Prairie Pathways Campaign
Broader. Deeper. Bolder.
What is the Prairie Pathways Campaign?
Conner Prairie must forge new pathways. We envision a future in which we reimagine how the world views and uses museums as we inspire curiosity and foster learning. Outdoor experiences with new trails and education hubs will offer opportunities to increase health and well-being and explore the history and the ecology of our land and river. Inside our renovated Museum Center, we will create new, fun learning experiences with technology, exhibits, and hands-on activities. As a museum that is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums we will:
- Envision a broader pathway where many people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can experience Conner Prairie.
- Create a deeper pathway of meaning and learning through coordinated experiences across our campus.
- Forge a bolder pathway that brings national resources right to our backyard through our affiliation with the Smithsonian.
Donate to the Prairie Pathways Campaign today!
How did Conner Prairie engage our community?
This Master Plan process began in 2017, and is the culmination of ten months of collaboration between:
- More than 89 community members and external stakeholders
- More than 100 employees
- 33 board members
- Conversations continued today, and hundreds or stake holders have been brought into the conservation
Conner Prairie Master Planning
The Master Plan addresses not only new exhibits, buildings, access points, and infrastructure projects, but also plans for the green spaces: woodland, riverbank, wetlands, and the prairie for which Conner Prairie was named. Learn more about the projects that will further illuminate our vision of the Master Plan. These initiatives help build a lasting impact at Conner Prairie for decades to come. Explore each project and their relationship to our mission.
Prairie Pathways Campaign Objectives
Enhancement
of museum experiences
Engagement
with the community, land, and brand
Connectivity
to people and partner
Sustainability
of resources, revenue, and river
Museum Experience Center Transformation
The Prairie Pathways Campaign will provide funding for a renovation of the current Welcome Center to become a true Museum Experience Center. Elements within the Museum Experience Center include: six experience areas, Spark!Lab, display of artifacts from our Collections that houses over 20,000 items, year-round indoor food options, event hosting space and a new way to enter Prairietown.
We will create spaces with the right environment to provide access to historic artifacts either from our own collection or from the Smithsonian. With our guests in mind, we will improve how visitors enter the Museum and how they access the outdoor experience areas.
Trails at Conner Prairie
The Prairie Pathways Campaign has provided the funding to create the Trails at Conner Prairie, which will activate 200+ acres of the prairie and 3.3 miles of the White River through natural and paved trails and experience areas. Extending our trails to provide new vantage points of the White River will transform the visitors’ outdoor experiences and their connection to our land and waterways. The two trails that we will be using are the Prairie Trail and the R.B. Annis Vista Trail. The Prairie Trail creates a paved and experientially rich journey by immersing guests in the landscape outlined by the oxbow of the White River. The R.B. Annis Vista Trail follows the natural contours of the Conner Prairie landscape. As we construct this outdoor experience, educational hubs will be added, and we will steward the land and river by including sustainability measures to minimize run-off and improve the water quality. Our objective is to accelerate learning and inspire a genuine connection between the visitor and the river, shoreline, woods, and habitats.
New Experiences
- Promised Land as Proving Ground
- SPARK!LAB
- Habitat
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Promised Land as Proving Ground covers centuries of African American history from pre-colonial Africa to the present day and specifically explores the elements of African American history by focusing on the ideas of faith, family, food, and fellowship.
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Spark!Lab is our newest indoor exhibit that puts the challenges of tomorrow into the hands of inventors today. Developed by the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, Spark!Lab can help foster your innovative spirit by giving you all the tools, time, and space you need to invent and explore creativity.
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Developed by the Smithsonian Gardens, Habitat is our newest outdoor exhibit made available by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Habitat showcases the unique habitats throughout the gardens and landscapes of Conner Prairie, how interconnected and fragile they are, and what we can do to protect them.
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Fundraising Planning Study
A fundraising planning study is essential to the designing, implementation, and achievement of substantial fundraising goals. Input from the community and potential donors creates shared goals and can identify factors that are critical to success. The Conner Prairie fundraising planning study consisted of an organizational scan, a donor analysis, prospective donor landscaping, strategic connections, and an E-survey. A total of 77 stakeholders were personally interviewed of the 103 invited. The electronic survey engaged 153 individuals.
The final report included encouraging results:
- 94% had positive perceptions of Conner Prairie,
- 95% had a positive reaction to campaign plans, and
- 83% indicated now is the time to move forward with a campaign.
- The top two priorities identified were renovation of the current Welcome Center into a Museum Experience Center, and creation of a Transformational Outdoor Experience.
- The key recommendation was to proceed immediately with a campaign with a working goal of $15 million.
