Conner Prairie

A great place to stop for a visit! We were on a mini vacation in Indianapolis and stopped here on our way home. The playground alone made it worth it for our daughter. We also enjoyed wandering the village and chatting with all of the villagers and workers. The treetop play area was also a lot of fun. Stopping by in the spring also ensures you will see tons of baby animals. We even got to pet a few of the larger ones.

Took my daughter there and it is a wonderful place for kids to learn. They had actors playing roles as people living in that time era. They have a whole community it is great. The balloon ride was amazing. They had a great looking corn maze. I would highly recommend taking your children. It’s a good learning experience for a person to see how it really was in the past. It’s a good place even for adult history buffs.

Pros: the costumed interpreters were for the most part really nice in the “townsite.” Especially the people at the Inn. Cons: as Canadians, we were gobsmacked that a museum staff working in the Conner House told us she would welcome us as the 51st state, and we should be so lucky to be part of America. It was so insulting, presumptuous, and condescending and she would not let up for the better part of 30 min while we kept trying to politely leave. The sorely misguided imperialistic attitude of “everyone wants to be part of America” is alive and well here. Expected better of staff that represents a museum. Worse still, was the “Lenape Indian Village” which is exactly one sign and a collage of an African-style mask and a fossil plus a fur trading post that posited the relationship between settlers and Indigenous as mostly a favour to Indigenous peoples. I’m Cree. I learned nothing about my Lenape relatives. Instead, I was offered by a white museum worker to “learn to throw a tomahawk”. There was very little (some allusions) to the forced removal of Indigenous peoples on the Trail of Tears and no mention of the mass murders that occurred during the “Indian Wars”. Nothing about the Indian Boarding School System in America. This place is literally playing cowboys and Indians in 2025. I’ve never been so insulted as an Indigenous person.

We went for VERY Merry Prairie. It was my cousin's first Merry Prairie. We had so much fun with friends. It was COOOLLLDDD! They do sell hot drinks, they are small. Only one size- coffee, cocoa, or cider. Also adult beverages! Sledding hill, so many lights, carousel, carolers, it's worth the cold and the hiking ☺️

Conner Prairie is an incredible place for history to come alive for kids as they learn through hands-on experiences. There’s so much to explore that every visit feels fresh and exciting! My kids love visiting the animals and always have a blast at the Treetop Outpost. They learn something new each time we go. The staff does an amazing job portraying historical figures, bringing the past to life in an engaging way. There’s also a convenient spot to grab lunch and drinks, making it easy to spend the whole day there. With plenty of learning opportunities and spaces for kids to just play and explore, it’s the perfect mix of education and fun. They also host special events throughout the year, which our kids absolutely love!