Visiting the JMM
A visit to the JMM is a chance to explore the natural world around you; to explore the lives of indigenous people; and to explore the skies. Enjoy a free planetarium show, visit with live reptiles, take a custom guided tour, or explore on your own.
Regular museum hours are free of charge.
The Joseph Moore Museum is adjacent to Dennis Hall on the Earlham College Campus. Parking is available behind Dennis Hall (Lot G on the east side of the building) or in front of the Admissions Building on the main drive to campus. For more information, view our campus map. You can also use our GPS coordinates: N 39° 49′ 26.46”, W84° 54′ 42.53”.
Accessibility at the JMM
The Joseph Moore Museum welcomes all visitors and is committed to creating accessible, safe experiences for all guests, including those from groups who have historically been oppressed and excluded from museums and science spaces because of such factors as race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, physical ability or neurological divergence. We hope that this accessibility statement can help visitors feel more confident in visiting the museum.
Note: We are a free museum in an older building that structurally limits some accessibility. Guests may use the elevator and accessible bathrooms in Dennis Hall, which is immediately adjacent to the museum, but does require you to step outside. Our hosts will be happy to guide you.
Earlham College is committed to providing equal access to its programs, activities, residences, and services following the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the Fair Housing Act (FHA).
We welcome your feedback on accessibility at the Joseph Moore Museum, indeed, our practices are revised based on current standards in museums as well as visitor advocacy. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers and if you find our museum hosts supportive of your visit.
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- The nearest parking lot is Lot G. There are 4 handicapped parking spots in this lot. The southeast spot is closest to the museum.
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- There is an accessible ramp to the side walk at the south end of the lot. There is another accessible ramp on the north end of the lot.
It is a short walk from the parking lot to the museum front entrance (approximately 400 feet). There is a slight uphill grade.
We can sometimes provide a golf cart from the parking lot, please call ahead to make arrangements (765-983-1303).
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- Main level exhibits include Indiana Raptors, Insects, Indiana Wetlands and the Planetarium. The museum’s gift shop and lobby is on this level.
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- There are three steps down to the Pleistocene Giants exhibit. No ramp is available, although the exhibit can be viewed from a distance.
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- The lower level houses Ta’an, the museum’s Egyptian mummified person and our live animals.
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- There is elevator access to the lower level available in Dennis Hall. Reaching the elevator will require you to exit the museum briefly, where there is a ramp ito Dennis Hall. Our museum hosts can escort you to the Dennis Hall elevator and to the lower level of the museum.
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- An all gender restroom is available on the Lower Level.
- Accessible restrooms are available on the second floor of Dennis Hall.
- A changing table is not available.
Navigating the museum with mobility devices can be challenging, but our staff is available to help.
Your personal wheelchairs, walkers, etc. are welcome in the museum.
An elevator is available in the adjacent Dennis Hall to move between the main and lower levels. Accessing the elevator from the main level does require a brief trip outside.
A wheelchair is available if needed, please ask your host for assistance.
Chairs are available throughout the museum.
Our museum hosts can also provide a folding chair if needed in a specific exhibit.
The JMM welcomes service dogs.
- Service animals must be harnessed, leashed or tethered.
- The care and supervision of the service animal is the sole responsibility of the owner.
- Any service animal whose behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others can be asked to leave.
- The owner is responsible for the removal of any animal waste.
Food and drink is not allowed the in the museum.
While the JMM does not have a cafe, visitors are welcome to visit Cafe 1847 in Runyan Student Center.
Picnic tables are available in the Dennis Hall outdoor classroom near the museum entrance.
- The museum does not currently provide noise cancelling headphones or fidgets, please bring your own.
- We do not play music in the galleries but we do have some devices that play bird calls.
- To plan what you would like to see while here, please download our gallery guide (Available soon!).
- To learn more about your visit, read this social narrative (Coming soon!).
Supporting the JMM
Educational outreach is supported by the Stamm Koechlein Family Foundation and the Borman Family Foundation. If you would like to support our programs as well, please consider giving to the JMM or purchasing a membership