Offerings at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center this winter
Author: Chiara Cipriano, Public Affairs Officer
Offerings at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center this winter
Chiara Cipriano
Public Affairs Officer
Starting January 23, 2024 - The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center will waive general admission fees through the end of February to promote visitation and accessibility.
“We have got lots of programs going on in and out of the Center this winter,” said Center Director Duane Buchi. “From snowshoe tours to a winter film festival, this is a great time of year to come check out all the different programs and activities we offer!”
During the winter, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, and from 12 – 5 p.m. on Sundays. The Interpretive Center will offer its standard schedule of orientation videos and access to exhibit space. The Center will still charge standard tuition for school groups that come for formal education programs and for commercial tour groups.
Upcoming events/opportunities with the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center include:
* Winter Trails Day: Save the date! On Saturday, Feb. 3 we will host the Winter Trails Day event at the Silver Crest activity area, sponsored by Get Fit Great Falls, Big Horn Outdoor Specialists, and Scheels Sporting Goods in coordination with Cascade County Search and Rescue, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, and the U.S. Forest Service. Participants have their choice of snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or both. For those interested in cross-country skiing contact Bighorn Outdoor Specialists at (406) 453-2841 for reservations and an equipment fitting prior to the event. All wishing to participate in any of the snowshoe hikes can sign up online at: http://getfitgreatfalls.com/hikes-winter/
* Guided Snowshoe Hikes: After the Winter Trails Day event, the next guided hikes will take place at the Silver Crest Recreation Area in the Little Belt Mountains on March 2 and April 6. The hikes are free, and snowshoes and a guide will be provided, but space is limited. Please contact the Center at (406) 727-8733 to make your reservations.
* Winter Film Festival: The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center will offer five film presentations in this year’s event, “Voices of the Forest,” with a series of nature films depicting some of our planet’s outstanding organisms. These are free programs that will be presented in the Center theater at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoons in February and include Showdown at Grizzly River (Feb 1), The Salmon Forest (Feb 8), Fox Tales (Feb 15), What Plants Talk About (Feb 22) and Walking with Giants: The Grizzlies of Siberia (Feb 29).
* Snowshoe rentals: offered for visitors to borrow free of charge – sizes for children and adults available.
* Ida Johnson Winter Speaker Series: The Portage Route Chapter of the National Trail Heritage Foundation sponsors a special speaker on the second Tuesday of each month in February, March, April, and May. For every event, doors open at 6:30 pm and the presentation runs from 7 – 8 p.m.
* On February 13, join Austin Haney of the Blaine County Museum for his presentation entitled “No Finer Troops in Service: Buffalo Soldiers in Big Sky Country 1888-1905.” Participants will learn of the history of African American soldiers, their service in the early days of Montana, and some of their extraordinary legacies.
* On March 12, Mary Jane Bradbury, a gifted storyteller, will delight participants with a living history presentation on Lucy Marks, the mother to Meriwether Lewis. Ms. Bradbury is known for connecting audiences from classrooms to boardrooms to the lives of outstanding women who made a difference. She is currently an artist in residence at the CM Russell Museum in Great Falls, MT and serves as an interpretive enactor for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
* Volunteer Opportunities: The Center is always looking for the right volunteer. Opportunities exist for education and exhibit hall docents, greeting visitors, helping with special events, and performing a variety of administrative details. Please call or visit the Center and ask for an application if you’re interested in getting involved.
Since 1998, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center has brought alive the indomitable spirit of exploration embodied by the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition through western North America and their interactions with Plains and Northwest Indians. Each year, nearly 50,000 visitors get to engage in live programs with park rangers and special presenters, walk interpretive trails, explore 25,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits, and view movies directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan or Gray Warriner.
The Interpretive Center is managed by the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Call us at (406) 727-8733 or visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/hlcnf/recarea/?recid=61458 for more information.
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PhotoCredit: United States Forest Service
Image 1 Caption: USFS Logo
Image 2 Caption: Painted bison at the entrance of the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center
Photo Credits: United States Forest Service
