Minnetrista is fortunate to be able to host a wide variety of exhibitions. We have displayed art exhibitions that brought the talents of amazing artists from around the world in Open Space (annual), Clearly Indigenous (2025), and Hoosier Art Salon (2024). We have explored the wonders of space (Life on the Edge, 2024) and the mind of Leonardo da Vinci (2021). Children have taken the reins by designing works of art in glass (Imagine in Glass, biennial), and we have brought the beauty of children’s books to life in Young at Art (2024) and Storyland (2024). Our visitors are treated to diverse, entertaining, and educational options, while the Minnetrista staff enjoy the thrill of working on such varied exhibitions.
In 2025, Minnetrista is exhibiting one of our most unique offerings in years. Thanks to the generosity of the Ball Brothers Foundation and George and Frances Ball Foundation, the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites (ISMHS) designed and built the kid-friendly but adult-worthy exhibition Good Night Forest. This exhibition invites children to explore their neighborhood as the sun sets so they can become familiar with—and not be as afraid off—nighttime animals and experiences.
Originally conceived as a smaller exhibition focusing on nocturnal animals, Good Night Forest underwent several iterations over the years to become the fun, interactive exhibition it is now. ISMHS Chief Officer of Engagement, Brian Mancuso, noted that the exhibition always had children at the core of its story, imagining them visiting a national park or forest at dusk. The ISMHS Exhibition Team created interactive elements that help contribute to the experience of being outside, such as the firefly garden, ranger’s station, and picnic table and campfire.
Spread across two galleries, the exhibition invites visitors to stroll the spaces at their leisure and find the elements that are most engaging for them. Gallery 1 is the brighter of the two galleries. Here, visitors will acclimate to the setting sun and begin preparations for nighttime. Once ready, they can then walk over to Gallery 2, where the sun has set and animals come out to play. Pointing the provided flashlights around the room will cause rabbits to scurry from the garden and owls and coyotes to call out in the dark.
Good Night Forest features the artwork of Indianapolis-based artist and children’s book illustrator Penelope Dullaghan. Her drawings bring a sense of whimsy and fun to the design, making it more enjoyable for visitors of all ages to engage with the exhibition. Ms. Dullaghan’s artwork is visible throughout the galleries, adorning the walls in one space and welcoming guests elsewhere.
While ISMHS designed, built, and installed Good Night Forest, Minnetrista added its own elements to the exhibition. Materials from the Heritage Collection fill the atrium cases and speak to the experience inside the galleries. Photographs show the Ball family enjoying the outdoors while camping, fishing, hunting, or swimming in lakes and rivers. Many members of the family were dedicated to nature and the preservation of the land, so it is fitting that their outdoor adventures accompany this exhibition.
Since the care and appreciation of nature is a core tenet of Scouting America, we also brought out an array of scouting paraphernalia that many visitors may recognize. Scouts are encouraged to learn how to survive and leave no trace while exploring the great outdoors, so it would come as no surprise to see them out on adventures in the same parks and forests as seen in Good Night Forest. Examples of merit badges, uniforms, and equipment—some unchanged over the years—line the atrium cases.
One of the goals of Good Night Forest is to introduce children to the animals that share our neighborhoods. Bats, coyotes, foxes, owls, rabbits, snakes, and many other critters are not often seen but can be heard as they wander through our backyards. These animals, and many more, have leapt into the imaginations of artists for thousands of years, and are often the subject of artwork in ceramics, mosaics, paintings, photographs, and other media. Minnetrista’s Heritage Collection contains examples of such art, which can be found alongside Good Night Forest.
Good Night Forest exists thanks to the partnership formed in 2001 between Minnetrista and Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. Over the years, ISMHS and Minnetrista have benefited tremendously from this initiative focused on the creation of exhibitions and programming for our joint communities. Good Night Forest is possible because of the foresight from a quarter century ago.
Minnetrista is excited to host Good Night Forest. Being able to work with our colleagues at ISMHS has been a thrill, and we look forward to future collaborations. Our combined visitors are the beneficiaries of this joint program, and we are sure they will find the same enthusiasm as they walk through Good Night Forest.
Good Night Forest is open now through November 2.