When raising a family, living in a community that offers family friendly activities and places can be a huge help! Parents are always looking for something to do with their children, or to keep their children entertained while educating their young minds. East Central Indiana has a variety of options for young families. Let’s dive into some of them today!
Planetarium
The Charles W. Brown Planetarium is Indiana’s most technologically advanced digital theater. Located at Ball State University, this modern marvel will wow your children by propelling them through space and time! The planetarium is open to the public and has advertised showtimes. You can even schedule a large group! The best part? A trip to the planetarium is FREE! You can start planning your trip and even take a virtual tour of the theater space here: https://www.bsu.edu/web/planetarium
Minnetrista
Minnetrista is a celebrated community institution that boasts 40-acres of gardens, historical buildings, and a museum. You and your family will thrive while exploring their shifting exhibits and historic homes, or hiking their meandering trails. Their mission is to connect people, encourage engagement, and improve their community. “Visitors to our site find a moment outside of the everyday where discovery, imagination, and learning are core.” They have a large calendar, full of educational programs, workshops, and community events, including an Enchanted Luminaria Walk, Fairies, Sprites, & Lights, and the local Farmers Market! Check out all that’s available here: https://www.minnetrista.net/
Muncie Children’s Museum
The Muncie Children’s Museum is a fun and educational way to spend the day with your children! With 18 interactive, hands-on exhibits, your children can learn about concepts such as magnetics, medicine, nutrition, recycling, nature, agriculture, hydraulics, and so much more! They’ll get to hop inside a big rig truck and imagine taking cross-country trips! They’ll dress up in our Make Believe Theater, act out any scenario they dream up and then watch themselves on live TV! They climb in and around our live-size ant wall, and pretend to be in a colony to learn about the different jobs ants have. There’s no limit to the fun and educational experience your family will enjoy during a visit! They’re also now offering FREE ADMISSION on the third Saturday of every month if you register online or call in! Look on their website for upcoming events and check out their hours of operation: http://www.munciemuseum.com/
Tuhey Pool
Every community with hot, humid summers needs a public swimming pool! Muncie is lucky enough to have a large public pool, with slides, and a splash pad that is open seven days a week! The surrounding park area offers picnic shelters and a playground to keep your kiddos busy all day. Admission is based on age, with children under 18 receiving reduced rates. Infants are admitted for FREE! The entire facility is also a tobacco-free zone. Check out the admission pricing and their dates of operation here: https://www.cityofmuncie.com/topic/index.php?topicid=75&structureid=27
Splash Pads
If you have smaller kids and aren’t sure you want to take that trip to the pool, there are also several splash pads located in various convenient places! Daleville has the largest splash pad in Central Indiana located in Daleville Townhall Park. It’s open daily from 10 am to 9 pm! You can find more information at the link below. The Yorktown splash pad is located downtown Yorktown at Memorial Park. It’s open from spring to fall, and is near a variety of local businesses for parents to enjoy while their kids play! You can find more information at the link below. Finally, Muncie is also adding two NEW splash pads to some of their parks! Cooley Park on Mock Avenue boasts a community walking track, a baseball diamond, a new basketball court, and will be getting a new playground along with the splash pad! Halteman Village Park located on Lancaster Drive will be getting their basketball court resurfaced, a new walking path, and new playground equipment to complement the new splash pad! More information on these parks can be found at thelink below.
Daleville: https://www.dalevilleindiana.org/directory/town-hall-park/
Yorktown: https://www.yorktownindiana.org/department/division.php?structureid=42
Muncie: http://www.munciejournal.com/2021/04/city-of-muncie-update-on-improvements-to-city-parks/
Mounds State Park
Mounds State Park in Anderson, Indiana features 10 unique earthworks built by prehistoric Indians known as the Adena-Hopewell people. Visitors can enjoy camping at the campground, cooling off in the pool, exploring the archaeological sites, and hiking around the various trails. Your family will love exploring this beautiful state park in all seasons! It’s a historic, educational, and recreational addition to East Central Indiana that will help you entertain your family for many years!
We just listed a few of the options for family friendly events and activities in East Central Indiana! If you have any suggestions to add to our list, please share them on social media. As a real estate agent, I’m dedicated to helping find the best community for your needs! A big part of that is making sure you are aware of all of the resources available to you–which includes family friendly options! Come back next month, we’ll be discussing the best locally breweries!
