lewis & clark national historic trail interpretive center

My mother in law was here for a visit and being from England did not know too much about Lewis and Clark so we decided to take an afternoon and explore the Center.The displays are laid out in chronological order you wind your way through the exhibit the same way Lewis and Clark travelled the Missouri River. The Center is spacious and well laid out, it takes a good 2 plus hours to make your way through if you take time and read everything each exhibit has to offer. I am a huge history buff I thouroughly enjoyed the Center. You can even leave the center and jump on the trail located behind the building. The diaorama of the portage is eye opening to say the least it dipects the struggle portaging around the falls it was no walk in the park!In October around Halloween the Center has Shadows in the Dark, the staff dressses as different people from the expedition, they step out of the shadows hold a candle and tell their story. Every year it chages we have not made it to one as of yet but we are planning to this year. You do need to make reservations and they do go fast. The staff are Lewis and Clark buffs they are very knowlegable, friendly and can answer just about any question you can think of. They have a movie theater that shows short movies through out the day showing the various parts of the journey very interesting.

Being English living in Canada, Lewis & Clark was not in our schooling. I learnt so much about the beginnings of America. The museum is very well presented, the staff helpful & now we want to visit more Lewis & Clark sites in the US.

this is a great place to spend an hour or 2. there is plenty to learn in a fun manor and is good for all ages. also if you go combine with a walk along the river to giant springs

This is a class act. It is professional and informative. It tells the story of Lewis and Clarks travels from the start to its ending. It captures the time and struggles through Montana. Very much your time and effort to go through.

The top site for history/exploration/early America buffs, this Interpretive Center is a must-see. Nestled into the banks of the Missouri River, the center blends into its surroundings & shows how arduous the journey was. Well-trained docents guide visitors through the center which also presents films and various presentations throughout the year. Young visitors especially will enjoy the hands-on exhibits.

Very well put together and the people that work there and volunteer are true Lewis and Clark Buffs. The gift shop is very historical and very little cheap items.

Great Falls is a pretty small town but this museum is really excellent!!! Lots of things to see and hands on exhibits are entertaining and educational. All ages will enjoy this place. There are two informative movies shown through out the day also. I have bad knees which makes walking hard but I was able to do this and there are places to sit for a few when pain gets too bad. I would suggest having a few more chairs/benches spread out amongst the exhibits for the physically challenged. That said it was still very doable. There are also walking trails that go on for miles, again a few more benches would be nice so us physically challenged do not have to miss anything!! There is an elevator to get down to the trails as well as both floors of the museum so it is very wheel chair accessible too. This is a must see when in Great Falls. Also don't forget to stop by the hatchery and hot springs (springs are also a must see, beautiful!!!) and stop by the falls/dams while in the park driving (they are past this place on same road which runs right next to the Missouri River very pretty). Also all places very doable for physically challenged with benches through out.

We stopped in at the interpretive center and learned more than we expected! It is a beautiful site that is well maintained.

Great little interpretive museum telling the story of Lewis and Clarke along the river with plenty of walking/biking trails nearby in better weather.

Great for all ages. Take your time, it's well worth going through all the displays. Staff are extremely friendly and encourage questions from all parties. Lighting is well done for viewing displays.

You are located in the canoe portage area that took hard gruelling days to get above the then 'great falls' (now hydroelectric dams.) You canlive and breath history here.

Very well crafted walk-through museum of Great Falls' role in the history of Lewis and Clark. There are plenty of interesting readings and displays, some interactive. We spent about 2 hours reading most of everything. It is wheelchair accessible. Highly recommend for visitors.

I am a student of Ancient Europe/Middle East history, so get easily get bored by history that is newer then 1000 years. However, as a firearms aficionado, I found the firearms and miniature wagon collection to be fascinating. There is something for everyone.

We stayed in Great Falls on our way from Yellowstone to Glacier National Park so that we could visit the Interpretive Center. It was well worth the trip. We viewed the film which did an excellent job of providing the history of Lewis & Clark.

Being a fan of L & C the center was a delight to visit and lived up to my expectations. The volunteers were informative and the displays were interesting. Great views from the center to the river.