Conner Prairie - Follow the North Star Tour
Saturday, November 11, 2017

Join history professors, Matt and Sarah Vosmeier, and fellow alumni at Conner Prairie for an evening connecting intellectually and experience the life of a freedom seeker through the Follow the North Star tour.  At the end of the tour, your group will assemble with a facilitator to debrief on the experience.

"Participants travel back to the year 1836 and assume the role of [freedom seekers looking for] freedom on the Underground Railroad through the state. Traveling as a group, you will encounter a variety of characters, ranging from sympathetic allies to racist antagonists. It is a powerful experience that generates empathy, provokes discussion, and immerses visitors in this important part of our nation’s history" (Conner Prairie).

Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are $10 per person.  Two tours are available to choose from and will start at 6:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Approximately one week prior to the event, your tickets and attendance waiver(s) will arrive by mail.  Please plan to arrive at 5:45 p.m. and bring these items with you to the Ticket Desk on the lower level of the Welcome Center.

Follow the North Star is not for everyone. You should be prepared to take on the role of a freedom seeker; you'll be walking outside on rough terrain and is recommended that you dress for the weather.  It is also physcially demanding - you will need to walk approximately one-half mile during the course of the program and you may be asked to get on your knees, squat, and/or perform physical tasks.  Comfortable shoes, long pants and long sleeves that you don't mind getting dirty are recommended. 

All guests have the opportunity to opt-out as participants at any time during the program.  Headbands are given out at the beginning of the program that signals to Conner Prairie interpreters that you are no longer participating in the interactive tour.  If you choose not to participate for whatever reason, simply put on the headband and the staff will know not to engage with you.

*Youth, under the age of 12, are not allowed to experience Follow the North Star.  Youth, age 12-15, must be accompanied by an adult.