Our Museum

The Museum of Miniature Houses has hosted more than 110,000 visitors from all over the United States and an average of a dozen foreign countries each year since its opening in 1993. We are a museum of fine art in miniature and it’s only one of a few museums in the country that is devoted to the art of fine scale miniature.

The museum’s collection contains thousands of miniatures including room boxes, miniature houses, and exquisite individual items displayed in seven exhibit rooms. We also have collections of full-sized items that rotate throughout the year.

What We Offer

Visitor amenities include chairs in every room for resting, stepping stools in every room for seeing high-placed items, a magnifying glass for a closer look, free audio tours for more information on selected displays, three levels of treasure hunts for children, a fairy door for making wishes, and a dollhouse on the floor for play. Guided tours are available upon request and in advance.

What are Miniatures?

Miniature houses are exact replicas of the real thing, unlike a dollhouse that is designed for play. A miniature chair will look exactly like a life-sized chair, only much smaller.

Miniatures are reality reduced to scale, usually 1″ scale (or 1′ to 1″) but also commonly 1/2” (1′ to 1/2″) and 1/4″ (1′ to 1/4″) scales.  In addition, a miniature is usually historically correct and accurately reproduced in detail the era it depicts.  The precise scale, historical accuracy, and fine craftsmanship of most miniature houses make them magical tiny renditions of the real world.

Our Story

Three Indiana artisans created the museum in order to preserve and display scale miniatures and antique dollhouses, and to introduce this art form to others. The vision of these three women was to ensure that collections of quality miniature room settings, houses, and individual pieces would not be lost to future generations.

Children comprise one-quarter of the Museum’s visitors. Through miniatures, children learn the concept of architectural scale, the decorative arts, and the importance of detail.

Whether it’s the miniature reproduction of Hoosier athlete Major Taylor’s bicycle, an example of the beauty of the exterior architecture of a Victorian home or the clean, linear lines of a Mid-Century Modern home, the Museum of Miniature Houses is a fantastic place for adults and children to enjoy the arts, history, and crafts. Museum exhibits change often.