Conner Prairie Blog

Top 5: Strange Brews

May 20, 2022

Americans annually drink, on average, around 30 gallons of beer. That average isn’t much different from 19th century consumption, but the beer being drunk is definitely in a different class.…

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Why Livestock Conservancy is an important leader for heritage breeds

May 17, 2022
kids with sheep

Have you ever wondered why Conner Prairie has heritage breeds? Rare breeds of livestock and poultry are part of our national and cultural heritage. Sure, we want to exhibit animals that…

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Heritage Breeds: Why Should We Care?

May 3, 2022
Tunis Sheep

Conner Prairie’s Heritage Breeds program is an essential part of the work that we do with preservation and education within our Agriculture department. We not only serve and protect these…

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Memory Cafés: A Place of Belonging 

April 22, 2022
Memory cafe members

When you think of the word “dementia,” what comes to mind? Most likely, you didn’t think of many positive words associated with the condition. There is a stigma attached to…

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More Than Just a Cute Face: The Impact of Arapawa Goats

April 15, 2022
goats

Conner Prairie has a long history with agriculture and caring for heritage breed livestock. Currently we are the home of 5 heritage breed breeding herds: American rabbits, Arapawa Island Goats,…

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Autism Acceptance: Where We Have Been To Where We Are Now

April 4, 2022

History, as a whole, is simply a series of relationships. These range from the personal, to the local, to the national, and span from friendships to economic relationships to political…

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Philanthropy is Personal

March 21, 2022

But humility can hold us back, it can keep us from making human connections and telling the stories others need to hear to be inspired by the mission of our community agencies. Now is the time to reshape our humility and to talk about our passions.

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Exciting look at ticket improvements

February 22, 2022

From an upcoming streamlined ticket purchase experience to our digital membership cards, we are upgrading our technology to give you a better way to step into the story.

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How a birthday party became a national holiday

February 18, 2022

The day we celebrate as Presidents’ Day is legally known as “George Washington’s Birthday,” and that is how the holiday originated.

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Black History 365: Understanding the Past in Order to Move Forward

February 17, 2022

Each February the accomplishments and history of African Americans are celebrated in Black History Month. What does that mean? When was Black History Month first recognized? Why was February selected?…

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No Off Season

February 4, 2022

As I take my lunchtime walks across the grounds here at Conner Prairie, I am reminded that there is no “off season.” While guests have limited access to our grounds…

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Family Staff Connections Important to Conner Prairie

December 31, 2021
Conner Praire Staff

Scientists have debated for years whether we each have seven doppelgangers in the world, or only one. If you visited Conner Prairie any time in 2021, the idea of look-alikes…

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Building Community Connections through American Sign Language Programs

November 29, 2021

Conner Prairie is a special place — a portal to a time very different to our own. When a visitor arrives, they are confronted with the physical reality of another…

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The Will To Plan

October 15, 2021
Father and daughter enjoying a hay ride

The term “family” means different things to different people, and I fully understand and appreciate that.  Regardless of your definition, I imagine your family is the most important thing to…

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The Journey of Belonging

October 8, 2021
Preschool Students Playing In Sandbox

“In its silent way, belonging is the central conversation of our times.” – Toko-pa Turner The Process of Unlearning The Student Experience Research Network defines belonging as “the sense that…

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New Adult Volunteers Encouraged to Join the Conner Prairie Alliance!

September 23, 2021
Conner Prairie Alliance members dipping caramel apples in the Conner Prairie Apple Store

The Conner Prairie Alliance is excited to re-open its annual Apple Store at Conner Prairie on September 15th and is accepting new adult members into the Conner Prairie Alliance!   As…

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Endless Exploration: Your Conner Prairie Membership

September 10, 2021
Guests Playing A Game With Prairietown Interpreter

“Hey, Conner Prairie, when can we come back?” This is a question asked by many intrepid explorers at the end of busy days spent at Conner Prairie. Frankly, they make…

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Spending the Day at Conner Prairie (An Itinerary for Adults)

September 1, 2021
Balloon Over William Conner House

As a 20-year-old, working at Conner Prairie this summer as an intern has truly been a blast. I ventured to the museum  often as a child for school field trips,…

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WE ARE storytellers: A look at Planting and Growing and Fonseca’s Role in Amplifying Voices

August 24, 2021
Fonseca Theatre Company actors rehearsing a play

Understanding the Importance of History Martin Luther King Jr. once said that, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” Not all History is told accurately or…

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What Food Reveals About Ourselves

August 17, 2021
Veggies and eggs in baskets on table

Whether you are indoors or outdoors, resting on cushions on the floor or sitting in front of TV trays on living room couches; every day, in every home, a table…

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The Third Teacher

August 11, 2021
Preschool Students Exploring Conner Prairie Grounds

Wherever you are right now, stop, look up, and then scan the space you are in. How would you describe it? Use your senses to notice what your space looks…

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Wedding Traditions Throughout History

August 9, 2021
1820 Country Wedding by John Lewis Krimmel painting

When we think of weddings, we first think of three words: money, money, and money. An elaborate white dress, DJ’s lighting up the dance floor, and a feast fit for…

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Learning History, Culture, and Inclusivity Through Youth Theatre

August 3, 2021
Asante Children’s Theatre actors

Through the Academy Summer Intensive produced in partnership with Asante Children’s Theatre and Conner Prairie, Indianapolis children are able to learn both the art of theatre and American history along…

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How Do You Play?

July 14, 2021
Clown and audience member interacting

In 1994, at 25 years of age, I penned, produced, and performed my first one-man show, He Can Amuse Himself for Hours. Chicago Reader critic, Justin Hayford, viewed the work…

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Historic Baseball in Indiana

July 8, 2021
Historic Baseball teams pose for a team picture

Baseball is a sport rooted within American culture. While the sport was born in America, today it is played in over 100 countries. Growing up, I have fond memories of…

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What July Fourth Means to History

June 30, 2021
Celebrating Glorious 4th at Prairietown

Every July Fourth holiday I have experienced has been different from the year before. Some years I celebrate with my family in our backyard with delicious hot dogs and bright…

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Ignite Your Curiosity as a Youth Volunteer

June 9, 2021
Youth Ag Volunteer

Becoming a Youth Volunteer at Conner Prairie When I was 9 years old, my mother called me over to her computer one day to show me some information she’d found…

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The Art of Unlearning: Where Children Become their Own Teachers

June 8, 2021
Student Using Colored Shapes on Projector

I want you to imagine what early learning looks like. Do you imagine tiny, child-sized desks, the alphabet on the wall, and an explosion of primary colors? Do you think…

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Life at 377 Feet: The History of Conner Prairie’s Balloons

June 4, 2021
Silhouette of 1859 Balloon Voyage at Sunset

While traveling and camping west of the Grand Canyon National Park years ago, my spouse and I took in a 30-minute ranger talk one evening entitled, ‘What it feels like…

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Summer Celebrations: Freedom for All?

June 1, 2021
Emancipation Day Celebration in 1900

Stephenson, Mrs. Charles (Grace Murray). [Emancipation Day Celebration, June 19, 1900], photograph, June 19, 1900; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth124053/: accessed May 26, 2021), Austin History Center, Austin Public Library. Fireworks, cookouts, family reunions,…

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