When I started working at Conner Prairie almost a year ago, I was ready for sheep. Sheep and goats and the 1800s and Civil War Days and churning butter and all the things my Indiana friends told me about their fourth-grade field trips to Conner Prairie.

But a giant balloon? That I did not anticipate.

However, a few years ago, something magical started happening here—something that sparked imaginations and dreams and big ideas. Something that eventually brought us 1859 Balloon Voyage and opened a new door to the adventures that can—and do—happen at Conner Prairie.

This summer, in addition to feverishly tracking media coverage and tweeting endlessly about this new balloon, my marketing assistant responsibilities included accompanying the team from Good Vibes Media as they filmed the whirlwind of activity around 1859 Balloon Voyage. Balloon inflation day in May, intensive exhibit-building, opening day in June, behind-the-scenes interviews and countless flights to get the right shot—I just kept wondering how it would all come together.

“History Rising: Conner Prairie’s Balloon Adventure” aired last Thursday night on Indy’s WFYI and was the answer to my woes. The documentary, a behind-the-scenes look at the drama and development of 1859 Balloon Voyage, conjured up something peculiar in me. As I watched, I waited in anticipation to see what plot twist was next, what adventure was on the horizon…even though I’d been there. I moved sandbags for inflation day, played with the exhibit interactives and took my share of flights. But seeing the story told on screen made my experiences new again. I remembered the awe I felt looking out over the prairie on my first flight, the hope that this exhibit would bring new excitement to our guests’ experiences.

Maybe that’s the real magic of 1859 Balloon Voyage—not the fact that it’s completely one-of-a-kind or even that it’s a catalyst for endless innovation at Conner Prairie, but that it’s the kind of experience that resonates, that excites, that becomes part of each guest’s story.

If you missed it, check out “History Rising” on September 24 and October 1 at 8:30pm on WFYI 3 or September 28 at 12:30am and October 7 at 9:30pm on WFYI 1. Get a sneak peek of the film at connerprairie.org.