Attendance is climbing at Conner Prairie, located in Fishers, Indiana, just north of I-465. Conner Prairie officials say the new exhibits are attracting more visitors than projected. Attendance for November is up by 11 percent compared to last year’s monthly totals. More people means more money for this Fishers business. Revenue is also skyrocketing, already 4 percent higher than total revenue from 2008.

Recent attractions at Conner Prairie drew in huge crowds. The recent Headless Horesman exhibit brought tons of Halloween guests. This year’s 1959 Balloon Voyage exhibit brought in triple the expected number of visitors, topping out near 21,000. There is no shortage of fun things to do in Indianapolis, but Hoosiers just keep coming back to this Indianapolis attractions.

The struggling economy isn’t keeping Indy visitors from spending quality time at Conner Prairie, but the economy could be the cause of a decline in donations. This year’s total giving is down by 10 percent compared to last year, but officials are hoping to bounce back with heavy donations for the upcoming holidays.

Conner Prairie is one of the biggest attractions for visitors to the Indianapolis area. Conner Prairie, named for the town’s original settler, is a living history museum that represents 19^th Century life. Complete with a pioneer village and period residents, Conner Prairie receives visitors from all over, as well as group visits from local schools, scout troops, and other organizations seeking a fun, educational experience that makes history come alive.

Holiday festivities with Conner Prairie are remarkable. Guests can take a stroll through the gingerbread village, or see Conner Prairie by Candlelight all through December. There will be special Holiday on the Prairie event on Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. As usual, guests may purchase lunches, or hearthside suppers while visiting this Indianapolis history landmark.

Conner Prairie is open throughout the Holiday Season, and closed on Mondays, Christmas Eve and Day. If you’re looking for fun things to do in Fishers, visit Indy’s living history museum, Conner Prairie.

Conner Prairie
13400 Allisonville Rd
Fishers, Indiana 46038
317.776.6006
Website

The town of Fishers, IN scores highest in terms of livability, safety, education, and economic performance.

Source: Bloomberg Business Week

When Mario Massillamany and his parents left Sri Lanka in 1983, they landed in Indianapolis and eventually settled some 20 miles away in Fishers, Ind., a bustling community with ornamental street lamps, a train station, and clear roads during the snow season. Over the years, the fast-growing town attracted many young families, added new homes, and improved its recreational and entertainment amenities. Residents can drive from one end of town to the other in about a quarter of an hour, finding grocery stores, restaurants, and hospitals within minutes.

Massillamany, 32, returned to Fishers after attending law school in Colorado and moved with his wife to the Brooks Chase subdivision, home to many newlyweds and first-time homebuyers. “Everything here is so new and close,” he says. Most important, he adds, Fishers’ excellent school system will be a great asset for his son, now 20 months old.

Fishers emerged as America’s best affordable suburb in Bloomberg BusinessWeek‘s 2010 report. Affordability is among the most important factors when selecting a place to raise a family, but it is far from the only consideration. In too many regions, low prices also translate to substandard services, poor schools, and high crime rates.

To identify those towns that offered both affordability and good quality of living, we evaluated 863 communities according to a range of metrics developed with New York-based real estate data company Onboard Informatics. These include living expenses, income, crime rate, schools, commute, local economy, racial diversity, and green space. We selected the highest scoring place in each state. (See the slide show for more about the methodology.)

Data from OnBoard shows that the average family income in Fishers is $108,086 and the average home value is $174,438, an attractive ratio compared with many other places. In comparison, the 2008 Census pegged the average U.S. family income at $50,303; the average home value was $173,200 in February, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Fishers: high points across the board

Gary A. Huff, town manager of Fishers, says: “We have a very diverse housing market and that enables people to buy within their income levels.” To support affordability, the town council has maintained a position to control the property tax rate—$0.51 for $100—the lowest rate in Hamilton County, according to Huff.

Favorable real estate values are not the only thing that Fishers has to offer. The town scored high points for livability, safety, education, and economic performance. Fishers’ unemployment rate was 6.5% in December 2009, compared to 9.8% statewide, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, the rate of violent crime and property crime here is far below the national average.

Massillamany and his wife considered other suburbs that offered good home values, but felt they were no match for Fishers in terms of convenience and lifestyle. They bought a 3,100-square-foot house with three bedrooms and 2.5 baths, valued today at $162,000. They are now building a four-bedroom home, worth about $340,000, because they plan to have more children.

Like Fishers, this year’s diverse list of best affordable suburbs generally includes middle- to upper-middle-class neighborhoods with family-oriented environments, community organizations, sports leagues, and outdoor amenities.

Population size ranged from 58,856 in Fishers to 5,094 in Cave Creek, Ariz. Average family incomes went from $54,008 in Jefferson, La., to $116,345 in Newcastle, Wash. Some of the larger cities have pedestrian-friendly downtown areas in which businesses, government, and public life are centralized. Other suburbs tout historic, small-town ambience or mountain views. Some less-developed areas may be close to only a few franchise restaurants, supermarkets, and repair shops on main roads but have high-performing schools and reasonably priced homes.