It is our position that Conner Prairie Interactive History Park should be commended for maintaining a balanced budget for the seventh consecutive year. Most interestingly, Conner Prairie balanced its budget without taxpayer support. About 323,000 people attended Conner Prairie last year through visiting such events as Headless Horseman, 1859 Balloon Voyage, summer day camps, school programs, Symphony on the Prairie, Follow the North Star and Hearthside Suppers. Nearly 9 percent of these visitors – 22,000 people – came through a free or greatly reduced admission.

In September, Conner Prairie was awarded a $2.3-million grant from the National Science Foundation to create and distribute a model for integrating informal science experiences into exhibits and programs at historic sites and museums across the country. This project is underway, and portions will be unveiled this year.

To quote President and CEO Ellen M. Rosenthal, “The Conner Prairie of today proves that a museum can engage adults and children at the same time. It is a place that creatively offers a wide range of imaginative techniques to inspire learning about history. And it is still a place of great beauty, with a landscape that moves us with reverence and awe.”  Well said, and well done.