Chloe Newman 8/2/22 Chloe Newman 8/2/22

Behind the Scenes of Shape ‘Scape

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Shape ‘Scape from the team that created it!

Susan Smith 7/21/22 Susan Smith 7/21/22

Collections Online

We are excited to announce that there is a new web interface to access the Minnetrista Heritage Collection! Learn more about it here!

Chloe Newman 6/15/22 Chloe Newman 6/15/22

A Blog for Kids: Summer Fun at Minnetrista!

Unlock your summer at Minnetrista Museum & Gardens!

Nalleli Guillen 6/3/22 Nalleli Guillen 6/3/22

25 Years of Garden Fair (1997-2022), A Look Back

Take a look back at 25 years of Garden Fair at Minnetrista!

Diane Barts 5/3/22 Diane Barts 5/3/22

Pressure Cookers Come and Pressure Cookers Go

Learn about the Ball brothers’ business venture into manufacturing pressure cookers in the 1930s.

Chloe Newman 4/25/22 Chloe Newman 4/25/22

A Day in the Life of Minnetrista Visitor Connectors & Experience Guides

Learn about Minnetrista Museum & Gardens Visitor Connector & Experience Guide Team!

Susan Smith 4/6/22 Susan Smith 4/6/22

News Travels Fast … Sometimes

The letters of Elizabeth “Lizzie” E. Spencer and Robert B. Kersey span the years of 1886 to 1892 and documents their friendship which evolves into a courtship –through their correspondence - and finally marriage.

Nalleli Guillen 4/5/22 Nalleli Guillen 4/5/22

Miss Ball’s visit to the Burris School

In April 1946, the 5th-grade students at Burris Laboratory School welcomed a special visitor to their class, Betty Ball, who brought several rare children’s books from her collection to show them. Here, you can read the Burris student’s impressions of Betty’s books “from the olden days” in their letters.

Chloe Newman 3/31/22 Chloe Newman 3/31/22

Community Building with Pop-up Gardens

Learn about how the Pop-up Garden program, run by Minnetrista’s Horticulture Department, helps the Muncie community improve food insecurity and demonstrate the power of gardening.

Nalleli Guillen 3/15/22 Nalleli Guillen 3/15/22

Philanthropy, Family Planning, and a Ball family story for Women’s History Month

In this Women’s History Month appropriate story, find out how the Ball Family found solutions to increase community access to healthcare services and educational opportunities for women.

Chloe Newman 2/28/22 Chloe Newman 2/28/22

Using SNAP Benefits at the Farmers Market at Minnetrista

Learn how to use your SNAP benefits at the Minnetrista Farmers Market!

Jessica Jenkins 2/14/22 Jessica Jenkins 2/14/22

An Inventive Mind

Learn about the Safety Egg Barrel! This object is a favorite of the Vice President of Collections and Storytelling, Jessica Jenkins.

Chloe Newman 2/1/22 Chloe Newman 2/1/22

Celebrating Valentine’s Day at Minnetrista Museum & Gardens

Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway with your partner, a Galentine's celebration with friends, or a day of self-care, Minnetrista Museum & Gardens is the perfect place to celebrate! Here are our top ten recommendations!

Diane Barts 1/18/22 Diane Barts 1/18/22

Snakes in the Wonderful World of Fruit Jars

Collecting can be a lot of fun. And who doesn’t love fruit jars! But as is so often the case, things are not always what they seem.

Susan Smith 12/27/21 Susan Smith 12/27/21

Shall We Dance?

The holiday season is a time for all kinds of festive parties and gatherings. Back in the day, Muncie was the scene of a whirlwind of holiday parties and dances over an approximately three-week period in December.

Chloe Newman 12/17/21 Chloe Newman 12/17/21

Farmers Market at Minnetrista: A Year in Review and the Year to Come

As the year comes to a close, we are reflecting on the Farmers Market at Minnetrista Museum & Gardens and looking forward to the year ahead.

Nalleli Guillen 12/13/21 Nalleli Guillen 12/13/21

“Lord Keep My Memory Green”: Charles Dickens and his Ball Family Super Fans

This time of year, enjoying the beloved holiday story A Christmas Carol is a tradition for many families, these days usually as theater performances or films broadcast on television. Avid book collectors, George and Frances Ball and their daughter Elisabeth adored this story and others written by Charles Dickens (1812-1870). They owned several copies of his greatest works and in 1925 even had a special edition of A Christmas Carol designed and printed as gifts for Ball Company employees.

Diane Barts 12/6/21 Diane Barts 12/6/21

Ball Legacy at Ball State University – Part 3

Part three of Ball Legacy in Ball State University.

Diane Barts 11/22/21 Diane Barts 11/22/21

Ball Legacy at Ball State University, Part Two

For a hundred years, the Ball family has maintained a close relationship with Ball State University. In part 1, Susan Smith presented some of the early examples of this joint quest for educational excellence, but there are many more.

Susan Smith 11/3/21 Susan Smith 11/3/21

Ball Legacy at Ball State University, Part One

Have you ever wondered about the names of the buildings on the Ball State University Campus and the people for which they were named? Many bear the names of former presidents of the university, college deans, and other prominent faculty, however, a large percentage of the buildings are named after Ball family members who supported the ideals of higher education and wished to contribute to the advancement of the East Central Indiana region.