Mission at Work

Avis Foundation and Conner Prairie: Partners for Accessibility 

October 3, 2024

“I truly believe Conner Prairie desires to make its experiences available to all guests, and this new Museum Experience Center is just one of the many ways Conner Prairie is…

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Learn More about Nature and Sustainability at Conner Prairie 

May 13, 2024

Conner Prairie stewards 1,046 acres of natural habitat and green space, including more than 6 miles of shoreline along the White River.   Take a look at some of our education,…

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Invading Nature: Exploring the Impact of Invasive Species

April 16, 2024

The story of Lenape indigenous peoples in Hamilton County and their displacement from their land by white settlers is familiar to visitors of Conner Prairie. But did you know that…

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Collaborative Learning Empowers Kids to Find Meaningful Opportunities

November 17, 2023
Child interacting with Goat

It’s 8 a.m. on a day late in August, and my team is arriving at Conner Prairie. They are an eclectic group of volunteers: a graphic designer, a pastor, a…

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The Impact of the Youth Leadership program

November 17, 2023

“Our family has volunteered well over 10,000 hours at Conner Prairie. While that may seem like our gift to Conner Prairie, in reality, Conner Prairie has given our family invaluable…

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Why LGBTQ+ Pride Matters Every Month

June 1, 2023
Indy Pride rallying at the Statehouse for Transgender rights

I vividly remember the first time I stood up to a bully. I was in fifth grade and the bully just happened to be my teacher. She had taught at…

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Celebrating the life of Pat G. Rooney

May 25, 2023

“I have a long-standing appreciation and love of this place, its glorious landscape, the history which visitors of all ages experience, and the grateful realization that our ancestors survived so…

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Spending Time in Nature for Mental Health Awareness Month

May 9, 2023
Photo of flowers

Before I sat down to write today, I took a walk outdoors. I felt the sunshine on my face, heard and felt the whistle of the wind blowing through the…

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Happy National Volunteer Week!

April 19, 2023
Volunteer

I have the best career in the world. I get to oversee the Adult Volunteer Crew for Conner Prairie. Working with this amazing group of diverse individuals who freely give…

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Partnering to Support Quality Early Learning Experiences

March 9, 2023

Conner Prairie is a landmark in central Indiana. It is a beautiful example of quality play-based experiences and is a natural partner for Child Care Answers (CCA). Together, we saw…

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Staff Recommendations: Women Who Inspire

March 8, 2023

This year’s national Women’s History Month theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” Who inspires you to pursue truth and reflect on the human condition? Is it an inspirational…

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The Lingering Power of Love

January 12, 2023

What comes to mind when you think of Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Is it his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, his contributions to the civil rights movement, or…

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The Importance of Holiday Traditions

December 6, 2022

It’s the most wonderful time of the year as Conner Prairie has been transformed into a winter wonderland for A Merry Prairie Holiday. Our grounds are now full of thousands…

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The impact of Native American Heritage Month

November 1, 2022
Image of Lenape Indian camp

Native American Heritage Month became official in the United States in 1990 after Congress and President George H. Bush signed a resolution that designated November as the first National American…

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Who AREN’T We Serving?

October 25, 2022

While planning guest experiences at Conner Prairie, I think about the phrase: “Who aren’t we serving?” When we have a public program or create a new guest experience, I think…

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Habitat provides nature experience in a new way

August 24, 2022
People experiencing Habitat

One of the coolest things about working at Conner Prairie is being able to experience and enjoy nature daily. I love both stopping to look at the tiniest wildflowers and…

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New Smithsonian-Affiliated Exhibit Cultivates the Power of Ideas

August 8, 2022
Kids at spark!Lab

What if I told you that anyone could be an inventor? What would you say? Some might say, “Oh geez, aren’t inventors, like. . . really, really smart? Don’t they…

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The impact of our new Smithsonian-affiliated exhibits

July 25, 2022

A Q+A with Dr. Richard Kurin Dr. Richard Kurin, Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large, focuses on strategic direction, institutional partnerships, public representation, philanthropic support and special initiatives at the Smithsonian.…

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Investing in the next generation

July 5, 2022
Family playing with the wooden stilts

At Conner Prairie, we strive to inspire curiosity and foster learning for kids of all ages. We invest in the next generation. And we’re able to do that through high-quality,…

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In The Name Of Love, Conner Prairie At Indy Pride

June 17, 2022

Although Conner Prairie is a living history museum, that does not mean that we stay in the past. As a part of Conner Prairie’s mission values, we continually look for…

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The Impact of the Conner Prairie Alliance

June 1, 2022

I joined the Conner Prairie Alliance in 2009. At the time, my daughter Katy was a new youth interpreter, and I wanted to support the museum’s mission, particularly its outreach…

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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