Children’s museum investing $35 million on ‘Sports Legends Experience’

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The world’s largest children’s museum is right here in Indianapolis and it’s about to get significantly bigger. A $35-million dollar expansion is planned at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

It will create a 7.5 acre park with sports-themed exhibits and it’s being designed with the help of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.

The exhibits are called the “Sports Legends Experience” and the goal is to help battle childhood obesity.

“The inspiration was how do we get our arms around health and fitness,” said CEO Jeffrey Patchen, “and necessarily create experiences that ensure that parents and grandparents engage with their kids?”

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis teamed up with Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health on the project and Andrew Luck is helping with fundraising and the design.

“I truly do understand the power of sports,” he said, “whether it’s an organized team activity on a professional level, or if it’s just in your neighborhood with your little bothers and little sisters.”

There are corporate and charitable sponsors involved, too, and neighbors like the idea.

Lorraine Vavul called it, “just one more step further down the path of making the mid-north area a great place to live, work, learn and play.”

The target for completion is Spring of 2018.