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The Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

What in the world is the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association?  If you think that is has something to do with steam, you are correct.  Located on the site of an old amusement park near the town of Mechanicsburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association hosts events throughout the year.  Yes, many of the events involve steam engines, but the main reason for a railroad fan to visit is, well, a train ride.

As you approach the site along Williams Grove the very first thing you will see is a railroad line.  You enter the site crossing these tracks.  Yes, a train does run on this railroad line.  Yes, you can ride this train.  No, it is not one of those tiny little trains.  It is a full size train.

The journey begins at an old train station where you buy the tickets.  This train station also has a small museum.  Then, it is time for the train to leave.  Some trains are pulled by a diesel locomotive, but this could be your lucky day.  Why?  Your train is being pulled by a steam locomotive.

Some of you are saying, “Many trains across the U.S. and around the world are pulled by steam locomotives.”

That is true, but the steam locomotive pulling this train is Number 643 of the Pennsylvania Railroad.  What is special about that?  This is the only Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive, diesel or steam, that is in operation anywhere in the world.  The passenger cars are open air cars and wheelchair accessible with a caboose that is sadly not wheelchair accessible.  The train leaves and goes along the tracks around the amusement park site.  The journey is only one mile, but being one who loves train rides, it is very enjoyable.

Along with the train ride and small museum inside the train station, you also have the Rural Life Museum.  What is great about the Rural Life Museum?  Yes, the museum is about rural life, but it also has a model train display, and it also has toy trains on display.

When you visit the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association today, you see little life of an amusement park, but it is still a special place to visit even if the train is not running.

Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association is located at 1 Steam Engine Hill in Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania off of Pennsylvania Route 74 and U.S. Route 15 between Gettysburg and Harrisburg.  Admission is free to visit the park, but train rides do cost $7.00, and, as mentioned, the train is wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information and read more into the history of the park as well as Locomotive 643 and to take a look at the events and find the train schedule at https://www.wghsea.org/. Visit the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association, a great place to let off some steam and to see some steam.

Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven, Tybee Island, Georgia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

There is so much to thinking about when it comes to the U.S. state of Georgia.  It is home to the capital city of Atlanta which is home to many companies like Coca Cola, and it was the host of the 1996 Summer Olympics.  You have the city of Augusta which is the home to ‘The Masters’, the biggest golf event of the Professional Golf Association.  You have the historic port city of Savannah to include the birthplace of Julliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girls Scouts of America which was established in Savannah.  The southern trailhead of the Appalachian Trail in in the northern region of the state.  There is so much in this state, but very few think about the state’s ocean coastline.  Among the towns on the coast of Georgia is the town of Tybee Island.  In Tybee Island is the eastern terminus of U.S. Route 80.  It is also the home of Fort Screven and the Tybee Island Lighthouse.

What is special about the Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven?  Fort Screven was a fort that was erected during the Spanish American War to protect the mouth of the nearby Savannah River with Fort Pulaski and Fort Jackson protecting the river further inland.  The fort was never completed as it never saw any action during that war.  The Tybee Island Lighthouse is the oldest and the tallest lighthouse in the state and one of the most intact lighthouses in the United States of America.  It is a site to see if you are ever in the Savannah region.

Some of you are saying, “This is wonderful.  Lighthouses were great for guiding ships through treacherous waterways, but lighthouses did nothing for railroads.  Therefore, do not leave the light on for me as I will not be visiting here.”

What history does the Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven have with the railroad?  The truth is that neither the lighthouse nor the fort has a history with the railroad.

Some of you are saying, “Well then.  There is no reason to visit here.”

As mentioned, the lighthouse and fort has no history with the railroad, but Tybee Island does.

The Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven features, of course, the lighthouse and a section of a fort.  The lighthouse features, of course, the lighthouse, plus it has the lighthouse keeper’s house and a few outbuildings.  The remaining section of Fort Screven houses a museum about the history of the island itself.  One of the things mentioned is how people traveled to the island.  In the beginning, people arrived by boat.  Travel time from Savannah to the island was three hours, and space was limited.

Then, in 1887, the Central of Georgia Railway built a railroad to the Island.  It brought more people to the island with trains running more frequently.  Sadly, U.S. Route 80 was built allowing more access to Tybee Island, and the railroad service ceased in 1933.  There are many panels that tell the story of the railroad to the island, and there is a small train display to see.  Today, as you travel U.S. Route 80, you can see some of the remains of the old railroad bed.

Tybee Island Lighthouse and Fort Screven is located at 30 Meddin Drive in Tybee Island, Georgia.  Parking is on site.  It is open 9:00and to 4:30pm but closed on Tuesday.  Please note that the structures are not wheelchair accessible.  You can learn more about admission and read more into the history of the lighthouse at https://www.tybeelighthouse.org/.

So, you have a reason to visit the Tybee Island Lighthouse.  The railroad may be gone, but the legacy of the railroad remains.

The Western Maryland Rail Trail, Big Pool, Maryland

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

In the heyday of Railroading, railroads were built to connect small town to big cities.  When the heyday came to an end, many of the railroad lines were abandoned.  On many of the lines, the rails were removed.  Some of the abandoned routes were lost to time allow trees and plants to grow on the old railroad bed.  Some of the railroad beds eroded over time.  Some of the railroads were eventually recovered and became an excursion line.  Then there were those that were made into hiking and biking trails.  Some of the trails were paved while some were left with dirt.  Among those ‘rail trails’ is the Western Maryland Rail Trail in the western region of the U.S. state of Maryland.

What is the Western Maryland Rail Trail?  Yes, it is in the western part of Maryland beginning in the town of Big Pool near the historic Fort Frederick going west through the town of Hancock and ending eighteen miles west to the town of Little Orleans in the panhandle region of the state.  The name comes from the fact that the railroad line was part of the Western Maryland Railway.  The railroad paralleled the old Chesapeake and Ohio Canal which paralleled the Potomac River.  The canal itself was never completed as the railroad gave quicker access to points west.  With the automobile and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad running just south of the Western Maryland Railway (now owned by CSX Transportation) and the decline of many small towns, the railroad line was no longer used.

Today, you cannot ride the train along this line, but you can hike and bike along this line.  You can feel the history of a railroad that once was.

The Mechanicsburg Museum, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The town of Mechanicsburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania is a suburban town of the capital city of Harrisburg.  How did the town get its name?  The town was established before the automobile so it did not get its name from automobile mechanics.  The town got its name from the fact that it was a town were Conestoga wagons were repaired.  When the Cumberland Valley Railroad came to the town, the town became a major stop for the railroad.  Today, the Norfolk Southern Railway owns the railroad line, and the trains no longer stop here, but the old train station, the freight house, and the stationmaster’s house remain, and they are all part of the Mechanicsburg Museum.

The Passenger Train Station was built by the Cumberland Valley Railroad in 1867.  It remained a passenger station until 1952.  Today, the exhibits tell the history of the Cumberland Valley Railroad and how the town was a great benefactor to the towns growth.

The Stationmaster’s House was more than just the home of the stationmaster.  It was an office for Adams Express, a company that was one of the early companies before the Railway Express Agency, and it was also where baggage was stored.  Today, the home is furnished with furniture the way it was furnished back in the day when the train station was active.

The Freight Station is across the tracks from the Passenger Station and Stationmaster’s House.  This is the second Freight House for the town that was built in 1886 that replaced the original one built in 1874.  It was here where the locomotives received water and wood.  There was a side track here where the trains were able to stop for a long time.  The track was removed after freight and passenger serviced ceased.  Today, it houses exhibits that are about the town of Mechanicsburg itself.  The exhibits do change over time.

All three structures were to be demolished, but the Mechanicsburg Museum Association rescued the buildings, and they remain under their ownership today.

The Mechanicsburg Museum is located at 2 W. Strawberry Alley in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania just one block north of the intersection of Pennsylvania Routes 114 and 641.  It is open Wednesday to Saturday from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.  The complex has the three structures.  Admission is free, but they gladly accept donations.  The structures are wheelchair accessible.  You can read more into the Mechanicsburg Museum Association and read more about the museum at http://www.mechanicsburgmuseum.org/index.html.

The town of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania has automobile mechanics today.  It also has the Mechanicsburg Museum.  It is a great place to see the history of the town.

The Wayne Thomas Gilchrist Trail, Chestertown, Maryland

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

What is the Wayne Thomas Gilchrist Trail?  Commonly called the Wayne T. Gilchrist Trail that was named after a local politician that served in the U.S. state of Maryland and in Washington, the trail is on an old rail line that winds its way through the town of Chestertown located on the Chester River on the Eastern Shore Region of the U.S. state of Maryland.  It is also known as the Chestertown Rail Trail.

The history of the railroad in the town of Chestertown, Maryland is unknown as the town was much more of a port town on the Chester River than a railroad town.  It is known the railroad line was once a spur line that connected to a main railroad line in Delaware that ran south from Wilmington, Delaware down the center of the Delmarva Peninsula to the town of Pocomoke City, Maryland and then to the town of Cape Charles in the U.S. state of Virginia at the southern end of the peninsula where the Chesapeake Bay enters into the Atlantic Ocean.  A railroad ferry transported the train across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk.  (Much of the track in Virginia is no longer active while the active section in Maryland and Delaware is owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway.)  Although the Pennsylvania Railroad originally built the line.  Smaller short line railroads owned the different spur routes.

Back in the glory days of railroading when the railroads ran both passenger and freight services, the passenger trains served small towns on spur lines like Chestertown.  When Amtrak service began, passenger service to small towns on spur lines ceased, and passenger service ceased on the main railroad line on the Delmarva Peninsula, and the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge connecting the east and west coasts of the Chesapeake Bay aided the decline. 

What is known about the railroad line?  At the southern end of the rail trail is an old passenger train station and an old freight house where two old passenger cars and a red caboose are on display.  Between the passenger and freight stations appear to be an area that appears to be the site of an old railroad yard.  The trail runs north from here and ends on the north side of the town. 

Today, the Wayne T. Gilchrist Trail is the only reminder of Chestertown being a railroad town.  It is a reminder of how the railroad was a big part of small town America.

The Eastern Shore Railway Museum, Parksley, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The town of Parksley in the U.S. state of Virginia, a small town on the Delmarva Peninsula is known for its Victorian architecture.  The town was built around a railroad line that was extended south from Pocomoke City in the U.S. state of Maryland to Cape Charles, Virginia which sits at the southern tip of the peninsula. (The railroad line in the Virginia section of the peninsula is now abandoned.)  It you visit the town, the very first thing that you will notice is the numerous rails cars that are resting in this town.  This is the Eastern Shore Railway Museum which celebrates the railroad heritage of the town.

On the outside, you will see the Parksley Depot that was once used for passenger service.  The depot was originally the Depot of Hopetown, Virginia that was brought to the museum and sits on the site of the original Parksley Depot.  You will also see a section of the foundation of the old 1886 depot that was unearthed while clearing the land for the museum.  You can stand in the same spot where passengers stood to wait for the train.  The platform is made with bricks that were used at the train station in Ocean City, Maryland.  You will see a dining car from the Seaboard Airline Railroad.  You see an old maintenance shed and a guard house that was used before crossing gates came along.  You see an old Pennsylvania Railroad Box Car, the Fairfax River, a Pullman sleeper from the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, another sleeper car, a baggage car and two cabooses: one from the Nickle Plate Road and an old Wabash caboose.  There is so much to see, and you have not even gone inside yet.

On the inside, you will see the gift shop, a small model train display, a maintenance car, a luggage carrier and artifacts from the days when regular rail service came to Parksley.

The Eastern Shore Railway Museum is located at 18468 Dunne Avenue in Parksley, Virginia, just minutes from U.S. Route 13 at the intersection of Virginia Route 176 and Virginia Route 316.  Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated.  The gift shop, model train display and inside areas are open from April to November, but the grounds are accessible all year round.  A drive along Virginia’s Eastern Shore would not be complete without a visit to Parksley and to the spot that the town originated from.

The Train to Independence

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The people were standing on the platform at the train station in Captiville.  A man was walking by and saw all of the people standing there.  Curious, he walked up to a man carrying two suitcases.  “What is everyone waiting for?”

“Oh, the Train to Independence will be here soon. We will be leaving this crumby town.”  The man smiled.

“Why leave?  They give us goodies here.”  The man inquired.

“You also can’t go anywhere or do anything here.  You are stuck in your room all day and all night.  In Independence, they have much to do, and you can go anywhere you want.”  The man with the suitcases smiled.

The man was furious and walked away.

The train arrived, and the people boarded.  The train pulled away.

Photo by Emma Bauso on Pexels.com

Along the way, the train stopped in Bondageburg to pick up a small family, and it man another stop in Abusetown to pick up a young woman on crutches with a molten cast of her foot and scars on her face.

Photo by Vika Glitter on Pexels.com

Days later, the train arrived in Independence.  Everyone deboarded the train and was very excited to see the city.

Wishing Everyone a Happy Independence Day.

Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City, Illinois

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Illinois is commonly called ‘The Land of Lincoln’ became it was this state where Abraham Lincoln’s rise to fame took place.  The state is also famous for the city of Chicago, but it is also a state with much farmland and open space.  West of the city of Peoria is an open space where you can watch animals roam free.  Well, there are in enclosed spaces, but they are not stuck in a case.  The Wildlife Prairie Park is a place where you can feel like you are on an open plain, but you really are in a wildlife park.  You can ride a hay ride with benches known as Adventure Trek where you can ride through the bison and elk pasture.  If that is not enough, you can even spend the night here.  Ladies and gentlemen, they do not call this place a jewel of the North American Midwest for nothing.  When you visit here, you will truly see how the park gets that name.  If you enjoy seeing wildlife in large and natural habitats, you will enjoy a day, and a night, at Wildlife Prairie Park.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  This place sounds like it is a jewel.  I love animals, and I enjoy seeing them at the zoo.  There is a big problem.  As you can see.  This is a wildlife park.  This park is about wildlife.  This is not a railroad park.  Therefore, I will not be paying a visit to this place.”

Well, Wildlife Prairie Park is a park that specializes in wildlife and not trains.  Why visit this place?  Yes, it is a jewel of a park and a place worth your time.  As you enter the park, you will see why you want to visit.

As soon as you pay your admission, the very first thing that you will see is a railroad crossing.

Some of you are saying, “I have been to many places where you have to cross train tracks to get to the attraction.  Many railroads run alongside of parks and historic sites.”

This is true, but if you are fortunate enough, you may be stopped by a train, it is not an ordinary train.  The train is the Prairie Zephyr.  You have read correctly.  This is the Prairie Zephyr, and the train station is to your right.  Well, one of the stations is to your right.  There are three stops on this line.  What are you going to do?  Well, of course, you are going to ride the train.

You enter the station, and you board the train.  The train leaves the station.  You pass by trees and see animals along the way, and then you stop at the Pioneer Homestead.  From here, you return on the same track, and you arrive back at the station.  It is the end of the ride, but it is not.  Remember.  There are three stops, and you only have been to two of them.  The passengers board and deboard, and the train continues on.  You pass by the train yard and pass through a tunnel.  You pass by more animals, and you arrive at a playground, and you have an opportunity to go down a big slide known as the Gollywhopper Slide.  After a short stop, you return to the station, and you get off the train.  By the way, your train ticket allows you to ride the train all day long.

Some of you are saying, “Well, that is it.  No more trains at the wildlife park.”

Ladies and gentlemen, you are wrong.  While at the main train station, you can visit the railroad museum.  Yes, there is a railroad museum here.  The museum has a collection of toy trains.  How often do you get to visit a wildlife park that is about wildlife that has a railroad museum?

Some of you are saying, “Well, you have a point.  I do not know of any wildlife park or zoo that has a railroad museum.  Anyway, I guess that is all of the railroads that we will see at this park.”

Not exactly.

As mentioned.  You can spend a night, or many nights, at this park.  Yes.  There are other wildlife parks that allow you to spend a night there, but how many wildlife parks let you spend a night… in a caboose.  Yes.  You have the option to spend a night in a Santa Fe Railroad Caboose.

If you think that you do not have a reason to visit Wildlife Prairie Park, you now have many.  Along with the train, the railroad museum, and the cabooses, you have a variety of wildlife you see.  There is also laser tag, hiking and biking trails, fishing, disc golf, kayaking, and events throughout the year.

Wildlife Prairie Park is located at 3826 N. Taylor Road in Hanna City, Illinois south of Illinois Route 8, Interstate 74, and U.S. Route 150.  Although the park is open year-round (open 361 days and closed only four days of the year) from 9:00am to 4:30pm (9:00am to 6:30pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day), the Prairie Zephyr runs only at certain times of the year.  Although much of the park is wheelchair accessible to include the Prairie Zephyr, there are some steep paths.  You can information about admission, lodging, activities, the history of the park, to look at the map of the park, and read more into their conservation efforts at https://wildlifeprairiepark.org/.

Wildlife Prairie Park in Hanna City, Illinois is a great place to visit.  When you visit, you will see why.  You will see why they call this place a jewel.

A special thanks to Cody Miyler, Lelonie Luft, and Calli Dicks of Wildlife Prairie Park for the pictures of the recently painted cabooses.

The Strasburg Museum, Strasburg, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many of you have heard of the town of Strasburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.  The town, a suburb of Lancaster, is famous for the Strasburg Railroad, a short line railroad that is the oldest continuously running railroad in the United States of America.  There is also a small town called Strasburg in the U.S. state of Virginia.  Located about seventy-five miles west of downtown Washington D.C. in the Shenandoah Valley, it is the home of the Strasburg Museum.  What is the Strasburg Museum?  Well, it is a museum that tells the story of life in the region around the town to include the industries like pottery and other small town industries.  If you are in the area of Strasburg, Virginia, you will want to visit the Strasburg Museum.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  I love the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania.  As for Strasburg, Virginia, it is not as famous as being a railroad town as the Strasburg in Pennsylvania.  Therefore, you will not see me at the museum.”

So why visit the Strasburg Museum?  If you say that it is not a railroad town, you would not be telling the truth.  In 1861 during the American Civil War, General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson of the Confederate Army led the charge where he and his men hijacked the rolling stock of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in West Virginia.  This was known as ‘The Great Train Raid’.  What does this have to do with Strasburg, Virginia?  The rolling stock was transported to the location of the museum and set on railroad tracks and then sent to North Carolina to be repair and to be used by the Confederate Army.

Some of you are saying, “Now I have learned something new, but the museum is about the region around the town and not about trains.”

Ladies and gentlemen, you are wrong again.

Strasburg, Virginia was a railroad town that was served by the Southern Railway, The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the Manassas Gap Railroad.  (All of the railroads in Strasburg are under the ownership of the Norfolk Southern Railway today.)  It may not be as famous as the town in Pennsylvania, but this town does have a deep history with the railroad.  As you approach the Strasburg Museum, there is something that you will notice.  Yes, it is next to a railroad crossing, but many places are next to a railroad crossing.  The first thing you will notice is the building.  What it special about the building?  The building is an old pottery factory that was, in 1913, converted into a train station for the Southern Railway with freight and passenger service.  You walk around the old station, you will see an old caboose and an old baggage car both from the Southern Railway.

You enter the museum through the gift shop.  You then enter the main hall.  You see the different displays on life in the region to include a room dedicated to pottery and an exhibit dedicated to the railroad history of Strasburg, Virginia.

Some of you are saying, “Is that all?”

The answer to that question is no.  You do have the caboose and baggage car.  The caboose is your typical caboose that you can walk through and climb into the cupola.  Then you have the baggage car.  In the baggage car is where you will find a model train display.

Some of you are saying, “Oh great.  Another model train display where you see the model trains go round and round and round and round.”

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not your typical model train display.  It is only operational on Saturday, and there is a timed entry.  Why?  If you only enjoy model trains that just go round and round and round, this is not for you.  If you enjoy something completely different, get ready for an experience.  You enter the baggage car, and you see the model train display set up with its buildings and other structures.  You watch the trains, but then it gets dark.  No.  It is not a power outage.  It is taking you into the display itself.  The moon even comes out for the evening, but it is really afternoon.

The Strasburg Museum is designated as a National Historic Landmark.  It is located at 440 East King Street (Virginia Route 55) in Strasburg, Virginia east of U.S. Route 11.  It is open from May to October on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Parking is on site.  Please note that the museum only accepts cash.  Also, the main hall has two floors of exhibits and the upper floor is not wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information on the museum and the history of Strasburg, Virginia at https://strasburgmuseum.org/.

Strasburg, Virginia may not have the Strasburg Railroad, but it does have the Strasburg Museum.  It has much history on display.  Make the trip.

Conner Prairie, Fishers, Indiana

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

The U.S. state of Indiana is commonly called the Crossroads of the United States of America.  How does the state get the name?  The three longest routes in the nation, U.S. Route 6 (known as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway), U.S. Route 20, and U.S. Route 30 (known as the Lincoln Highway named for Abraham Lincoln), pass through the state along with interstate route 70, 80, and 90.  Being a crossroads state, it is not a state that many travelers put on their list of must visit states, but be advised that there are many great place to visit in this state.  It is commonly known for the sport of basketball with Larry Bird being from the town of French Lick.  It is also home to one of the biggest races in the world: the Indianapolis 500.  In the early years of Indiana, it was mostly prairie with no mountains in the state.  A way to experience life in Indiana is to make your way to Conner Prairie.

What is Conner Prairie?  It is a living history museum location in the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers.  When you visit Conner Prairie, you will experience life in the early days of Indiana.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  It is great that they created a place where you could experience the early days of Indiana.  There is one problem.  This is not a railroad museum.  Therefore, you will not be visiting this museum.”

Why visit Conner Prairie?  You are right when you say that it is not a railroad museum, but that is not a reason for you not to visit.

Conner Prairie is a living history museum.  What is a living history museum?  It is a museum when many of the workers are dressed in period dress.  What is period dress?  It is when you dress in a particular period.  At Conner Prairie, it is mainly the nineteenth century.  As you enter, the very first thing you will notice is a hot air balloon.  Well, it is a hot air balloon that looks like a balloon from 1859, and you can take a ride in this balloon for an extra fee.  The museum grounds is divided into communities.  You have the 1816 Lenape Indian Camp displaying how the settlers lived with the local Indian tribes.  You have the 1836 Prairie Town where you can see how they lived in 1836 from the general store to the doctor to making pottery.

You have other areas in the museum, but then you come upon the 1863 Civil War Journey that tells the story of Indiana’s role in the American Civil War.  It is designed after the town of Dupont, Indiana.  It has a general store and a Union Army Camp that was attacked.  You have a schoolhouse and a farm.  Then you have the old train station.  Yes, you see the old train station from Dupont with a railroad line next to it.  Sadly, there is no train on the tracks, and the train station is mainly a snack shop and restrooms, but it tells the story of how the railroad played a role in Indiana’s participation in the war.

So, there you have it.  You have a reason to visit Conner Prairie.  Well, as you walk around, you will have many reasons to visit Conner Prairie other than seeing the train station.  You will need plenty of time to visit this place, and you will be doing a lot of walking.

Connie Prairie is located at 13400 Allisonville Road in Fishers, Indiana, a northern suburb of the state capital city of Indianapolis.  It is open most of the year.  Parking is on site, and, although it makes you feel like its in the 1800’s, it is completely wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information on admission, directions, events, on the history of Conner Prairie, and the museum’s future projects at https://www.connerprairie.org/.

As you think about the state of Indiana and basketball and the Indianapolis 500, think about Conner Prairie.  You will be glad that you did.