Step into Indiana territory in our earliest historical area, 1816 Lenape Indian Camp. Here you will explore the life, culture and relationship between the Lenape Indians and American fur traders. On the cusp of statehood, life is changing for those who live here. The impact of Indiana's transition from territory to statehood is felt in the economy, the environment, and the people posing the question, "Would you be willing to adapt in order to survive?"
Activities
Learn a Frontier Skill
Put your hands to the test as you learn to throw a tomahawk, make baskets and pottery, tan hides or fire a flintlock rifle.
Wilderness Travels
Climb into an authentic dugout canoe and get a sense of what it was like for the Lenape and fur traders to transport goods.
Make a Trade
Stop by the Trading Post and see what supplies you need or fancy goods you may want. How well can you negotiate a deal with the Trader?
Meet the Locals
Learn about Lenape life firsthand from one of our interpreters.
It's Game Time
No electronics or internet here; play games that require only your hands and your brain.
Here, Your Generosity Can Help Keep History Alive
There’s no other place quite like Lenape Indian Camp, where visitors can explore and experience Lenape culture. Here, your generous donations help provide interactive games and make-and-take crafts.
Learn More About Lenape Indian Camp
Captain John Conner and the Lenape
Sometimes in the life of the individual can be seen the lives of the family or the nation; echoes of the whole may reverberate through the one. Such was the case, in many ways, of the life of Captain John Conner.
Treaties Signed by the Conners
For over half a century the Conner family played an important role in treaty making and the removal of Native Americans.
The Children of William and Mekinges Conner
The life of Mekinges, like that of most Native American women, is lost in the shrouding mists of a disinterested history.
