Big Kids at the Children's Museum

The Indianapolis Children’s Museum is said to be the largest in the world.  With a planetarium, a five story blown glass sculpture, a full scale working carousel and lots of hands on activities, it is interesting for adults to visit too, so on the first Thursday evening of the month when admission is free, my oldest son and a friend and I decided to go.  They had a new Hot Wheels exhibit, and our friend had never been.  It’s always crowded on free night, but without the little kids along, it wasn’t a problem.

After crossing on the skywalk from the parking garage, we were confronted with a giant transformer in a Halloween costume.  We passed him and made our way through the lobby and checked the time on the two story high water clock.  We debated how much it would cost to buy Indiana Jones’ fedora on our way through the archeology exhibit - I love the fact that they have actual artifacts that are being cleaned like the cannon in the electrolysis tank or the Ming dynasty china a conservator was trying to piece together.  They also have bones in the dinosaur exhibit that are being painstakingly removed from their casts and surrounding matrix.  

We saw real cars that had been models for Hot Wheels, and working full size cars that had been made using the toy cars as models!  Of course there were plenty of Hot Wheels and track for the kids to play with!

But the thing that was most interesting to me this time was the modern Egypt area.  Having several online friends from Egypt gave me a different perspective.  I wondered what they would think of the interpretation of their culture.  I can’t imagine trying to condense American culture to one exhibit, even as large as this one was.  And of course the artifacts and explanations and even the demonstrations of singing and dancing can only give a glimpse of the external differences.

As I have gotten to know some Egyptians and count them as friends, the thing that strikes me again and again is how much the same we are - how similar our situations, and how we feel the same stresses and joys, the same fears and hopes, and need the same friendship and encouragement.  I find myself wishing the children could have what I have - the chance to have a friend from another part of the world.  

Because now when I see the Egyptian exhibit, its not about a strange exotic place, its about the place where my friends live, and somehow, that makes it my place too.