Kylie Whitcomb Walk into KidsCommons Children’s Museum in downtown Columbus, Indiana, and you’ll hear kids screaming with delight as they slide down a giant toilet. Yes, you read that right. The three-story ExploraHouse features a toilet slide that’s become one of the most photographed spots in the museum. Parents snap pictures while their kids line up for another turn disappearing down the oversized porcelain throne.
- The giant toilet sits inside ExploraHouse, a multi-level playhouse that shows kids how homes work from the inside out
- Kids climb three stories of ramps and stairs just to slide down through the bowl and pop out at the bottom
- The museum opened its permanent location in 2005 and recently celebrated 20 years of flushing kids down this bathroom fixture
How a Toilet Became the Star Attraction
KidsCommons started as a pilot museum in 1998 inside The Commons Centre. The response was so positive that it moved to a permanent three-story home at 309 Washington Street in 2005, giving them five times more space.
ExploraHouse became the thing everyone talks about. The exhibit looks like a house turned inside out, with walls that reveal plumbing, insulation, and all the stuff kids never see in their own homes. And then there’s the toilet. Scaled up to ridiculous proportions with a seat and bowl, this bathroom fixture doubles as a slide that sends kids twisting down through the “pipes” to the floor below.
Some websites claim it holds the record for the world’s largest toilet. Guinness hasn’t officially weighed in, but when you search for “world’s largest toilet” online, KidsCommons pops up first.
What Kids Actually Do Up There
ExploraHouse spans multiple levels connected by slides, tunnels, climbing structures, and a rope bridge near the attic. Each floor teaches something about how homes function. An infrared kitchen lets kids watch heat patterns escape from their bodies. But let’s be honest: nobody’s lingering in the kitchen when there’s a giant toilet waiting upstairs.
Kids climb three stories of ramps and stairs to reach the bathroom. Then they sit on the seat, scoot forward, and whoosh down through the pipes. Most hit the bottom and immediately start climbing back up for another round. Up in the attic, things get tight, so if crawling through confined spaces isn’t their thing, they can skip it and head straight for another flush.
Why Families Drive Here From All Over
Columbus sits about 45 minutes south of Indianapolis, right off Exit 68 on I-65. That makes KidsCommons an easy day trip for Indiana families looking to burn off some energy without committing to a full weekend getaway. At around $9 per person, it costs a fraction of what you’d pay at larger museums in Indy.
Families plan entire trips around this toilet. Seriously. Local parents know about it before they ever visit, and out-of-towners find it when searching for Columbus family activities. TripAdvisor reviews mention the toilet slide more than any other exhibit. One parent wrote that she had to drag her six-year-old out because he refused to look at anything else.
Staff members have watched generations of kids work through their initial hesitation. Some need convincing before taking the plunge. Others sprint straight for it the second they walk in. Either way, most end up going down multiple times before their parents can drag them to other exhibits.
The Rest of the Museum
KidsCommons has plenty going on beyond bathroom humor. Bubbleology lets kids stand inside giant bubbles and experiment with different-shaped wands. A 17-foot climbing wall replicates the front of the building. Kids-at-Art gives visitors recycled materials to make their own creations to take home.
Camp Kidscommons features a giant treehouse with underground tunnels and hammocks. Our House Japan gives kids a peek into another culture. City By Design plays off Columbus’s reputation for mid-century modern architecture by letting kids build their own cities using blocks and magnetic tiles. Toddlers get a forest play area on the ground floor, plus soft play for babies.
Making the Most of Your Visit
KidsCommons requires advance online tickets to control crowds. Walk-ins aren’t accepted, so book before you go. You’ll choose between morning and afternoon time slots.
Right next door sits Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum, serving customers since 1900. Across the street, The Commons offers a free outdoor playground where kids can keep playing without paying another admission fee.
Pack light and expect to take your shoes off. The toilet slide doesn’t require any special gear, just a willingness to get flushed down a three-story bathroom fixture. For kids who think potty humor is peak comedy, this might be the best museum they ever visit.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.
