WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology is a hands-on science museum in Bloomington, Indiana, with more than 80 exhibits and live animals. From Terre Haute, you can follow IN-46 east to Bloomington for a day trip centered on the museum and its downtown location.
- Location: 308 W. 4th Street, on Bloomington’s B-Line Trail.
- Driving route: Take IN-46 east, then use College Avenue and Fourth Street to reach the museum.
- Regular hours: Tuesday through Saturday, with shorter Sunday hours; the museum is closed most Mondays.
- General admission: $14.50 for nonmembers age 1 and older; free for members and infants under age 1.
Why add WonderLab to a Terre Haute stay?
WonderLab gives a Bloomington day trip a clear focus: hands-on science, live animals and a downtown setting on the B-Line Trail. Its address is 308 W. 4th Street, in Bloomington’s Entertainment and Arts District.
Terre Haute's three-star Woodridge Motel offers rooms for guests planning a stay in the city.
At the museum, you can take in more than 80 hands-on science exhibits. For another family-focused stop closer to Terre Haute, the Terre Haute Children's Museum visit guide covers a local alternative.
How do you drive from Terre Haute to WonderLab?
From Terre Haute and points west, take IN-46 east into Bloomington, turn right onto College Avenue, then right onto Fourth Street and continue for two blocks. The museum is at 308 W. 4th Street.
There’s no drive time in these directions, so allow for your own route and traffic conditions when planning the day. Once in Bloomington, the museum is accessible on foot or by bicycle along the B-Line Trail, with a bike rack outside. A Bloomington Transit stop is directly in front; the main bus station is three blocks east.
If you’re driving, WonderLab has adjacent on-street parking and nearby public parking facilities. The 4th Street Garage is one block east, at 105 W. 4th Street; the Morton Street Garage is two blocks north, at 220 N. Morton Street.
Downtown meters are free on Sundays and City of Bloomington holidays. On other enforcement days, meters cost $0.25 per 15 minutes and are enforced Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. City garages and street parking are free on Sundays. Public garages are gated, pay-to-park and monitored 24/7.
Plan your WonderLab visit
WonderLab’s regular public hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:00–5:00 p.m. It is closed most Mondays.
General admission is $14.50 for nonmembers age 1 and older. Admission is free for members and infants under age 1, and $5 through the Access Pass program. You may buy tickets online or at the museum; advance reservations are not stated as required.
A second-floor quiet space is available for visitors who need a calmer setting. The building has an open floor plan, and all public areas and most exhibits are accessible.
An elevator is on the first floor, accessible restrooms are on both floors, and a family restroom is on the second floor near the cafe and vending area. One free accessible parking space is in front of the museum, with a four-hour limit.
There’s a snack area with seating, and you may bring food into the museum. It has vending machines, a kitchen sink, a drinking fountain with a bottle-filling feature and high chairs. Science Sprouts Place and Sprouts Lab close 15 minutes before the museum closes.
Hours, admission and exhibit access
WonderLab offers reduced $10 admission on the second Sunday of each month. The museum also opens early one Sunday a month, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., for a mask-required visit for immunocompromised visitors; masks are welcomed but not required at other times.
Special hours apply on Martin Luther King Day, July 4, Labor Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The museum closes on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day Monday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Hours, admission and access arrangements can change, so check the official site before you go.
Allow time for a Bloomington day trip
Plan the museum visit around its opening schedule, then leave time for the drive back to Terre Haute. WonderLab sits in Bloomington’s Entertainment and Arts District, with the B-Line Trail passing by and downtown parking options nearby. For ideas closer to your Terre Haute base, the Terre Haute one-day city center itinerary focuses on a day in the city.
Because the museum’s hours vary by day and some public facilities have their own parking rules, confirm the details before setting out. This keeps the day’s plan anchored to the museum’s current schedule rather than assuming every visit follows the regular pattern.
FAQs
Where is WonderLab Museum?
WonderLab is at 308 W. 4th Street in Bloomington, Indiana, in the city’s Entertainment and Arts District and on the B-Line Trail.
How much is admission to WonderLab?
General admission is $14.50 for nonmembers age 1 and older. Members and infants under age 1 enter free, and Access Pass admission is $5.
Can you bring food into WonderLab?
Yes. Visitors may bring their own food into the museum, which has a snack area with seating.
Is WonderLab accessible?
All public areas and most exhibits are accessible. The building has an elevator, accessible restrooms on both floors, a second-floor quiet space and one free accessible parking space in front, limited to four hours.