Pam Jackson - Guest Services

This is turning out to be one of the hottest and driest summers Indiana has experienced in decades. Trees are drooping, grass is brown and crunchy, and our local farmers are doing their best to salvage their crops. I have lived in Indiana over twenty years and I’ve never been this hot, and considering I moved here from Texas, that’s saying a lot!

Guest Services is dedicated to ensuring the safety and comfort of Conner Prairie’s visitors. On days when the temperature nears or exceeds 100 degrees, we are offering complimentary bottles of water. We encourage our guests to take frequent breaks from the heat, not over-exert themselves, and to take advantage of opportunities on the historic grounds to cool off. Café on the Common offers shaded, covered seating and ceiling fans to move the air. 1863 Civil War Journey: Raid on Indiana has a few air-conditioned buildings, plus the water table and water cannons in River Crossing are also there to help cool you and your family. Recently 1836 Prairietown residents have sponsored water gun fights and encouraged guests to get wet when they assist with “chores.”

Here are some common-sense suggestions for visiting an outdoor museum on a disagreeably hot day:
•    Arrive early. The grounds open at 10 a.m., and it’s best to take advantage of what Conner Prairie has to offer before the excessive heat arrives in early afternoon.
•    Drink lots of water. We hope you will refill your complimentary water bottle frequently from the various locations and water fountains on the grounds.
•    Take frequent breaks. Get out of the direct sunlight and visit a cooler area while on the historic grounds. Some suggestions include the Conner Homestead; 1863 Civil War Journey’s Dry Goods Store, River Crossing, a children’s play area with water tables and water cannons and the historic covered bridge; Café On the Common; Animal Encounters Barn.

Of course, you can always bring the family back inside the air-conditioned comfort of the Welcome Center and enjoy Discovery Station, Craft Corner, Science Lab, and the Conner Prairie Store.

One more reminder about this scorching weather. We all know it becomes dangerously hot inside a closed vehicle, and unfortunately our parking lots affords little shade. Service animals are always welcome at Conner Prairie, but please think twice before leaving any animal companions in your vehicle while you visit us. These are the “dog days of summer,” and we want everyone to leave our grounds as happy and exhilarated as when they arrived.

Emma St. Dennis - Executive Assistant to the President & CEO

It's that time of the year - when we are all weary of being indoors during the winter months. Even though it has been a mild winter, the grandkids and I are anxious to get outside!

Though they thoroughly enjoy Discovery Station, the Science Lab and Craft Corner they are anxious to get outside. Beau has even joined in with a Prairie Tykes program over the last few months to get his fill of Conner Prairie.
Recently there has been a lot of talk among the grandkids about what we are looking forward to seeing this year. 
•    We wonder what new baby animals will be in the barn this year? 
•    Beau enjoys the goats.
•    Little Eliza loves to give the calves a good "hair" brushing. 
•    Logan can hardly wait to go up in "his" big balloon.
•    Ella wants to practice her stilt walking in Prairietown. 
•    Emma likes to identify the spring wildflowers with Mamaw (that’s me).

Summer Camp is right around the corner and the older girls are already deciding which (Adventure or Arts) and how many sessions to attend this summer. Now is the time to get signed up! Ella wants to see if the giant fish (did someone say Loch Ness Monster?) is in the pond again this summer so she can once again go fishin’. Emma wants to attend the leadership session that is offered.

I take this "job" of Mamaw very seriously. I love to share Conner Prairie with them, to encourage these five precious young minds to open up and explore their world, to ask lots of questions and to help them find their own answers!

More adventures to come.  Happy Spring to everyone!

Pam Jackson: Guest Blogger - Guest Services

The first month of 2012 has flown by, and usually by mid-winter things are pretty quiet in central Indiana. However, 2012 is no ordinary winter in Indianapolis!

Being from Oklahoma, I’ve been a football fan as long as I can remember, but I didn’t become a pro football fan until I moved to Indiana in the 1990s. This past Colts season was heartbreaking for lots of fans, but the excitement of Indianapolis hosting Superbowl XLVI has helped ease the pain. I won’t be attending the big game, unless “attending” means sitting in my living room with friends and lots of snacks, but just being this close makes me feel part of the action.
 
Conner Prairie is getting in on the excitement of Super Bowl XLVI, too. Even though downtown Indy is a good distance from Fishers, we hope to be able to welcome not only out-of-town guests, but lure back some of the locals with our Super Cars exhibit Feb. 2-5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check out Conner Prairie’s homepage for details about this special weekend activity. And for those who mourn the end of football season, good news! Our Science Lab is hosting The Science of Football during the months of February and March. Come learn all about the game and extend the season just a little longer.

Don’t forget about us after the big game, though. We still have our indoor exhibits open, including Discovery Station, the new Science Lab exhibit, and Craft Corner. If the kids are getting restless during February and March, The Welcome Center has plenty to offer to relieve cabin fever!

David Allison - General Manager for Experience Delivery

Fall is nearing its end out on the Prairie, and with it exits obstreperous school children learning and laughing in Prairietown, the family fun opportunities at Lenape Camp, balloon flights to 350 feet and exciting animal interactions at the Conner Homestead. Another successful season has wrapped up at Conner Prairie.

So what do managers do during the “off-season”? Of course, although the outdoor activities and historic areas are closed until April, the Welcome Center with the ever-popular Discovery Station and Craft Corner are still up and running in November, January, February and March (Thursday-Sunday, 10am-2pm). And December brings a plethora of holiday experiences like Gingerbread Village (Tuesday-Sat., 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-5pm) and Conner Prairie by Candlelight (Friday and Saturday nights the first three weekends of December). January through March also features the scrumptious deluxe experience at the Conner House that we call Hearthside Suppers (various weekend evenings in those months). Running these experiences takes some of our time for sure, but without the outdoor areas, we still find ourselves with time to work on other projects. Below is not an all-encompassing list, but should help give a little behind-the-scenes glance into our day-to-day winter projects.

-The winter months become time for staff to step back, rejuvenate ourselves creatively and to rethink programs and activities. We are constantly refining the experiences we offer based on survey findings and staff input to provide the highest quality activities we can for you.
-We are rolling out an exciting new experience in the area formerly known as Liberty Corner. (Look for an update about this area in the next three weeks!) All of us are chugging away to create a brand new exhibit that will “wow” everyone starting in June of 2011.
-Recruiting, hiring and training new facilitators are a big push in February and March. We are always looking for engaging, enthusiastic staff to help us provide consistently excellent experiences for you. This takes lots of time and energy to find the right people and get them trained in the “Opening Doors” methods.
-Deepening our content, engagement and administrative skills through trainings and seminars helps us maintain our status as leaders in the museum field.

I think I speak for most Conner Prairie staff when I say that the “off season” really is a misnomer, since our wheels are still spinning as fast as ever, but they are just pointed in a different direction. The winter allows us to keep innovating and providing the types of experiences that will inspire curiosity about Indiana’s past long into the future.