About

MISSION: Located on the banks of the Rivanna River in Darden Towe Park in Charlottesville, Va., the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center is a hands-on center focusing on the historic expedition as a gateway for learning about exploration, transportation, the arts, science, the natural environment, and native cultures.

EXPEDITION: Conceived by Thomas Jefferson, the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1803-1806) was led by Meriwether Lewis, who was born in Albemarle County, and by William Clark, whose family lived for years in Albemarle County on land adjacent to the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center site. See a selection from board member Bill Speiden's weekly articles on the Corps of Discovery.

FACTS: Please note that our regular public programming has been suspended during construction of our new museum building. We will resume regular public programs as soon as the building is open. In the meantime, you may be interested in the special boat tours that are still available, described on the home page. In a typical year, we are open to the general public May through October on weekends at the Keelboat Barn in Darden Towe Park and by appointment to school and scouting groups throughout the year during the week. We serve approximately 5,000 visitors per year, and anticipate serving 25,000 our first year in our new facility. Our program and operational budget for 2010 is $191,000. We had a full audit in 2003 and a review audit in 2007.