics from the perspective of the past present and future.

Anything Goes is a periodic, seasonal event that uses cabaret-style shows in a 1940s era nightclub setting to involve guests in an appreciation of the work of Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael and other American musical greats.

The Indiana Experience opens to the public at 10 a.m. March 20 with the weekend celebration continuing through March 21.

It is located in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center at 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis. HIS members and children younger than age five receive free admission to the Indiana Experience. Regular admission cost is $7 for adults, $6.50 for seniors (age 60 and older) and $5 per child (ages five to 17). Group rates for adults, seniors and students are available.

A sneak peek gala will take place at 6:30 p.m. March 19 with hors d'oeuvres, desserts and an open bar. Cost is $50 per person or $92 for two (in honor of each Indiana County).

For tickets or more information, call 317-233-6578.

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