The Civil War Journey – Conner Prairie
While Indiana was not a major battlefield in the Civil War, there was plenty of action that would draw brave Hoosiers into the fight. BPI designed and produced a multi-theater immersive journey based on Morgan’s Raid on Indiana.
The production creatively combines historical narrative and vivid storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual and theatrical technologies for a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
Guests cross an outdoor covered bridge in the Civil War Journey area. In the bridge they see historic banners describing the war having come to Indiana and hear locals’ fears and bravado in short audio clips. They are guided to the General Store where through the windows, visitors see the impending cavalry of General Morgan and are asked to rally with the town to protect themselves. Projection screens hidden behind scrims come to life with dramatic character recreations. They then see Morgan’s cavalry come thundering over the covered bridge (that they just crossed) and experience the raiders plundering the store.
The story unfolds through the eyes of the narrators—young Frank and Attia Porter, as well as Albert, a freed slave. The exhibition reaches new levels of excitement in another, even more complex theater experience where a series of rotating turntables reveal life-size dioramas at key moments, the turntables turn again and reveal large vertical projection screens that display battle sequences and the storyline characters. The theater includes multiple 4D special effects, including a tree falling over the guests’ heads and a cannon firing a cannonball that shoots across the theater and explodes through the wall revealing the park outside.
The Civil War Journey is one of the most popular attractions at Conner Prairie.
