Conner Prairie Unveils Promised Land as Proving Ground

A Groundbreaking Permanent Exhibit Exploring the Black Experience in Indiana

FISHERS, Ind. (June 23, 2025) – Conner Prairie is proud to welcome guests to the fully realized Promised Land as Proving Ground, its newest permanent exhibit that takes visitors on a powerful journey through Black history from pre-colonial Africa to present-day America. The transformative exhibit examines the vital role of food, fellowship, family, and faith as cornerstones of strength throughout the Black experience.

As a free state, Indiana represented a Promised Land for African American families seeking independence, economic opportunity, and refuge from racial violence and oppression. At the same time, it was also a Proving Ground—a place where African Americans built communities, strengthened their faith, and navigated the complexities of American democracy.

Following a soft opening in 2024, Conner Prairie has refined and expanded the exhibit through extensive evaluation, ensuring that every element provides a meaningful, engaging, and historically rich experience. Now, in 2025, the museum is excited to invite the community and all visitors to explore this fully completed exhibit.

“This exhibit is an invitation to engage with history in a meaningful way,” said Norman Burns, President and CEO of Conner Prairie. “It brings to light the struggles, triumphs, and contributions of African Americans while encouraging important conversations about our collective past and future.”

The exhibit is interwoven throughout Prairietown est. 1836 and other areas of Conner Prairie.

Key components include:

• Origins Cabin – A short film exploring the journey from pre-colonial Africa to the arrival of Black people in the northwest territory. Guests can also explore the exhibit’s garden which showcases crops and herbs deeply rooted in African American culture that have shaped foodways for generations.
• Resistance Cabin – An in-depth look at African American history in Indiana during the 19th century.
• Reclamation Building – A modern building with a focus on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It includes a gallery space that features resident artists and rotating exhibits that delve deeper into the facets of the Promised Land as Proving Ground story.
• Reflections Cabin – A sanctuary space for contemplation, where visitors can leave messages and reflect on their experience.
• Augmented Reality Experiences – Interactive elements throughout Conner Prairie, including in the Conner House and various locations throughout the grounds, using the Timelooper app to bring historical figures and stories to life.

Through dynamic storytelling, multimedia installations, and hands-on activities, Promised Land as Proving Ground offers an engaging, educational experience that highlights the perseverance and contributions of African Americans throughout history. For more information, visit connerprairie.org.

This project was made possible through the generous contributions made by the donors of the Prairie Pathways Capital Campaign

About Conner Prairie 
Spanning more than 1,000 wooded acres in Central Indiana, Conner Prairie welcomes more than 400,000 visitors of all ages annually. As Indiana’s first Smithsonian affiliate, Conner Prairie offers various outdoor, historically themed encounters and indoor experiential learning spaces that combine history and art with science, technology, engineering, and math to offer an authentic look into history that shapes society today. Conner Prairie is a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization – accredited by the American Alliance of Museums – that relies on grants and philanthropic donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations for sustainability and growth. For more information visit ConnerPrairie.org. 

Media Contact:
Hyacinth Rucker
Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communications
rucker@connerprairie.org
(317) 214-4459 or (512) 826-3836