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conner prairie

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Symphony on the Prairie at Conner Prairie

Symphony on the Prairie at Conner Prairie is off to a great start this summer! The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and guests perform every weekend of the summer from June 16th through September 3rd. I recently shared an post at VisitHamiltonCo with what you should Know Before You Go.  I wanted to share a few more tips here that I’ve learned from going the past couple years.

Symphony on the Prairie at Conner Prairie

5 Things You Should Know about Symphony on the Prairie

I have linked our favorite items to bring to Symphony on the Prairie with affiliate links. I will only promote items we use and love on DIY Mama. This is not a sponsored post.

  1. Ride Your Bike- If you’re close enough and have good safety lights/reflectors on your bike you should consider riding to the concert. You will be able to easily bypass parking traffic on entering and exiting the venue. We were able to pile all of our necessities in the bike trailer with our daughter and it made for a special little spot for her to play with toys when she got restless. 
  2. Get up close- It’s often intimidating to get up close to the orchestra members during a performance at the Hilbert Theater. At Conner Prairie you have the chance to show your children the performers in action by getting close to the stage. Check out the Teddy Bear series for preschoolers as well as Community Concerts (free) where families can learn more about playing in the orchestra. 
  3. BYOT- Bring your own treats! Although Conner Prairie has concessions at the event, there’s nothing like packing your own picnic for an outdoor concert. I’ve seen everything from people bringing in Jimmy John’s to people setting up a table with candles, linens and place settings for a gourmet meal! Our favorite treats are chicken salad on croissants, potato salad, frozen grapes and chocolate covered strawberries.
  4. Bring the fun- Symphony on the Prairie is a great chance to introduce young children to the arts. It’s a wide open area for children to be able to dance and sing as they wish. We like to bring light up toys like Lite Brite or Crayola Light Up Drawing Pad. If we know we’re in a kid zone or it’s an especially kid friendly event, we’ll break out the light up balloons and glow necklaces.
  5. Let your family choose- Check the Symphony on the Prairie series lineup and ask your family which ones they want to attend. The ISO performs their top concerts each year (John Williams and Beatles) so if you aren’t able to attend multiple you won’t miss out. The Star Spangled Symphony is an awesome event. Very kid friendly and they have an amazing firework show.

Tickets can be purchased at ISO online or at central Indiana Kroger locations. Accessible parking is available with golf cart transportation to and from the gates. For more information, please contact the Hilbert Circle Theatre Box Office at 317.639.4300. Be sure to tag photos with #SOTP and #DiscoverCP and enjoy the show!

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Before You Go: Conner Prairie

We’re very lucky to be living in a town with awesome attractions for families. Both Sophie and I are adventurers and would prefer to be out around people than at home. This means we spend a lot of time exploring Indianapolis. Our favorite local spot is Conner Prairie. If you follow me on social media you’ll constantly see photos of this Historical Living Museum. I’ve shared the Top 5 Things You Need to Know Before You Go over at Hamilton County Tourism.

March 28th is Opening Day for the season! You’d better believe we’ll be there wearing our rain coats! Remember to tag your photos with #DiscoverCP when visiting and look for Soph and I.

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Treetop Outpost at Conner Prairie

If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, you know that we’re huge fan’s of the Interactive History Museum near us called Conner Prairie. It’s rare that a week goes by without Sophie and I stopping in to cool off at the splash pad, play in the kiddie area indoors, say Hi to Mosely the horse or run down the hill at the Conner House. We have more of a reason than ever to visit now that the Treetop Outpost at Conner Prairie opened earlier this month and we are thrilled to share it with everyone.

treetop outpost at conner prairie

As a writer for Indy’s Child, I received an exclusive sneak peek of the addition prior to the public opening on July 1st, but before we get into those photos, let’s dig into some of the stats for this Bicentennial Legacy Project.

Treetop Outpost is an official Indiana Bicentennial Legacy Project as part of the Bicentennial Nature Center Network, a statewide coalition created to ensure that all Hoosier youth have access to environmental education and creative outdoor experiences within 60 miles of where they live. 

Some of the Stats: Treetop Outpost at Conner Prairie

  • Size of entire experience: 6,000 square feet, not including an adjoining and existing Nature Walk
  • Square footage of art, building, digging and music-making areas: 2,600 square feet combined
  • Height of centerpiece treehouse: 45 feet (four stories)
  • Cost of experience: $783,832
  • Contractor: Hagerman Construction
  • Capacity of entire experience: 175-200 guests, excluding the Nature Walk
  • Capacity of just treehouse alone: 81

I’ll let the photos do the talking until you’re able to come check it out yourself. *Do note, the photos do not do this awesome attraction justice!

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The kids loved the speaking tubes though out the tree house but my favorite spot was the reading nook on the lower floor. treetop outpost at conner prairie

A 30 foot suspension bridge connects the ‘Music in Nature’ area to the Outpost. treetop outpost at conner prairie treetop outpost at conner prairie dig (1 of 1) group (1 of 1) group2 (1 of 1) limestone (1 of 1) group3 (1 of 1) music (1 of 1)
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We really enjoyed the simple hike (about 20 minutes) to check out the path that winds through the woods along the White River to a prairie lookout.
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The photo above is a ‘sharing shelf’ where you can take a walk on the nature trail and leave special trinkets collected on your hike. So special! Every bit of the Treetop Outpost has been thoughtfully designed with kids of all ages in mind. Art and nature have always gone hand in hand but this attraction displays it so beautifully that I can’t wait to go back!

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Prairie Tykes at Conner Prairie

If you’ve ever lived with a toddler during the winter, you know that they become crazy after one day of not being able to run around outside. Even living near a major city, it’s difficult to find indoor toddler friendly venues that we can visit for just a few hours without spending a lot of money. Que the angels because we’ve found it. Conner Prairie has been hosting Prairie Tykes, a preschool class, for over 20 years. Soph and I joined their Happy Hibernating class last week and was pleasantly surprised!

The class is held every second and fourth Thursday and Friday of every month with a new theme each week. Each session includes songs, games, stories, crafts and snacks that relate to the theme of the week. I loved that the activities were interesting for each kid ranging from 2-5 years old. If you’re interested in learning more, visit my post on Indy’s Child for more information.

Prairie Tykes

Prairie Tykes at Conner Prairie

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