The Children's Museum of Indianapolis runs its 62nd annual Haunted House from 9 to 31 October 2026 at 3000 North Meridian Street. The museum calls the edition Fright Academy and lists it as the museum's largest annual fundraiser, presented by PNC. Two hotel arrangements sit on the museum's visitor pages.
Nine preferred hotels across four areas
The museum's Plan Your Visit page lists nine preferred hotel partners under the heading Preferred Hotels, grouped into four areas.
Downtown: Crowne Plaza Downtown at 123 W. Louisiana St. (317-631-2221), Omni Severin Hotel at 40 W. Jackson Place (317-634-6664), Holiday Inn Express City Centre at 410 S. Missouri St. (317-822-640) and Staybridge Suites Downtown at 535 S. West St. (317-536-7500).
West: TownePlace Suites Indianapolis Airport at 8850 Hatfield Dr. (317-268-1150) and Crowne Plaza Airport at 2501 S High School Rd. (317-244-6861). North: Homewood Suites Keystone at the Crossing at 2501 E 86th St. (317-253-1919) and Fairfield Inn & Suites Whitestown at 6035 Perry Worth Rd. in Whitestown (463-270-0960). East: Marriott Inn East at 7202 East 21st St. (317-352-1231).
Four of the nine sit in the downtown core. The other five spread west toward the airport, north to Keystone Crossing and Whitestown, and east along 21st Street.
The Family Fun Adventure package
The museum's Packaged Deals section points to General Hotels Corporation. The Family Fun Adventure is a partnership of General Hotels Corporation, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and The Indianapolis Zoo. The package covers overnight accommodation, two adult and two youth museum tickets, and two adult and two child zoo tickets.
Packages start at $359 a night. General Hotels states that rates are subject to availability and vary by location and date, and that a booking must be made at least two days before arrival. Attraction tickets are collected at the hotel where the room is reserved, from 8 a.m. on the day of arrival. A party needing more than four tickets buys the extras at the hotel, and a party needing more than one room or several nights calls the hotel after booking.
Four hotels carry the package
Four properties participate, and all four also hold a place on the museum's preferred roster. Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station at 123 West Louisiana Street (317-631-2221) lists standard rooms, suites and 1920s-era Pullman train car rooms, and states that the swimming pool came out during a recent renovation. TownePlace Suites Indianapolis Airport at 8850 Hatfield Drive (317-268-1150) includes breakfast and a kitchenette in every room. Homewood Suites Indianapolis Keystone Crossing at 2501 East 86th Street (317-253-1919) is an all-suite property with breakfast included. Fairfield Inn & Suites Whitestown Indianapolis NW at 6035 Perry Worth Road (463-270-0960) opened in 2024.
The bulk ticket route for a property
The museum sells discounted bulk ticket packages to companies, hotels and organizations, and states that the tickets can be used individually or distributed over time. Corporate event enquiries go to levyscheduling@childrensmuseum.org or 317-334-3212.
The haunted house ticket costs $9 at general admission, $8 for members and $5 through an Access Pass. The group ladder runs $7.50 a ticket from 20 and $7 from 100, booked through Customer Service at 317-334-4000. Museum admission is bought separately from the house.
The clock the room nights answer to
Frightening Hours run Thursdays through Saturdays, 4 to 9 p.m., and nine nights carry them: 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29 and 30 October. Friday 9 October and Halloween carry none. The museum closes Mondays, which puts 12, 19 and 26 October outside the run.
Halloween closes the house at 3 p.m. on the friendly clock, and Friday 30 October carries the season's last evening session.
Parking at the museum is free, and the garage at 3000 North Illinois Street links to the museum by skywalk. Museum admission carries a group discount of 20 percent from 20 people, and the museum asks for two weeks' notice on group bookings.