Conner Prairie will open its newly reimagined Museum Experience Center to the public tomorrow, wrapping up a multi-year transformation that moves more of the living-history site's storytelling indoors. The two-floor hub is expected to offer year-round galleries, hands-on learning and indoor dining that organizers say should change how families, school groups and visitors experience the Fishers campus.
New galleries and year-round space
The Museum Experience Center brings together six signature experience areas: Power of Place, Wellspring, TORN: A Family Portrait, Spark!Lab, Caring for Collections and a Traveling Exhibit Gallery. The building also includes a Harvest Café and the Ricker Prairie Overlook for year-round indoor dining. Accessibility features include elevators, stroller and wheelchair access, a dedicated sensory room and monthly sensory-friendly hours. According to Conner Prairie, those installations are meant to prepare guests to explore the historic grounds with deeper context.
Why the makeover matters
The transformation traces back to plans for a multi-million-dollar renovation first reported in 2023, and museum leaders say the work expands Conner Prairie’s ability to display collections and deliver year-round education. Local reporting at the time put the project at roughly $33 million and noted the renovation’s role in the campus master plan. As reported by IBJ, the makeover is part of a broader campaign to grow the museum’s facilities and programming.
Wellspring and hands-on learning
Wellspring, an artscape created with artist Wes Bruce and the collaborative The Curious Life, is described on the project site as part art installation, part playscape, and will include a custom 360-degree film and interactive huts. The MEC also contains Spark!Lab, the Smithsonian-backed invention space that invites kids and families to tinker and prototype. For more on the artscape see The Curious Life, and previews of the project were described by YouAreCurrent.
Opening and previews
"The newly reimagined Museum Experience Center will open to the general public on Friday, April 3, 2026," the museum said in a Conner Prairie press release. Conner Prairie is offering Member Preview Days March 31–April 2 and hosted an opening ceremony and ribbon cutting on Monday, March 30; media were invited to arrive early for check-in. Organizers say the indoor hub will let the museum operate programming in all seasons and show more of its collections to visitors.
The reimagined center is expected to broaden Conner Prairie's role in Fishers' cultural calendar and create more flexible school and family programming outside the traditional summer season. Visitors can find hours, ticketing and membership information on Conner Prairie's site and through local visitor listings; for local event details see Visit Hamilton County.
