Conner Prairie Interactive History Museum Fishers and Carmel, Indiana
Services Provided
Master Planning
Stakeholder and Public Engagement
Technical and Strategic Advising
Implementation Planning
Landscape Architecture
People Involved
Eric Lucas
Aaron Kowalski
Casey May
Jacob Deason
Updated vision for an interactive history park to enhance visitor experience and river ecology. MKSK continues to lead master planning and landscape architectural services for Conner Prairie's West Side Campus.
Created by Eli Lilly in 1934, Conner Prairie is a nationally acclaimed history destination that encourages visitors to learn about the natural and cultural heritage of Indiana through hands-on experiences. MKSK led the Master Plan for the Conner Prairie Interactive History Park and Museum along a three-mile stretch of the White River in Hamilton County, Indiana. MKSK worked with the museum staff and Hamilton County stakeholders to envision campus enhancements and complementary offerings over short-, mid-, and long-term time horizons and develop a strategy for implementing capital projects over time. A key element of the plan is to embrace the White River as a major component of Conner Prairie and to transform its purpose through storytelling, activation, connectivity, and ecological enhancement.
The Master Plan establishes the following Strategic Goals to be realized through phased implementation:
Become a year-round experience focused on family and school audiences
Engage adults in meaningful ways to attract visitation and support.
Complete a new plan for experiences, including marketing and fundraising.
Expand fundraising sources and revenues.
Create an engaged, collaborative culture for employees, volunteers, and board members.
Leverage technology to strengthen the visitor experience and operation efficiencies.
Since completing the Master Plan in 2018, MKSK has continued to collaborate with Conner Prairie to implement its Master Plan. MKSK followed up with a deeper dive, focusing on advancing recommendations for the organization’s top 10 projects. These projects include a regionally significant River Education Center, which along with a Food Farm and Energy Experience, have gained considerable momentum since the completion of the Implementation Appendix in 2019.
Through the Master Planning process, themes emerged as organizing factors. The stakeholder process defined four themes which helped inform the six transformational ideas and planning framework.
In 2020, a partnership led by Hamilton County Tourism selected MKSK and Lake | Flato Architects to advance the riverfront planning at Conner Prairie, including the River Education Center and planing to create a riverfront district, nearby riverfront parks to Conner Prairie, and a neighborhood commercial development.
The centerpiece is the Conner Prairie White River Education & Ecology Center, developed through a partnership between Conner Prairie and Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation.
