Burst pipe prompts Indianapolis museum to close for cleanup

A popular Indianapolis museum was closed for a second straight day Tuesday after recent frigid temperatures caused a pipe to burst, flooding part of the museum, officials said.

Staff with the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis said a frozen sprinkler line had burst, flooding the Welcome Center in the museum that's located on Indianapolis' near north side.

“Had about a quarter to a half inch of standing water in it at its highest point, but then that started to drain out through various floor boxes and holes,” Audra Blasdel, the museum's vice president of operations, told WXIN-TV.

The museum was closed Monday as cleanup and restoration crews began tackling the mess and trying to dry out the flooded area. The closure continued Tuesday as crews resumed their work, but the museum said on its website that it is scheduled to reopen at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Blasdel said the flooding caused possible electrical damage to floor outlets. Power had not yet been restored Monday to the museum's basement area because workers still need to examine storage areas to assess any damage the water had caused, she said.