About Ryan Shank, Director of Historical and Digital Resources 

Shank is an Emmy-award-winning documentary filmmaker and museum professional with a passion for American history. Cutting his proverbial museum teeth in Washington, DC, where he got an MA in Museum Studies from George Washington University, Shank worked for the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum before moving back to his home state of Indiana in 2022. 

At Conner Prairie, he produces digital educational content in tandem with the talented teams across the museum, whether it is with collection, our animals, our trails, or our historic skills. He recently released an hour-long documentary on the history of Prairietown, which was shown at the 2025 Heartland International Film Festival. 

The Department of Historical and Digital Resources also combines the Curatorial and Research team, the Archive and Research Library, and Conner Prairie’s collection of nearly 27,000 everyday objects that help tell the story of life in Indiana.