Indy Children's Museum Part III OR Old Things, Tiny Things, and Trains!

Annnnnnnnnnd we're back at the Indianapolis Children's Museum! This is the third in a four-part series about the museum. Cynical Reader will probably be grumbling about me padding out my blog with the series.

Possibly.

But there are so many fascinating things! For example, how to teach archeology to children without using a bullwhip or fedora.

Pictured: Not real archeology.
(But a very entertaining series that is completely copyrighted by LucasFilm/Disney.)

Hint: The answer includes underwater balloons and cannons.

Pictured: Real archeology!
(Well, a representation of real archeology... You know what I mean!)

When many people think about archeology, there's often an impulse to think about Egyptian things. Which, to be fair, is where a lot of archeologists spend their time.

If you're a Stargate SG-1 fan, those canopic jars just gave you the willies.
...If you're not, my geeky reference may have given you the willies.

But even then, their presentation reminds us that it's not all tiny brushes, big pyramids, and mummies. There's often putting relics back together and crawling through tiny tunnels.

And hieroglyphs. But I kind of weep for the kid
who bypasses the large puzzle to look at pictures on the wall.

Added feature: This is really a kid's only exhibit,
as you can tell by the awkward father not fitting in at all.

However, the world is much bigger than a chunk of desert near a river in northeastern Africa. And much of it is covered with water.

How on earth can we explain all of that to children before they get bored?!?

Answer: Conga line!

Ancient horses with weird tails!

Pirates!
(Recreation of Captain Kidd's shipwreck site.)

An actual frikkin cannon!
(Also an explanation of why it's still under salt water to preserve it.)

Gold! Treasure!
....and learning...? When did they sneak that in there?

All in all, I was super impressed with their archeology exhibit. It managed to concentrate on stories that could grab interest: Egyptian tombs, falsely accused pirates, buried warriors of a Chinese emperor...

...And do it in a way that gives a general insight into archeology while keeping it exciting.

And since, let's be honest, a lot of archeology is spent working very slowly and methodically, that's quite impressive.

Speaking of methodically, remember when you were a kid and painstakingly put together that model aircraft using glue, a box of tiny plastic parts, and an incredible amount of patience?

Me neither. I built Legos. (Slogan: "The impatient child's model set.")

But SOMEbody did! And holy crap, was it impressive.

That's a nice room! I think I'll take a seat in front of the fire...

....Oh. Guess I won't, then.

There was a whole gallery of these models!

I just...

I mean...

GAH!
HOW DO THEY HAVE THIS MUCH MOTOR CONTROL AND PATIENCE!?!

"Bah!" I can hear CR saying, "That's only a room! A really impressive miniature builder would build a whole house!"

Bam:

In your face, you mythical jerk!
(Also: I am never showing this to my imaginary daughter.)

Finally, I'd like to shoehorn a clunky transition into the last section, going from tiny things to huge things!

Yes, that is an actual locomotive.
No, I don't know how they got it in there.

Annnnnnd back to tiny things for the model of an old, 1800s town with model trains:

The local Starbucks is at the top of the hill.
Your house is at the bottom.
How badly do you want your latte?

"I like the ceiling tiles, but it seems a little too modernist..."
"How about a model train, sir?"
"Jenkins, you're a genius."

Seriously, though, these guys know their audience. From the dinosaur exhibit (See Part II OR Dinosaurs!!) one goes immediately to trains:

Oh yeah. I'm definitely on board.

But the whole train exhibit does more than just talk about steam locomotives and how cool they are. (Which, temperature-wise, isn't very cool at all...)

It ALSO goes a bit over life in the 1800s/early 1900s, when trains were a necessity for getting around, when technology was just starting to open up the world, when LOL was spelled ".-.. --- .-...", and OMG was "--- -- --."

"--- -- --. ,Vanderbilt is totally a Robber Baron!"
".-.. --- .-.."

So thanks, Indy Children's Museum, for reminding us that the past may be tiny, the past may be large, and above all the past may be old, but the past can also be really fascinating.