family attractions

Explorer Bags

Year-round during exhibition hours.
Members – Free; Others - $5  

Adventure is out there! Gather with your family and friends at Minnetrista to discover adventure around every corner with an Explorer Bag. Full of interactive objects and hands-on activities, Explorer Bags will take you on exciting explorations all over campus. All you have to do is check one out!

Nature Adventure Bag

Calling all outdoor explorers, wilderness wanderers, and budding biologists! Minnetrista may be in the heart of Muncie, but many wild creatures – big and small – have been spotted here, especially in our Nature Area. In this portion of our campus, you can find all three of Indiana’s main habitats – the grassland (or prairie), the wetlands, and the woodlands – along with the critters that call these places home! This explorer bag is stocked with a variety of gear and activity ideas designed to help you discover the natural world. Try out as many or as few activities as you’d like, in any order – you’re the leader of this nature hike! As you explore our campus, we hope you’re inspired and empowered to enjoy the outdoors every day, whether you’re on our grounds, at your local park, or in your own backyard!

Artist Within Me Bag

Minnetrista is home to many works of art across our 40-acre campus, from the Catalyst sculpture standing outside our Center Building to the paintings hanging inside the Bob Ross Experience. Art – and artists – come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. This explorer bag has a variety of art supplies and ideas for you to experiment with. Try as many or as few as you’d like, in any order – as our friend Bob would say, this is YOUR world! Bob also believed that “there’s an artist hidden at the bottom of every single one of us.” As you explore our campus and experiment with the art supplies in this explorer bag, we hope you discover the artist hidden within you!