Time travel is not currently an aspect of tourism, but a visit to Conner Prairie in Fishers is the next best thing. The "living history museum" is home to a cast of costumed characters going about their daily lives in the farming community of Prairietown in the year 1836.
I am fortunate to be the livestock manager and resident expert in rare breeds of farm animals, and have worked in Prairietown for more than ten years as part of a family who has been farming for many generations. During the spring and summer months, I greet guests with a smile at Conner Prairie’s Animal Encounters barn. The smell of fresh hay and firewood inside the barn sets the scene for guests to get a "hooves on" experiences with animals like goats, sheep, cows and chickens.
To me, tourism means creating a personal, individually meaningful experience for every guest I meet.
My goal is to figure out what inspires a kid’s curiosity, whether that’s getting to pet a chicken for the first time or learning the differences between breeds. When I see someone’s eyes light up while I’m telling a story, I know I’ve done my job.