September 21, 2021
LEWIS AND CLARK INTERPRETIVE CENTER
4201 Giant Springs Rd, Great Falls, MT 59405
“Exhibits follow the adventurers' path at this spacious museum that also offers walking trails.”
This USDA Forest Service museum traces the path Lewis and Clark took on their historic expedition to the west coast and back. The tour began with a 30-minute Ken Burns narrated video about highlighting the explorers journeys. The museum then has you follow a winding trail through exhibits giving details of the corps dealings with the different Native American tribes and the trials and tribulations the explorers faced. There was a lot of reading, but I found it very informative and interesting. When I was finished I checked my watch thinking I had spent about an hour total in the museum, it turns out I had spent almost two hours inside.
Appropriately, the corps time in the Great Falls area was highlighted. The expedition had heard of the Great Falls from some of the Indians they had encountered, however, when they got to the area they found five different falls. They had planned a half day to get past the area, it took them five days.
The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center
A mounted Mountain Goat in the Center's Auditorium.
The beginning of the journey through the museum.
There were many placards with interesting information, like this recipe for buffalo sausage.
A display that talks about how the corps on their way out stashed gear and food in buried caches so they would have supplies on the way home.
A sculpture entitled "The Explorers at Giant Springs - 1805"
A diorama showing portaging their canoes over the falls in the Great Falls area.
A sculpture entitled "Great Falls of the Missouri."