INDIANAPOLIS — Some people can stay up until midnight to feel the first seconds of the New Year, but for others, it's past their bedtime. That's why the Children's Museum of Indianapolis counted its water clock down to noon, not midnight, on New Year's Eve.
Hundreds of children and their parents celebrated the New Year early at the Children's Museum, which is the largest museum of its kind in the world.
Ryan Sherfey grew up in Indiana and wanted to have his children experience the wonder he felt when he was young.
"I remember the water clock the most," Sherfey said. "I live in Virginia now, but when we came home for the holidays, I wanted my kids to see this."
The museum is celebrating the New Year for a significant reason. It commemorates 100 years since the museum was founded in 1925.
"There's a different energy for all of us as we look at 2025," said Melissa Trumpey of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. "We hope people walk away with nostalgia and look forward to creating new memories as the year unfolds."
The museum started at a small carriage house on 14th Street between Delaware and Pennsylvania which still stands today. It built the current museum at 30th and Meridian in 1976.
Curators have placed several items in its archives back on the museum floor to celebrate 100 years, including a yellow submarine and a polar bear named Martimus.
"I have some core memories of visiting with my family and friends and visitng the Haunted House over the years, so it is an honor and a privilege to provide those experiences to others now," Trumpy said.
