Entry No. 35 — the Indianapolis file — filed under: history
Connor Prairie (Modern Trades Shop)
This sprawling living history museum offers hands-on, adult-only evening workshops where you can learn historic trades from master artisans.
The story
You probably know Conner Prairie as the massive outdoor living history museum where suburban elementary schoolers go on field trips to see costumed interpreters churn butter. But you didn't hear it from us: once the daytime visitors clear out, the Modern Trades Shop quietly turns into an adult playground for actual raw historic skills.
The property traces its history back to fur trader William Conner, who set up shop near the White River around 1800. While the daytime exhibits lean heavily into mid-19th-century roleplay, the Modern Trades Shop drops the theatrical accents. You step into an actual working shop where master artisans teach you how to handle real heat, cold metal, and historic machinery hands-on.
Instead of standing behind a rope watching someone else pretend it's 1836, you're learning genuine trade crafts like blacksmithing and tinsmithing. It's one of the few places in central Indiana where you can spend an evening sweating over an anvil, beating upcycled steel into a finished utility blade or cutting tin patterns by hand.
What it's like
Arriving for an evening workshop feels like having a closed museum to yourself. You'll head straight to the Modern Trades Shop, a focused studio environment with small class sizes and a serious work ethic. Depending on the session, you might spend hours shaping glowing metal into a decorative 'One Piece Knife' or working through tinsmithing basics before baking historic cookie recipes in 'Cookie Cutters and Cookies.' Wear natural fibers like heavy cotton or denim—synthetic fabrics and hot blacksmithing sparks do not mix.
The move: Register for the 'One Piece Knife' blacksmithing workshop to transform upcycled steel into a hand-forged knife with a decorative handle, or try 'Cookie Cutters and Cookies' to learn tinsmithing basics.
- 📍 Fishers
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 13400 Allisonville Rd, Fishers, IN 46038
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Museum of Miniature Houses and Other Collections — Follow up your evening of heavy metalworking with a five-mile drive to Carmel to admire hyper-precise scale craftsmanship on a microscopic level.
- Carmel Salt Caves & Spa — Unwind sore forearms and shoulders in a cave of pink Himalayan salt after spending hours pounding steel at the anvil.
- AFCA Antique Fan Museum — Keep the industrial trades theme going by visiting over 2,000 vintage mechanical fans housed down the road in Zionsville.
Good to know
Do I need any prior blacksmithing or craft experience?
Not at all. Workshop instructors are master craftspeople who teach foundational techniques step-by-step, making introductory sessions approachable for beginners.
Are these workshops suitable for kids?
These hands-on trades classes are geared primarily toward adults and older teens, offering a focused, adult-oriented environment distinct from daytime family programming.
How far in advance do I need to register?
Because workshop spots are strictly limited to keep class sizes small, sessions often sell out weeks in advance. Pre-registration via Conner Prairie's online portal is required.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · visithamiltoncounty.com · fishersin.gov
last checked: 2026-07-21