The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center In North Dakota Has A Historic Fort, State-Of-The-Art Museum, And So Much More
By Leah|Published January 25, 2020
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Leah
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Leah moved to North Dakota when she was 12 years old and has traveled from the Red River Valley to the badlands and many places in between. She loves small-town life and currently enjoys living on a small farm in the ND prairie. She's always had a passion for writing and has participated in novel writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo multiple times. Her favorite part about this job is recognizing small businesses that deserve a boost and seeing the positive affect her articles can have on their traffic, especially in rural areas that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
Did you know that famous exploring duo Lewis and Clark spent more time in North Dakota during their expedition than they did any other state? Though it was long before the Peace Garden State was a state at all, they set up a fort and wintered on the prairie, and even met Sakakawea here. You can learn about all of this and more at one of the best museums in ND:
Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery embarked on a journey across the west in the first few years of the 1800s. Their expedition was exceptionally well documented and we follow their path to this very day.
During the expedition, they spent quite a bit of time in North Dakota at a place they established called Fort Mandan, named after the native peoples living in the area. It was here they established trade relationships, learned more about the area and its history, and spent the winter. Today, you can take a peek back into this time by visiting the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center.
It's located beautifully overlooking the Missouri River, which the team would have arrived on by boats. This spot is stunning and just another great reason to visit here.
Along with the museum, there is also a reconstruction of the actual Fort Mandan to explore. The fort is only open from April to September, however, so keep that in mind when planning your visit.
Inside the fort, you'll find accurate representations of the way they lived on the fort, the supplies they had, and the materials they would have been trading with the Native Americans. It will transport you back in time and it's quite an experience.
With such a standout museum, beautiful location, and so many historic features, the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center is surely a must-see for any history buff out there - and everyone else, too. People of all ages love this place!
Find out more about the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center by visiting this website. They are open year-round but have seasonal hours listed on their page. Have you ever visited this remarkable interpretive center? Tell us about your visit in the comments.