Lewis and Clark: Coming Home

History comes alive for students

November 11, 12 and 13, 2006

Come celebrate the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and their journey home.

Hear first hand accounts of the harrowing adventures, enjoy music of the time period, see the tools of the trade, witness a gifting ceremony with the Shawnee...

Outdoor exhibits and reenactors breath life into the story of the expedition and the story of westward movement. Special presentations and programs will be occurring throughout the weekend. This event is free and open to the public! School groups are welcome and encouraged to call in advance.

See schedule below.

For more information please call the park visitor center at [phone], extension 1075.

In May of 1804 two men headed up an expedition that was unlike anything that had been attempted before. The mission was to explore a wild, new land, west of the mighty Mississippi River. It would ultimately take them west along the Missouri River, across the Rocky Mountains, down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, and then back again - a journey of some 8,000 miles! They were military men with whom President Thomas Jefferson had placed his trust to explore new territory recently acquired by the United States. Their names were Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

 

Lewis and Clark

The expedition was a mission of science, exploration, and discovery. Along the way Lewis and Clark identified strange new plants and animals, made note of rugged geologic features, and came face to face with the native tribes found throughout the rugged wilderness. They befriended the native peoples and immersed themselves in the cultures that they encountered. These native tribes provided food, shelter, and vital information about this new territory and without their help the mission would have surely failed.

 

In 1806, after more than two years, the Lewis and Clark Expedition returned to St. Louis, Missouri. Many had given them up for dead. However, their grit and determination prevailed, and they returned as heroes - with maps, specimens, and very detailed journals recounting their adventure. In November of 1806, Meriweather Lewis traveled through the historic Cumberland Gap on his way to Washington D.C. to report his findings to President Thomas Jefferson. In December, William Clark also came through the Cumberland Gap on his way to join his friend and expedition companion in Washington.

Their return was much more than a homecoming - it was an awakening, an awareness, the answer to a call for exploration and a quest for knowledge.

 

Program Schedule
All programs are open to the public and free of charge!

Saturday, November 11
10:00 AM Outdoor exhibit area opens
10:00 AM Lewis and Clark program in auditorium
11:00 AM Music on outdoor stage
12:00 PM Westward Movement program in auditorium
1:00 PM Diversity of the Lewis and Clark Expedition program in auditorium
2:00 PM Corps of Discovery Expedition arrives
3:00 PM Music on outdoor stage
4:00 PM Gift ceremony with the Shawnee
5:00 PM Outdoor exhibit area opens
6:00 PM Lowering of the colors

Sunday, Novmber 12
9:00 AM Hike along Wilderness Road and Warrior's Path with Shawnee and Corps of Discovery Expedition from Thomas Walker Trailhead
10:00 AM Outdoor exhibit area opens
12:00 PM Music on outdoor stage
1:00 PM Myths and Misperceptions of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in auditorium
2:00 PM Unveiling of Lewis and Clark historical marker
4:00 PM Lewis and Clark Legacy program in auditorium
5:00 PM Outdoor exhibit area closes

Monday, November 13
9:00 AM Outdoor exhibit area opens
9:00 AM Music on oudoor stage
10:00 AM Lewis and Clark program on outdoor stage
11:00 AM Music on outdoor stage
12:00 PM Lewis and Clark program on outdoor stage
1:00 PM Lewis and Clark program on outdoor stage
2:00 PM Outdoor exhibit area closes

For more information please call the park visitor center at [phone], extension 1075.