Michael Fee, Exhibit Specialist at the Indiana State Museum, hangs pictures for the Sympohny in Color, which runs at the museum through May 11.

Sesame Street Live "Elmo Makes Music" comes to the Murat Theatre March 27-30.

"Circus Day" takes place Saturday at the Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St.

Gas prices got you down? Here's some good news: You don't have to drive far to enjoy spring break this year. Indianapolis (and surrounding areas) offers lots of ways to find recreation without a vacation.

And the fun begins at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. For the first time ever, the museum is melting the ice on its holiday "Yule Slide" and converting it into a tropical, Hawaiian-style "Ohana Slide."

Today through April 13, the museum offers a taste of the tropics, making every day "play day" for the entire family through its Vacation Nation program.

Even when it's raining outside, children and adults can dig for dinosaur bones and fossils, go rock-climbing, and listen to sea stories by historical character Mary Anning, the first female paleontologist.

"Not everybody can take in the beach, so we wanted to offer a little of that beach atmosphere here in Indianapolis," said Jaclyn Falkenstein, spokeswoman for the museum.

Regular exhibits such as ScienceWorks, Playscape and Dinosphere will also be in full swing.

Vacation Nation special attractions include daily sunglasses giveaways to the first 500 visitors, face-painting and appearances by the monkey master of fun -- Curious George.

The Children's Museum, 3000 N. Meridian St., is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $13.50 for adults, $12.50 for seniors and $8.50 for ages 2-17.

For more information, call (317) 334-3322 or go to www.childrensmuseum.org.

Still not convinced Indianapolis has all you need for the perfect spring break? Check out a few additional ways to have fun without leaving town.

Take a hike

Eagle Creek Park, 7840 W. 56th St., and the Monon Center, 1235 Central Park Drive East, Carmel, offer miles of trails perfect for spotting warblers or other wildlife species. Bike trails add to the fun, too.

For something different, grab a fishing pole, head to the water at Eagle Creek and try to catch the big one. When the clouds roll in, move indoors and take a swim at the Monon Center's pool, or shoot hoops on the indoor court.

The Monon Center offers a day pass for $6. Admission to Eagle Creek Park is $5. For hours and more information, visit www.carmelclayparks.com; www.in.gov/dnr/parklake, www.indy!gov.org/egov/city/DPR/parks.

Giddyup!

If horseback riding is more your style, saddle up and head over to Fort Harrison State Park, 5753 Glenn Road, for guided trail rides from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, beginning Saturday. But you've got to be at least 6 years old to take a ride on the big guys.

Cost is $15 for a 35-minute ride, $20 for one hour.

Pony rides ($3) are available for children 5 and younger. Helmets and other equipment are provided. For more information, call (317) 541-1866 or visit www.hoosiertrailrides.com.

Be creative

Looking for an outlet for your budding Picasso or Monet? Painting, drawing, sculpting and other art classes are offered at the Indianapolis Art Center's Spring Break art camps.

Registration is open to children ages 8-12 until Monday (as long as space is available). Cost is $265 for full-day, $132 for art center members. To register or for more information, call (317) 255-2464 or visit www.indplsartcenter.org. The art center is at 820 E. 67th St.

If you want to inspire your little artist, check out the creations at "Symphony in Color." The exhibit at the Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St., showcases the works of art -- created while listening to classical music -- by students from across Indiana.

The exhibit, which runs Monday through May 11, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 adults, $6.50 seniors, $4 children ages 3-12. For more information, call (317) 232-1637 or visit www.indianamuseum.org.

Go for a stroll

Spring cleaning is complete along the Downtown Canal, just in time for you to take in all the attractions at White River State Park.

Stop at the Indianapolis Zoo for animal antics, including the popular "Oceans" exhibit; head over to White River Gardens to watch hundreds of free-flying exotic and native butterflies flit through the air; swing by the Eiteljorg Museum for the yo-yo contest with Takeshi Kamisato on Saturday; or take in the sights and sounds in the Indiana State Museum's Legacy Theatre to learn about Hoosier history-makers James Whitcomb Riley and Madam C.J. Walker.

For more information, visit www.discovercanal.com.

Take in something live

Theatre, that is.

For eight shows (today through Sunday), youngsters will go wild for "Elmo Makes Music" at the Murat Theatre, 502 N. New Jersey St. Elmo, Big Bird, Zoe and the rest of the "Sesame Street" friends, will join in the fun of this Broadway-style production. This is the story of Jenny, a music teacher who arrives at Sesame Street and discovers her instruments are missing. Her new Muppet friends create new instruments from cookie jars, trash-can lids and even rubber duckies.

Tickets start at $13 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (317) 239-5151. For more information, visit www.seasamestreetlive.com.

Other options for live performances include: "Circus Day" on Saturday at the Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St. Live animal shows, clowns, magicians, stilt-walkers and unicyclists are all part of the offering, along with jugglers, acrobats and trick dogs. Face-painting, crafts and carnival games will be part of the fun, too.

"Circus Day" is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.indianahistory.org.

"The Ant and the Grasshopper," through April 4 at the Children's Theatre Institute, 7435 N. Keystone Ave. In this production, suitable for children ages 3-8, Ant teaches valuable lessons about time.

Tickets are $8 and $9. For more information, call (317) 252-5900 or visit www.childrenstheatreinstitute.org.

Explore the city

Indianapolis has a number of cultural districts with a variety of recreational options.

Broad Ripple Village boasts the popular Monon Trail and assorted ethnic restaurants; Indiana Avenue is steeped in African-American heritage anchored by the Madame Walker Theatre Centre; and the Mass Ave. district is a haven for cafes and eclectic shops. Looking for a more structured outing? Downtown offers walking tours of such historic landmarks as the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the Indiana State Capitol Building and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. For more information, go to www.discoverculturaldistricts.com.

Climb every mountain

Or at least reach new heights.

You can test your sense of adventure by scaling a 32-foot wall. Climb Time Towers, 9850 Mayflower Park Drive, Carmel, (www.climbtimetowers.com) is open seven days a week and offers a $9 kids' day pass. Climb Time Indy, 8750 Corporation Drive, (www.climbtimeindy.com), is also open seven days a week, and offers a $12 Kids Club pass from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

For an outdoor climbing option, try the playground at Holliday Park, 6363 Spring Mill Road, which is complete with a climbing rope. While you're there, check out the sunken gardens with unusual rock formations, fountains and early spring flowers.

Game time

Jillian's, 141 S. Meridian St., is the place to be for families before 9 p.m. on the weekends, when this Downtown restaurant/arcade turns into an adult haunt. Until that time, families can take in cosmic bowling, electronic arcade games, big-screen TVs and a menu that includes burgers, wings and salads. Or check out Block Party, 4102 Claire Drive, where more than 100 games and a full-service menu are at your disposal. For more information, call Jillian's at (317) 822-9300 or visit www.jillians.com and Block Party at (317) 578-7941.

T.J. Banes / Indianapolis Star