Two windows on a Wednesday
Fright Academy opens Oct. 9, 2026 and runs through Oct. 31 at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 North Meridian Street. The house is the Children's Museum Guild's 62nd annual Haunted House and the museum's largest annual fundraiser. PNC is the presenting sponsor.
Uranus Fudge Factory Friendly Hours run Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday adds a second window, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sundays run noon to 5 p.m. The museum recommends Friendly Hours for children who scare easily, and that window runs on brighter lights, upbeat music, goodies and treats, and friendly greeters. A free bike helmet giveaway runs every Wednesday.
Frightening Hours run Thursdays through Saturdays, 4 to 9 p.m. Dimmed lights, scary music, jump scares and haunters in masks set that window. Two dates are dark: no Frightening Hours on Friday, Oct. 9, and none on Halloween.
What a day room covers
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A Morning window ends an hour before the second Wednesday window opens. An Afternoon window runs noon to 6 p.m. and covers the last three hours of the first window and all but the final half hour of the second.
A remote worker can place a work block on either side of a house visit. Work the morning and take the house at 3:30 p.m., or take the house at 10 a.m. and work from 3:30 p.m.
The museum's own amenities
Complimentary wi-fi runs throughout the museum during visiting hours. Lockers sit in the Welcome Center at $5 for a 19 by 18 by 9 inch unit or $7 for a 19 by 22 by 9 inch unit, take a credit card, and stay open through the visit. The Concierge Desk on Level 1 near Fireworks of Glass plans visits, sells memberships and ride tickets, stocks supplies, and holds the day's lost and found.
Strollers rent in the Welcome Center at $4 for a single, $6 for a double and $7 for a wagon. Diapering facilities sit in restrooms on all levels, and a quiet nursing area sits in Playscape on Level 3.
Tickets and group rates
General admission is $9 per person, the museum member discount ticket is $8, and the Access Pass discount ticket is $5. A Haunted House ticket carries its own price and the price does not include museum admission. Group pricing falls as the order grows: $9 per ticket for 1 to 19 tickets, $7.50 for 20 to 99, and $7 for 100 or more. Group orders go through Customer Service at 317-334-4000.
Theme days and giveaways
Oct. 9 is School Lunch Day and opening day, sponsored by Meijer. Oct. 13 is Art Day, sponsored by Sitting Made Simple. Oct. 14, 21 and 28 are Bike Safety Days with a helmet giveaway, sponsored by INDOT. Oct. 15 and 22 are Twice the Fright Nights, sponsored by Bassett Services, where one Frightening Hours purchase buys two trips through the house. Oct. 20 is Library Day, sponsored by Raising Cane's. Oct. 27 is Math Day, sponsored by Mathnasium.
Sixty-two years of the house
The first Haunted House opened in 1964 on an idea from Guild member Dessie Partenheimer. It drew 26,000 visitors over 10 days and raised $13,200 for the museum. The house has welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors since. The Guild has donated more than $17 million to the museum, including over $3 million in the past six years, and Guild members contribute more than 36,000 volunteer hours a year.
Before you go
The museum closes Sept. 14 to 25, 2026 for maintenance. Customer Service answers at 317-334-4000 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through the closure. Fright Academy opens Oct. 9, after the museum reopens.
Hours, prices and amenities come from the museum's Fright Academy page and its Plan Your Visit page. Confirm your window and your rate with the property before booking.
