Model T Ford Museum- Centerville, Indiana

We liked the camper:

Right beside the Warm Glow Outlet Candle Outlet is the Model T Ford Museum. This isn't a huge place (there's maybe 8 or so cars) but admission is only $2. We thought that the camper vehicle was really cool. We thought it was nice from the driver side but, once we looked at the passenger side, we realized that a bed folds out of it- pretty inventive. There was a fire truck and an ambulance among other vehicles. There was also a gift shop with everything from apparel to DVDs.

Hook's Drug Store Museum & Soda Fountain- Indianapolis, IN

While we were at the State Fairgrounds for the fair, we popped into the Hook's Museum and were reminded of what a cute place it is. The soda fountain was bustling so we didn't get a chance to enjoy that, but it is always fun to browse at the antique drugstore items along with the new candies and trinkets that you can buy. Their website says that they are open on "selected weekends" so, if you missed them at fair time, you might want to give them a call to see when you can visit.

Yikes- Goblin soap!

Indiana Medical History Museum- Indianapolis, IN

The amphitheater:

A beautiful copper and tile table:

We absolutely love walking into a room with an old timey picture of the room and virtually nothing has changed:

Evidently, the tile counters were hard to clean but they sure look pretty:

The Histology Laboratory:

Finials from the now torn down asylum:

The Medicinal Plant Garden:

We're into industrial and decaying things so we loved the old power plant:

Even if you're not a medical history buff, we highly recommend a visit to the Indiana Medical History Museum on the grounds of the former Central State Hospital. We think that we might have heard about it before but we have to give credit to Baikinange for getting us there this past weekend. Go for the architecture if nothing else. It has been so well preserved and every room from the teaching amphitheatre to the laboratory to the library is just beautiful. It only costs $5 for adults to take a tour (which we found thorough and very interesting) and even less for children, students, and seniors. It is really a beautiful, fascinating place and a unique window into the history of the study of the human body and mind. If you're not into medicine or history, just go and gawk and the gorgeous woodwork. In Indianapolis, with all of the new buildings, it seems like you have to dig a bit to find a place with a sense of history. This place has it and it is worth going out of your way to spend a some time visiting.

(Now that we've been to the Central State site, we might have to buy the DVD that tells about all of its paranormal activity.)

Karpeles Museum- Fort Wayne, IN

We went to the recently opened Karpeles Museum in Fort Wayne over the weekend. It is an intriguing place. For starters, it is in a gorgeous space- an old neighborhood church just off of Calhoun Street. It has rotating exhibits; currently it is Great Women in History. We just thought it was kind of amazing that the Warrant for the Execution of Mary Queen of Scots was in this little Fort Wayne neighborhood. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10A-4P. It is also absolutely free. We even asked if there was a donation box but the ladies there said no. The library provides educational programs and lectures for schools at all levels. It is due to the generous founder who has a lovely letter on the website explaining how he was filled with hope, pride, and inspiration from the world's predecessors when he was young but has seen that feeling dissipate with subsequent generations and would like to restore it. We highly recommend visiting here. It was fascinating just to see the penmanship and awe-inspiring to be in the presence of things like one of the only 14 surviving pages of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

If we can pull ourselves out of this post-vacation, middle of winter malaise, we seem to be in, we'll head to the IMA this Friday for a night with W.C. Fields. Not only are they showing his movie, The Bank Dick, but they are also showing one of his shorts, The Dentist, AND his granddaughter, Harriet Fields, will be there to talk about her grandfather's film roles. If anything can motivate, this cool event can.

Bizarro at the Eiteljorg

Fans of the comic strip Bizarro will want to note that the creator, Dan Piraro, will be at the Eiteljorg. His blog outlines his schedule there from January 19th- 25th culminating with a comedic lecture highlighting the cartoons that he has done over the years about the Old West, Native Americans, etc. He seems to think that it will be a little chilly here in January, especially coming off of a trip to Hawaii so we hope that lots of folks show up and warm his heart with hospitality.