Conner Prairie

On our last day of vacation we went to Conner Prairie for the day. I had been there a couple of times as part of a class field trip growing up. I love living history museums and talking with the characters. For those of you who live close to Indianapolis consider purchasing a year pass, it would be quite worth it.

We spent quite a long time in the blacksmith shop.

We were the only ones in there and he was very friendly, telling us all sorts of stories and showing us how to make different things. David asked if he made nails, and even though nails have been mass produced since 1776, ((we were in 1836), he showed how he makes his own nails for personal use, giving one to Ellie who was his helper a couple of times.

Each child got to try their hand at dipping candles. This is Hannah:

At one of the homes, the lady of the house showed the kids how to play a game with a metal hoop (made by her brother the blacksmith) and stick. The trick was to hold the stick below knee level, balance the metal hoop, then release it, pushing it with the stick to keep it rolling and finally picking it up with the stick before it fell over. Sam and Abby demonstrate:

Here Nathan and Sam play with the scales in the pottery hut.

Nathan and Sam try out one of the beds at the Inn. We decided not to stay there that night though.

Abby demonstrates how they helped move some of the hay into another part of the barn.


Here Nathan and Sam are helping this lady do something (it isn't spinning, but putting thread on a shuttle for the weaving machine which you can sort of see in the background.)

It was a really fun day.