Classic cars, antique tractors, steam engines, heavy-duty machinery, fire trucks, military vehicles, vintage aircraft and more will fill Conner Prairie during the fourth annual Festival of Machines.
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Nearly 6,200 people attended last year’s festival.
This year’s weekend-long event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17 and is free for those who pay general admission to the museum. Admission is $17 for adults, $16 for seniors ages 65 and older, $12 for youth ages 2 to 12 and free for members and children under age 2.
The year’s cornerstone exhibit will be 26 rare cars from the 1950s and 1960s. Returning this year are go-kart rides by New Castle Motorsports. Festivalgoers are invited to come dressed in their favorite ’50s and ’60s attire.
The event’s Big Machines Petting Zoo allows guests to get up close to machines that help with big jobs, including farm machinery, earth-moving equipment and more. The history and future of transportation will be shared by organizations including Cummins, Blue Indy, Greenfield Central High School Rover Team, Hoverstream and IndianaFirst Robotics.
Younger children can test drive soapbox derby cars, build fizzy rocket dragsters and drive pedal cars through a creative track.
Spanning more than 1,000 wooded acres in central Indiana, Conner Prairie welcomes nearly 400,000 visitors of all ages annually. As Indiana’s first Smithsonian Institute affiliate, Conner Prairie offers various outdoor, historically themed destinations 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.