A treasure you may not have seen (12/13/2008)

Chances are pretty good that you've never been through the door.

Though Minnetrista has been around for 20 years now, it remains a mystery for far too many residents of east central Indiana.

Established through the generosity of the Ball family in Muncie, Minnetrista stands on the site of one of the family's homes on a boulevard along the White River.

Its facilities - the cultural center, Oakhurst gardens, and the surrounding grounds - are intended as a gathering place for the east central Indiana community, a spot to reflect on our shared culture and history and a place to appreciate the beauty of nature.

(Full disclosure: This writer has served on the board of Minnetrista for a number of years.)

Partly because it doesn't fit neatly into any pigeonhole, Minnetrista has sometimes had a tough time getting its message across.

It's a venue for exhibits on science, art, and history, but it's not a museum in terms of the stuffy image often associated with that word.

It's an educational institution, but not in the structured way of a school or university.

It's also an amazing archive of the history of our region and works cooperatively with organizations like the Jay County Historical Society to help preserve artifacts and records that could easily be lost.

For some, the impediment may have been the cost of admission to check out Minnetrista's offerings.

But with this week's 20th anniversary celebration, that hurdle has been removed, at least temporarily.

This week, Minnetrista declared that admission would be free for 20 days, a period that spans the holiday season.

If you've never taken advantage of the opportunity, here's a painless way to do so.

For more information, including times, exhibits and price of admission, go to www.minnetrista.net.

Check it out. We think you'll be glad you did. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]