Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center (Great Falls, MT)

Life-size diorama of the Lewis and Clark Expedition portaging a canoe around the falls

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

4201 Giant Springs Road, Great Falls, MT

MANAGED BY:

U.S. Forest Service

Amenities

11 listed

Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Junior Ranger Booklet Available, Parking - Auto, Picnic Table, Restroom, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Theater/Auditorium

Any trip to Great Falls, Montana is sure to be filled with plenty of Lewis and Clark adventures. It was here over a period of a month in the summer of 1805, the men of the Corps did the almost unthinkable – an 18-mile portage of all the supplies, instruments, personal belongings, food, and canoes around the five intimidating falls of the Missouri River.  

Today, overlooking the Missouri is the equally impressive Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, administered by the USDA Forest Service. In this beautiful 25,000-square-foot building, visitors are fully immersed in the legendary story of Lewis and Clark. The Center not only chronicles the portage journey of the expedition, it explains the Corps’ important experiences with Plains and Northwest Indians. You’ll learn details of the plants and animals that expedition members documented and you’ll feel the expedition’s disappointment at the impossibility of a Northwest Passage water route.

Visitor info:

Begin your indoor journey with one of two video presentations in the theater-style auditorium. Then join a ranger for a guided program or explore on your own through two levels of interpretive displays and exhibits. The self-guided exhibit hall’s centerpiece is the two-story diorama of the portage of the Missouri River’s five great falls. You can even test your strength pulling a boat against the Missouri’s current. Enhance your journey with a 30-minute audio tour available in multiple languages, or choose the optional actor-portrayed, 45-minute audio of William Clark and George Shannon reminiscing 20 years after the expedition -- available in English only.

Be sure to save some time to venture outdoors with a ranger, or explore several trails on your own. Enjoy scenic overlooks and native landscaping. Educational displays along the trails focus on the important roles landscape and wildlife played in the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s time in Montana. Don’t miss the short trail to neighboring Giant Springs State Park, site of another historic landmark along the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Before you depart, be sure to check out the Portage Cache store for a wide-variety of gifts, books, toys, and other expedition-related items. 

For current fees, hours, and information, go to: 
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/helena-lewisclark/offices/lewis-and-clark-interpretive-center

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