Though Conner Prairie is based on the historical experiences, that doesn’t mean there is nothing new to do when visiting the past. Even if you feel like you and your kids have seen everything Conner Prairie has to offer, there is always more to come. Just take a looks at these October activities . . .
TRY SOMETHING NEW
During your next visit, experience something new through these hands-on activities. ($5 per guest)
Make & Take a Basket
2 p.m. daily; ages 4 and older. Visit the Loom House and learn simple basket-making skills as you weave a small reed basket.
BANG! Fire a Rifle
2:30 p.m. weekends; ages 14 and older. Go to 1863 Civil War Journey to learn how a Civil War-era musket was loaded and fired, according to military protocol. Then fire either a Springfield or Enfield rifle yourself.
Dip a Candle
3 p.m. daily, ongoing weekends; ages 4 and older. Head out to Treetop Workshop and hand-dip a beeswax candle, the same type of candles once used to light homes in the 19th century.
Make a Bead Bracelet
3:30 p.m. daily; ages 4 and older. Visit Lenape Indian Camp and find out why beads were an important part of the fur trade. Choose from a variety of authentically styled beads as you piece together an attractive bracelet of your very own.
OCTOBER EVENTS
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday
Outdoor grounds close for the season Oct. 29
Admission prices:
- Adults: $17
- Seniors ages 65 and older: $16
- Youth ages 2-12: $12
- Members and youth under age 2: Free
Group tours: Groups of 15 people are more should call Guest Services at (317) 776-6000 to make reservations; adults $12, youth ages 2 to 12 $8
1859 Balloon Voyage tickets
Donor Club members: $8
Members: $12
Non-members: $15
Access Pass
Conner Prairie is proud to partner with other local museums to make family fun available to more Indiana families. Families that participate in any of the state assistance programs, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, food stamps or Hoosier Healthwise Insurance, can visit for just $2 per family member per visit. Aides enjoy complimentary admission with employee ID or proof of employment.
Military Admission Relief
Conner Prairie offers admission relief to the military by providing free daytime general admission to active-duty, retired and veteran military members and 50 percent off the general admission price for up to five immediate family members. Military ID is required. This discount is valid only for daytime general admission.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Apple Store at Conner Prairie
Open now through Oct. 31
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; open until 9 p.m. during October’s Headless Horseman festival.
From hand-dipped caramel apples to candy or cider, the Apple Store at Conner Prairie has all your favorite fall treats. Returning favorites include salted caramel apples and toffee apples, cider slushies, apple butter, pies, donuts and fresh-from-the-orchard apples. The store accepts special orders; orders for gift baskets, gourmet dipped apples and specialty items for weddings, birthdays and other celebrations can be placed by calling (317) 776-6000, Ext. 199. Funds raised by the store support a variety of programs and exhibits at Conner Prairie. Admission is not required to visit and shop at the Apple Store at Conner Prairie. http://bit.ly/2uzBgWE
New! Corn Maze at Conner Prairie
Open Sept. 23 to Oct. 29
A new corn maze that’s sure to be a hit this fall and beyond at Conner Prairie was designed and cut at outdoor history museum Conner Prairie this week. The 7-acre maze opens Sept. 23 and will remain open during regular operating hours through the end of the museum’s outdoor season, which ends Oct 29. The overall design was created by Precision Mazes of Lee’s Summit, Mo. There are actually two mazes inside the overall design – a short maze designed to take on average 30 minutes to go through and a longer one that’ll take about an hour or more for go to get through. The short maze is recommended for younger children. It will cost $5 for everyone – members and non-members – during regular operating hours and $3 for students in school groups to go through. From Oct. 12 to Oct. 29 during the 34th annual Headless Horseman fall festival at Conner Prairie, there’ll be no charge for those attending the event.
Headless Horseman
Gates open each evening at 6 p.m. and close at 9 p.m.; activities and hayrides may run past 10 p.m.
Oct. 12 to 15, Oct. 19 to 22 and Oct. 26 to 29
Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers, Ind. 46038
Each year, Conner Prairie stages a fall family tradition that has spanned more than 30 decades. Headless Horseman is a Halloween celebration based on Washington Irving’s classic, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” There are numerous activities for children of all ages and their families. The spookiest event at the festival is the haunted hayride, a tractor-pulled hay wagon that winds through 1836 Prairietown and includes up-close experiences with the Headless Horseman himself. New this year, a 7-acre corn maze has been carved into the prairie fields. Free for festival attendees, there will be a short, 30-minute maze and a longer, hour-long one. Other activities during the event include a “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” puppet show, a spooky scarecrow trail, karaoke, storytelling, magic shows, face painting, fortune telling and more. Presale tickets are available Sept. 1 to Oct. 11: $13 for Thursdays and Sundays, $17 for Fridays and Saturdays. General admission tickets go on sale Oct. 12 through Oct. 29: $17 for Thursdays and Sundays, $21 for Fridays and Saturdays.
More information: http://bit.ly/2uzLqGg
Curtis-Hawkins Wedding
2 p.m. Oct. 7 and Oct. 8
In this 19th-century style wedding, Ruth Curtis, the spinster sister of the village blacksmith, Ben Curtis, will wed widower Solomon Hawkins, a fellow member of the Methodist class. Solomon’s wife passed away in August following childbirth, leaving him to raise several children. Meet Ruth and Solomon as they walk through town inviting guests to their wedding performed by Brother Brownfield. Join the celebration with singing and word games along with refreshments and spice cake (while supplies last).
Spooky Stories
Oct. 28 and Oct. 29
Join storytellers at the Barker’s home in 1836 Prairietown for spine-tingling treat. Hear horrifying songs and stories told with traditional folk methods, including crankies, cantastorias and shadow puppets. Children age 5 and younger can attend sillier-than-scary sessions at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. Children 6 and older can test their courage at 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
CAMPS, PROGRAMS & CLASSES
Fall Break Camp
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 16 to Oct. 20
Ages 6 to 14
$50 per day/non-member, $44 per day/member
Enjoy the exciting activities of summer Adventure Camp this fall! Your children can experience some of the great fun from summer, along with fantastic fall fun. Camp attendees will go fishing, aim for the bulls eye in archery, cook over a fire, make some fun fall crafts, take a hike through our beautiful grounds, find their way through our new corn maze and more. Reservations are required. Register online at www.connerprairie.org or by calling (317) 776-6000. Call Guest Services at (317) 776-6000 for more details. Early arrival at 8:30 a.m. and late departure until 5 p.m. options are available.
Prairie Tykes
$12/child, $11/member
Connect one on one with your little ones ages 3 to 6 while you make crafts, dance, sing and take part in the special activity of the day. Younger siblings are welcome; ages 2 and older require a ticket. Children must be accompanied by an adult at no charge. Reservations are required. Register online at www.connerprairie.org or by calling (317) 776-6000.
>> Pumpkin Patch Parade
9:30 to 11 a.m. Oct. 12 to Oct. 13
Roam our gardens and find your favorite pumpkin to take home and complete a special pumpkin craft.
>> Halloween Party
9:30 to 11 a.m. Oct. 26
9:30 to 11 a.m., 12:30 to 2 p.m. Oct. 27
Dress in your favorite Halloween costume and have fun celebrating with Halloween stories, scary crafts, spooky games and dancing.
Prairie Tots
$6/youth, $5/member
A 45-minute program for 2-year-olds and their parents or grandparents filled with silly fun, including crafts, singing and activities perfect for toddlers. Children must be accompanied by an adult at no charge. Reservations are required. Register online at www.connerprairie.org or by calling (317) 776-6000.
>> Halloween Party
9:30 to 10:15 a.m. and 11 to 11:45 a.m. Oct. 20
Wear your favorite costume and show it off in our Halloween parade. Hear a spooky story and make a Halloween craft.
Prairie Plates
This unique foodie experience for adults celebrates the farm-to-table food and craft drink movement featuring the region’s top chefs and gourmet artisans with dining experiences throughout Conner Prairie’s grounds. Reservations are required. Register online at www.connerprairie.org or by calling (317) 776-6000.
>> Mazes and Maize with Delicia
6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 1
$95/non-member, $85/member
Ages 21 and older. Come celebrate mazes and maize at this unique Prairie Plates event with Chef Ricky Martinez and his team from Delicia. Enjoy New Latin cuisine themed around corn then take flight in our helium balloon to get a bird’s-eye view of our new corn maze, which opens on Sept. 23. Stroll through the Lenape Indian Camp and learn about the significance of corn in Lenape culture.
Prairie Pursuits
Prairie Pursuits offers how-to classes and workshops geared toward adults and teens on a variety of topics, and the classes are ideal for anyone wanting to discover new talents or perfect their current skill set. Reservations are required. Register online at www.connerprairie.org or by calling (317) 776-6000.
>> Traditional Arts and Arms Making Workshop
Oct. 6 to Oct. 13; class times and prices vary
Ages 16 and older. Small class sizes in well-equipped facilities allow you to develop skills from a basic level to more advanced as you learn alongside some of the nation’s best craftsmen. Choose from one, two and five-day classes including hearth cooking, boot bag making, basic blacksmithing, knife sheath making, advanced horn working, engraving, horn accouterments, silver wire inlay, leather working, forging Damascus steel, knife smithing, inkle weaving, axe forging, forged pipe tomahawk making and cord waining. Visit www.connerprairie.org/artsandarms for complete details.
>> Basic Pottery
6 to 7:30 p.m., six Mondays from Oct. 30 to Dec. 4
$165/non-member, $155/member
Ages 14 and older. Learn all aspects of making beautiful wheel thrown pottery, including glazing techniques. You’ll have access to your own wheel and equipment while receiving individual instruction from our master potters. It’s a perfect class for beginners and more advanced students. All clay and other materials are included in the class fee. You’ll want to bring an apron and towel for clean-up.
>> OktoberFeast
1 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14
$85/non-member, $80/member
Ages 16 and older. As the days grow shorter and the weather cooler, we look to the hearth for warmth. In this hands-on class, you will cook and enjoy a full meal on the hearth, including beer soup, delicious soft pretzels and scratch mustard, sautéed red cabbage, himmel und erde, and an herbed pork loin. You’ll leave with a full belly and recipes and skills to duplicate the meal for friends and family.
>> Dovetailing: Sliding Lid Box
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 21 to Oct. 22
$125/non-member, $115/member
Ages 14 and older. Hand dovetailing is a sign of true craftsmanship. Learn to lay-out, cut and finish dovetails in the construction of a simple candle box that is attractive and functional. Tools and materials provided.