Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center

12/05/2023

Only 4 more sleeps and Kids Secret Shopping Days and the Trim the Tree events are here.
Join us Saturday December 9 from 9:00a.m. - 1:00p.m. First, let us take the kids Christmas shopping while you sit back and relax. No gift over $10, we provide elf help and all your children's gifts will be wrapped and tree ready!
Then create some fun holiday tree decorations. There are two for your tree at home and one for the center's tree. It's a great way to kick off this Holiday Season at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. See you there!

12/01/2023

Click on the link and nominate us!

🫶Our SCHEELS Giving Campaign is here! 🫶
This year, Great Falls SCHEELS will be donating $25,000 to local nonprofits within our community! Here's how you can help create the list of potential organizations:
✅ Visit: https://bit.ly/3Ra2iNI
✅ Provide the name of your favorite nonprofit service organization by Sunday, December 10, 2023
✅ Share this post to help spread the word!

The amount of the donations and winners will be announced on our social pages on Monday, December 11, 2023.

11/28/2023

Don't forget, today is Giving Tuesday. Please visit www lewisandclarkfoundation.org and use the "Donate" button or the QR code to help us continue supporting our incredible Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.

11/22/2023

On behalf of the board and staff of the Lewis & Clark Foundation we wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!

11/17/2023

Celebrity sighting at the Center today! Our own Kelly Paladino met three of the stars of "Napoleon Dynamite", Napoleon Dynamite, Pedro and Uncle Rico - otherwise known as Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez and John Gries. They were in town today as a special presentation of the film, and took a side trip to see our amazing exhibits. Thank you for visiting us, Guys!

11/15/2023

Please join us in congratulating Duane on this much-deserved award! We LOVE working with him to make sure that the Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center is an incredible place to visit, for so many reasons.

🌟 Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center Director Duane Buchi was honored with the National Gifford Pinchot Excellence in Interpretation and Conservation Education Award. This national accolade celebrates a Forest Service employee who demonstrates a significant contribution to conservation education and interpretive services while strengthening essential partnerships.

“Duane’s leadership has enabled such a welcoming community of volunteers and staff at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center,” said Forest Supervisor Emily Platt. “He consistently delivers a memorable experience and keeps the story of the Corps of Discovery alive in a way that is relevant and respectful as they bring tens of thousands of visitors along for the journey each year.”

Duane has worked with the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center for the past nine years. Whether he is dressed up as Colter, a member of the Corps of Discovery, or cooking authentic 1800s food over open fire, he generously shares his gift for storytelling while also drawing in several dozen volunteers who share his enthusiasm for making history come alive. This June, Buchi worked with staff, partners, and volunteers to host the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center’s 25th anniversary celebration engaging 3500 visitors. To further youth engagement he partners with the Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center to provide bus stipends so that more people from rural areas can come to the Center to see all that it has to offer.

Through innovative partnerships, with the Lewis and Clark Foundation and the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, he has expanded the Center’s offerings to rural communities across central Montana and has worked with citizens of the Blackfeet Nation and Little Shell Chippewa Nation as well as the Great Falls School of Deaf and Blind to prepare a new accessible, self-guided ethnobotany exhibit tour around the Center that will open next year.

Come visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and meet Duane! The Center is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12- 5 p.m. and located at 4201 Giant Springs Rd in Great Falls, Montana.

11/06/2023

https://wildmontana.org/event/retracing-the-steps-of-lewis-and-clark/ - another great event this week at the Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center

Wild Montana's Island Range Chapter is excited to host retired history teacher and Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation member Norman Anderson who will share about the physical rigors the…

10/31/2023

You're Invited...
Historian Ken Robison will highlight the Lewis & Clark Expedition through Fort Benton’s eyes in a special program titled, “Ft Benton Remembers Lewis and Clark: A prelude to the Great Portage.” The program will take place 7 pm on November 14 at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
The program is hosted by the Portage Route Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, as part of the Ida Johnson Lecture Series, and is free to the public. The program is also available online through a Zoom link, by contacting PRC board member Zeke Leeds at [email protected], with PRC Program on the subject line.

10/31/2023

A great big thank you to everyone who joined us for our 3rd Annual Halloween Spooktacular! We had such fun and we already have some spooky new ideas for next year! Big shout out to all the amazing volunteers, staff and our good friends at Godfathers Pizza for making this event - TOTALLY AWESOME! See you next year!!!

10/29/2023

What an awesome costume contest
Thank you eveyone for joining in. We are open til 4 with FREE candy, Scavenger Hunt and crafts!

10/27/2023

Join us for our 3rd Annual Halloween Spooktacular! Sunday, October 29 from 12 - 4. FREE treat bags, FREE scavenger hunt, FREE crafts, FREE admission, FREE costume contest and more!

10/26/2023

3RD ANNUAL HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR
Sunday October 29 from 12pm - 4pm at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. FREE candy bag for all costumed youngsters (1 - 16), FREE admission to the center, FREE spooky crafts for the kids, FREE scavenger hunt, SPECIAL GIFT from Godfathers Pizza, and at 2pm a FREE costume contest! See you there!!!! Call 406-452-5661 for more information!

10/19/2023

Never know what you might see here.

10/17/2023

Did you know that there are many ways you can assist the Lewis & Clark Foundation in our mission to provide financial assistance to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center? One easy way is with a bequest. Don't know what that is? Take a look at this link to get started!

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10/16/2023

Only 13 more sleeps until our Halloween Spooktacular on October 29 from 12noon to 4 here at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. Our friends at Godfather's Pizza have a special treat for all costumed kiddo! So, mark your calendars and we will see you there!!!

10/13/2023

The Portage Route Chapter (PRC) is sponsoring a field trip on Saturday, October 21 to view some of the landscape of Lewis and Clark’s portage in 1805 and 1806. This is a rare opportunity to see the portage, especially since some of the locations are on private land and are not normally accessible by the public.
Those Interested should meet at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at 12:45 pm that day. The field trip is a free event and will be led by Claire Roehm and Norman Anderson. Participants will carpool to several stops along the portage route, mostly on gravel and dirt roads.
The first stop will be at the side coulee the expedition used to pull out of Willow Run. From there, the group will take the old railroad grade for a good view of Willow Run—likely within a couple hundred feet of where the expedition camped, made repairs, and where Hugh McNeal was chased into a tree by a grizzly bear.
From there, participants will stop at the PRC site commemorating the staging area before the Corps of Discovery began pulling across the prairie. The next stop will be at the Salem Bridge where the canoes were taken from today’s Belt Creek. The final stop will be the Widow Coulee fishing access site. This is a little more than a mile below where the expedition camped as they prepared for the portage and is a good representation of what the river shore was like.
At the conclusion of the tour, PRC board member Claire Roehm will have refreshments at her home nearby. Please contact Norman Anderson at [email protected] to sign up for this special trip.

10/12/2023

IT'S TIME TO DRESS TO IMPRESS AND JOIN US FOR SOME SPOOKY FUN!

10/12/2023

Guess what...our friends at Godfather's Pizza are providing a "special treat" for all costumed youngsters at this year's Halloween Spooktacular on October 29 from 12noon - 4p.m. here at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center! Special thanks to Jim and his awesome crew!

10/05/2023

You're Invited

09/22/2023

Check this out - that's one of our amazing volunteers, Darlene!

"It's an exercise program that helps older adults be stronger. It's a class of people all around the same age and maybe even the same physical abilities."

09/11/2023

Are you looking to make some extra money? Then look no further, as we are looking for a few weekend associates for our gift shop. We have both 7 and 5 hour shifts available, we offer minimum wage and provide experience in guest services, merchandising and retail relations. So, if you are interested pop by the store 4201 Giant Springs Road and grab an application or call Kelly 406-452-5661 to book an appointment.

09/09/2023

https://www.gatheringoffamilies.com/
Put this on your calendar!

The “Gathering of Families” project/event came from our own research with Native youth and their families from 2018 – 2020, where they expressed a desire to see culturally relevant activities for themselves and their families on and off the tribal lands.  It expanded to include all people bec...

09/05/2023

Hey Everyone:
Just a reminder that the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center now has their winter hours in affect.
Tuesday - Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 12noon - 5pm
CLOSED MONDAY!
They also have a new number to call for information:
406-453-6248

08/31/2023

We here at the Lewis & Clark Foundation want to wish all the students and the amazing teachers a great 2023-2024 school year! Can't wait to welcome you to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center!