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Conner Prairie

1886 baseball demonstration at Liberty Corner

Conner Prairie is a living history museum in Fishers, Indiana, USA, that preserves the historic William Conner home and recreates part of life in Indiana in the 19th century on the White River.

History and Development
Layout and concept
Attractions

Conner house
1886 Liberty Corner
1836 Prairietown
Lenape Camp

Spirit of the Prairie Awards
External links

History and Development

Museum Center exterior

Conner Prairie was founded by pharmaceutical executive Eli Lilly in the 1930's. In 1964, Lilly transferred the William Conner house, which he had restored, and related outbuildings to a public charitable trust of which Earlham College, a Quaker liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana, was named as trustee. Lilly also transferred about 1,400 acres of surrounding farmland to the college with the expectation that Earlham would sell that land and use the proceeds to provide an endowment for the museum. Instead, Earlham elected to retain the farmland and expand the museum, constructing an 1836 village, Prairietown, using funds that Lilly provided for this purpose. The museum grew in scope and popularity. In 1992 Earlham created a wholly-owned subsidiary to run the museum and appointed a local volunteer board of directors, while retaining financial control over the museum's operations. Beginning in 1999, tension began to develop between the board of directors and Earlham regarding the museum's governance and the college's financial policies. The dispute culminated in Earlham's dismissal of the board of directors and president of the museum in June 2003. The Indiana Attorney General intervened and, after a lengthy and contentious dispute, a settlement was reached under which Earlham resigned as trustee of the public charitable trust, the Lilly endowment was allocated between Conner Prairie and the college and the museum became completely independent. Conner Prairie now has its own board of directors and maintains its own finances and endowment fund.

Layout and concept

The museum grounds are divided into several sections, where different eras in history are recreated to create a kind of living timeline. Staff in period costumes demonstrate the way early inhabitants in the area lived. They explain their lifestyles in character while performing chores such as cooking, chopping wood, making pottery, and tending to animals. Patrons are often invited to join in the activities.

The museum's main building, called the Museum Center, contains the entrance lobby, ticket sales counter, restaurant, banquet hall, and gift shop. The gift shop sells pottery made by the museum's costumed staff as well as more conventional souvenirs.

Conner Prairie serves as the summer home of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The Friday/Saturday Symphony on the Prairie concert series, sponsored by Marsh Supermarkets, attracts some 90,000+ concert goers each year, a substantial percentage of Conner Prairie's annual visitor count.

Attractions

Spinning wheel demonstration in the Conner loom house, producing yarn from wool

Conner Prairie features several permanent attractions and numerous semi-regular events, including "Mystery on the Prairie" murder mystery evenings, the Headless Horseman ride in the autumn, candlelight tours, and country fair. It also hosts American Civil War reenactments, the annual Spirit of the Prairie Awards, and Christmas holiday events and dinners.

Conner house

The genuine Conner brick house and barn are preserved as a museum. Visitors can hear about how early Hoosiers cooked, spun and dyed thread and yarn, and cared for their animals and crops. The house is believed to be one of the first brick buildings built in central Indiana.

1886 Liberty Corner

Liberty Corner recreates a rural community in 1886, with a schoolhouse, Quaker meeting house, authentic covered bridge, and farm (Victorian home and three-bay bank barn). Visitors might even catch a vintage base ball game.

1836 Prairietown

1836 Pottery wheel demonstration in Prairietown

Prairietown recreates a pioneer community in 1836, with a blacksmith shop, pottery shop, inn, doctor's office, schoolhouse, and several residences. Visitors arriving early in the day might help with morning chores.

Lenape Camp

Lenape Camp fur trader log cabin

Lenape Camp recreates bark and cattail mat wigwams and a fur trade camp with a log cabin. Visitors can learn how the Lenape (Delaware Indians) lived in Indiana and hunted and trapped animals to trade with white fur traders.

Spirit of the Prairie Awards

The Spirit of the Prairie Awards began in 1998. The event honors individuals who demonstrate "excellence in achievement, courage, innovation and vision," all of which are characteristics shown by those establishing the United States. The awards are Conner Prairie Museum's highest honors.