Glorious Fourth at Conner Prairie

Glorious Forth at Conner Prairie is a fantastic avenue to share with young Hoosier children the importance and significance of our American independence. The information, while patriotic, is excellently tailored to the Indiana landscape.

Upon entering Conner Prairie the gentlemen are provided with enlistment papers for the 103rd Indiana Regiment. These papers are the starting point to a seamless Indiana civil war experience. The Civil War encampment utilizes actors, technology, and special effects to bring each visitor into the events and experiences. The overall experience very much focuses on Morgan’s Raid into Indiana during the middle of July 1863. The area begins by walking through an old covered bridge where you hear history and information of the time. The journey takes you back to when Indiana found herself in the middle of the Civil war and the South marching to her door. This was by far our favorite part of our day.  

The civil war encampment is not the only experience to be had. In the visitor’s center there are a number of exhibits and a hands-on room for children; key locations open during our visit included: 1863 Civil War Journey:  Raid on Indiana, 1836 Prairietown, Conner Homestead, and the Lenape Indian Camp. There is also the 1859 Balloon Voyage, which was an event we choose to forgo but was very prominently featured just outside the visitor center inside the park. We suspect that this adventure would be fantastic with children.

The Conner Prairie Welcome Center has a generous hand full of exhibits dedicated to the founders of the local area and the land on which Conner Prairie is located. We recommend taking a few minutes to learn about the local area.

Conner Homestead was a busy place throughout the day. As one of the earliest visitors of the day we were amongst the first to see six newborn piglets born just hours before we arrived to the farm.  The “Conner Prairie inhabitants” were busy enlisting children to play period games including a Scavenger Hunt, which was going on all day, and even a historic baseball game.  

Prairietown contains many period buildings which create a sense of community at the time of 1836.  You will be able to find a blacksmith hard at work in his shop, a schoolhouse, a doctor’s office and home, a carpenter’s shop and a local inn where travels passing through town can find a night’s rest.  

Cost to enter the park is $14 for adults, $9 for youth ages 2-12, and members and children under the age of 2 will receive free admission.  If you are able to make it to the park near it’s opening time, you will certainly miss the initial crowds involved with such a production, which we really quite enjoyed having the park virtually to ourselves for awhile.  

Overall it was a great experience, but we feel it is prudent to say, that children will enhance this experience. Not to say that they are required, but we think the park is seen to it’s full potential through a child’s eye most clearly.