A Merry Prairie Holiday turns Conner Prairie in Fishers into an evening festival of lights, campfires and living history. It is the easiest big holiday night on the north side: one ticket covers the 150-foot tubing hill, the carousel, Santa, sock skating and a projection show on a 200-year-old house, and parking is free. It is also one of the first items on our holiday fun in Indianapolis list every season.
Tickets are sold by date and entry time. Our advice: pick your night early, because the December weekend nights tend to sell out first. If you are mapping out a whole season of lights, our Christmas lights in Indianapolis guide has the drive-thru shows, the free displays and the walk-throughs.
A Merry Prairie Holiday
A Merry Prairie Holiday 2026: Dates, Hours and Tickets
- Dates: Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27 and 28, 2026; Fridays through Sundays, Dec. 4 to 20, 2026; Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 21 to 23, 2026; and Saturday through Monday, Dec. 26 to 28, 2026
- Hours: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Pick an entry time when you buy, then stay as late as you like.
- Where: Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers. Parking is free; use the main entrance off Allisonville Road.
- Tickets: $15 for members, $26 for everyone else and $10 with an Indiana Access Pass. Kids pay the same as adults, and everyone 2 and older needs a ticket. Buy on Conner Prairie’s A Merry Prairie Holiday page.
- On sale: Tickets are on sale now.
- What’s included: Every activity and attraction. Food, drinks and the $5 make-and-take candle dipping cost extra, and there is no ATM on the grounds.
- Updates: Text MERRY to 317-779-3330 for festival alerts, or call 317-776-6000.
What to See and Do
From the moment you step onto the grounds you are in a Dickens-meets-Midwest winter scene. Lanterns flicker, costumed interpreters tell stories by the hearth and kids bounce between the rides, the lights and Santa. Most families spend at least an hour and a half, and on a busy night you may not get to everything, so decide what matters most before you go.
The 3D Projection Show on the William Conner House
The brick home, more than 200 years old, becomes the screen for a 3D projection-mapped telling of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The show repeats through the evening, so you can fit it between rides. Stand well back for the full picture. Many parents start here to set the tone for the night.
Santa’s Sleigh Barn
Check in with Trinket Puddingmoon to find out whether you made the naughty or nice list, then step inside to find Santa working on his sleigh. Selfies with Santa are included; a professional photo costs $15 per image. The barn closes beginning Dec. 23, 2026, when Santa has other commitments, so go by Dec. 22, 2026, if the Santa photo is the point of your trip. Go early in the evening with little kids, before bedtime wins.
Kringle’s Carousel and the Polar Bear Plunge
The carousel, the 150-foot Polar Bear Plunge tubing hill and the Santa selfie line are where you will do your waiting. Our tip: hit the rides right at opening or in the last hour, when the lines are shortest. Guests who use a wheelchair have to transfer into the carousel seat or the tube on their own, so plan around these two if that applies to your group.
The Merry Marketplace and Frosty’s Sock Skating Rink
The Museum Experience Center turns into an indoor Merry Marketplace with holiday shopping, food and drinks, a face-painting booth and a snowball fight with fake snowballs. Frosty’s Sock Skating Rink is in here too, so the toddler favorite doubles as a warm-up stop: no skates, just socks on a slick synthetic floor. Socks are not provided, so pack a pair for everyone, plus a dry spare. If your kids want the real thing, see our guide to ice skating in Indianapolis.
Historic Holidays in Prairietown
Walk 1836 Prairietown by lantern light, listen to hearthside stories and catch “From Solstice to Santa,” a magic lantern crankie show at the Potter Shop Kiln Shed. It is the quiet half of the night and a good counterweight to the rides. Dickensian carolers perform three times a night, and Mrs. Claus’s Kitchen has her stories about how she became a cookie expert, with Santa’s favorite cookie for sale at the cafe.
Reynolds Lights in The Junction
Just past the covered bridge, The Junction holds the Reynolds Lights, thousands of LED bulbs shaped into barns, animals and trees. It is the best photo backdrop on the grounds. Spark!Lab runs seasonal hands-on activities for kids who would rather build something than look at lights.
Tips for Your Night
- Walk a loop: projection show, then the Sleigh Barn for early photos, then the carousel or tubing hill, then the marketplace to warm up. It cuts backtracking with small kids.
- Dress for outdoors: most of the festival is outside. Layer up, bring hand warmers and plan breaks at the hearths, patio heaters and fire pits.
- Wear real shoes: the paths are gravel and uneven. If you bring a stroller, one with bigger wheels handles them best.
- Pick a quieter night: if your dates are flexible, we would take a weeknight or the first December weekend over a Saturday close to Christmas.
- Leave the tripod: phones and cameras are welcome, but tripods, monopods and selfie sticks are not allowed.
- Bring a card: there is no ATM, and food, drinks and candle dipping are extra.
Good to Know
- Weather: rain or snow can pause the festival. Lightning within 10 miles sends everyone to their cars or an indoor shelter for at least 20 minutes, and any delay past 9 p.m. cancels the night. If a night is canceled, your ticket value goes back on your Conner Prairie account to use on a future event, daily admission or a membership through Dec. 31, 2026. Email [email protected] to redeem it.
- Accessibility: the festival is open to guests with disabilities, but the 19th-century buildings and the stone and dirt paths can be hard going in a wheelchair, and the festival uses flashing lights. Accessible parking is near the Welcome Center. Call Guest Services at 317-776-6000 with questions.
- Not running: the 1859 Balloon Voyage does not fly during the festival, and daytime areas off the lighted paths are closed.
- Stay over: the Prairie Guest House is across the street if you want to make it a weekend.
More Holiday Fun Near Indianapolis
- Ride a holiday train in Indiana, from Santa trains to the Reindeer Run.
- Skip the ticket line with our list of free holiday festivals in Indianapolis.
- Fill the rest of winter break with our 101 things to do in Indianapolis with kids.
