I N D I A N A S TAT E M U S E U M A N D H I S T O R I C S I T E S
CROSSROADS EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2021
EATING R C
By Marc Allan In planning the new Snowfall Express train ride, the staff of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites started with a specific goal: create a memorable experience that the entire family could share. “We asked ourselves how we can make an attraction that’s accessible for everyone and keeps families together,” said Brian Mancuso, chief officer of engagement. “Everything built up around that.” When visitors ride the Snowfall Express, the four-minute, 13,000-squarefoot ride that opened November 26 on the third floor of the museum, they’ll be taking a trip that took two years to develop, design and build. Here’s how it unfolded: The first question to tackle was what kind of attraction to create. Museum leadership looked at several options – including indoor and outdoor skating rinks – before deciding on a train. And since the museum had a history of running the historic L.S. Ayres train during the holidays, the idea of a new train experience that carried on the tradition seemed like a natural choice. Museum leadership brought together representatives from different
departments and hired a consultant to lead an intense period of designing and planning activity. Rather than a kiddie ride that goes round-and-round, they decided on what’s known as a “narrative dark ride,” where passengers are in a vehicle that travels through specially lit scenes containing animation, sound, music and special effects. Mancuso said they looked at different concepts before choosing “a magical realism journey” with animals, set in wintertime and featuring the first snowfall of the year. They drew some potential art and created a rough idea of what the train would look like and where it would travel in the museum. Initially, they thought about a train on a track that would travel between the two smaller galleries on the third floor. But tracks come with their own set of installation problems, and the smaller galleries were too small for what the team had in mind. “We decided we needed the whole third floor to have space for the train to turn and go places, slaloming through the scenery,” Mancuso said. “We have scenery on both sides. It feels active. The train is only going 2 mph, but you feel like you’re really moving. You’re constantly looking out both sides of the train, taking
in the scenery and animals. We feel like we’ve really created the experience we set out to create.” Once a decision was made on the concept, Vice President of Experience Adam DeKemper, Lead Interactive Fabricator John Segner and Lead Scenic Fabricator Brian Johnson laid out what the scenery would look like and how it would flow. Senior Exhibition Graphic Designer Leigh Anne Weddle put together what are known as “look boards” to create a visual story, and then the museum called on Indianapolis artist Candice Hartsough to design the animals and backgrounds that visitors see in the Snowfall Express. (Read more about Hartsough’s work here.)
The team decided they wanted some movement in the scenes – raccoons throwing clothes, leaves spinning, sloths buckling under the weight of sports equipment. He turned to Segner and Johnson for that, and they came up with mechanisms to have these twodimensional creatures carry out threedimensional actions. “It’s pretty amazing how we’ve used all of our talents – and pushed some of them – to create the Snowfall Express,” Mancuso said. The next big step was finding someone who could create music to continued on next page
enhance the ride. During the COVID-19 quarantine, Mancuso researched elements of what makes a ride good. He found people talking about ride history for Disney. He watched video of a Japanese Winnie-the-Pooh ride. “You may not understand it, but you get a sense of the story with the music and imagery,” Mancuso said. He knew that one of the keys to making the Snowfall Express experience complete was finding the right composer to add music and audio effects. “You can’t just turn on “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” he said. “The music needs to drive the story.”
He found Eric Van Cleave, a Fort Wayne-based composer/arranger. (Read more about Van Cleave’s work here.) Van Cleave captured “the excitement of the first snowfall in his arrangement,” Mancuso said. “The music is hopeful and buoyant, the animals are excited and when the first snowfall hits, it’s sweeping
and tinkling and crystalline. It feels like the movement of a waltz that’s always propelling you forward.” With all the pieces in place, the last step was to install the ride. A team of 11 people have been working since September to make sure visitors have the ultimate experience. “I think we’re set for success,” Mancuso said. “I’ve seen piece after piece click into place. We picked the right materials, we picked the right look and we picked the right techniques. At the core of it, we’ve got a great train, the story is fun and there are things in there for a whole family.”
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: ERIC TODD Eric Todd is the vice president of operations for the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. He began working for the museum system in May 2009 as an intern before joining the system as a part-time employee in September 2009. He became a full-time employee in April 2012. As vice president of operations, Eric’s duties include working with the visitor services, membership and volunteer teams in Indianapolis, as well as the state historic sites staff on the daily visitor experience. Originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, Eric lives in Carmel with his two sons, Jacob (age 5) and Julian (age 3). WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RANDOM FACT? I don’t know about favorite, but I recently heard that long before becoming a popular condiment, ketchup enjoyed a successful run in the first half of the 19th century in popular medicine as a treatment for indigestion. I have no idea if this is true. Someone also once told me that barbecue sauce was just ketchup and pepper mixed together, and I don’t think I believe that. With ketchup facts, you just never know. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? “It’s better to be kind than right.” About 10 years ago, this was left for me as advice by someone I used to argue with a lot. I still have that note in my office as a reminder. I think it is a good way to approach relationships and interactions, and I actively try to live it. So I guess she was right with that advice, and I’m comfortable admitting that.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ITEM YOU'VE BOUGHT THIS YEAR? A subscription to one of those music services. Apparently, you can listen to every song of all time from anywhere you go on most mobile devices without lugging around a bulky Case Logic CD wallet. I’ve used it a lot. After years of hearing about them and nodding politely, I can finally listen to podcasts too. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITION? I love decorating the house for Christmas. With Christmas music on for one of the first times that year, it feels like starting the season, and it always makes me happy. Every year, my mom took my brother and me to Christmas open houses where they had cookies and punch, and we could pick one decoration to buy. Decorating every year with the things you chose is a trip down memory lane. I loved doing this with my family growing up, and I love doing it with my kids now.
WHAT'S ONE THING NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU? I buy bulk ranch dressing from a pizza place near my house. It is a good deal because the staff is always surprised when one person comes in and just orders a catering-sized ranch, so they are never sure what to charge you. Sometimes it is $5, but sometimes it is $3. So it is a great deal, and it lasts way past the expiration date. And the taste is superior to bottled from the store. I used to make my own, but that’s too much work. One time I went to the counter and said, “Just an ordering of the catering-size ranch dressing” and they asked if it was for here or to go. I thought that was funny.
SECURITY UPDATE KEY CORE REPLACEMENT PROJECT
The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites began a key core replacement project on Nov. 11 with T.C. Steele and Lanier Mansion State Historic Sites being the first locations selected to have old hardware removed and replaced. ISMHS security will visit one to two sites per week until the project is complete, ending with the Indiana State Museum. Why is this project important? It’s a good idea for any business to rekey or replace locks with some degree of consistency. Caution is always strongly recommended, as it is possible for simple mistakes to become serious security threats. Daily wear and tear, lost keys and former employees who may not have returned keys are some of the reasons to be proactive in keeping sites secure. ISMHS Security Manager Dustin Chavez will be contacting site managers or a site representative for scheduling. Any questions or concerns regarding the key core project can be sent to Dustin via email at dchavez@indianamuseum.org or at (317) 525-8431.
DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES INTEGRATED SURVEILLANCE PROJECT
It’s time for a celebration, because the Indiana Department of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA) approved the resumption of the ISMHS Integrated Surveillance Project for Lanier Mansion State Historic Site. This project originally started in 2019 and has progressed steadily with the goal of having all state historic sites equipped with surveillance. This increases safety and security while giving ISMHS security the ability to view live surveillance feeds at any time. Currently, ISMHS security has live connections to three historic sites (Culbertson Mansion, T.C. Steele and Levi and Catharine Coffin) and soon Lanier Mansion. Vincennes, Limberlost and Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Sites are scheduled next, upon approval from DHPA. We’re confident that within the upcoming year those sites will be approved, and we will be more than halfway complete.
KATIE BARBOUR Collections
17 years
CARLA ALLANSON Visitor Services
10 years
BETHANY THOMAS Education 4 years STEPHANIE VOWELS Development 4 years CHANYA SPURLOCK
Visitor Services 2 years
WINTER DRIVING SAFETY
DRIVING IN WINTER WEATHER CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED DRIVER. After enjoying summer and fall weather, some can forget that snow and ice requires careful driving and special preparation for your vehicle. With 17 percent of vehicle accidents occurring during winter conditions, it’s a good idea to take time to remind yourself of some safety tips when it comes to winter driving: •
Prepare your vehicle – get regular tune-ups, plus check and monitor your battery, wipers/fluid, coolant and tires.
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Prepare yourself for traveling – increase following distance, know weather and traffic conditions and plan your route accordingly.
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Prepare for an emergency – keep blankets, flashlights, jumper cables, nonperishable food and emergency flares or lights in your vehicle.
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Eliminate distractions – don’t text, make phone calls, use electronic devices or eat while driving in inclement weather.
It was great to see so many staff and volunteers at the annual Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites holiday luncheon! The leadership team was glad to recognize all your hard work and accomplishments of the past year. In addition to the special holiday lunch buffet provided by our partners at Kahn’s Catering, staff won door prizes and played a game of "White Mastodon."
SHARE YOUR STORY IDEAS! Renee Bruck, manager of communication | 317.260.3506 | rbruck@indianamuseum.org