Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Visitor Center

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

Today is the day!!!! Not only is it May Day, its the kick off for our Summer Book Club!
Below is our selected book.Learn more about trails, exploration and history! Local author,local book-grab it at our museums or library and let’s read it! Weekly post for discussions will be found here…….

04/29/2026

We are excited to share that we are one of the great spots for you to find Kit the Raccoon!

Looking for a fun outdoor challenge? Embark on Your Parks Adventure from May 1-Sept. 30, 2026, for a chance to explore the state and be eligible for prizes! In 2026, America will commemorate its 250th anniversary since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In partnership with the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation, explore 50 trails and museums that showcase various aspects of Nebraska’s history. Each Your Parks Adventure: Trail Trek location is also a registered WanderNebraska site and will be counted in the WanderNebraska program.

Only 2 days ‼ until the Your Parks Adventure Trail Trek and the WanderNebraska program starts!! Download the WanderNebraska app or pick up a book in the Heritage Park Museum to see all the wonderful places to visit and celebrate the nation's 250th birthday with fun trips this summer!! 💚

Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

04/24/2026

Happy Arbor Day!!

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day!!

04/12/2026

🌳 Celebrate Arbor Day with a trip through history!
While you’re enjoying the Arbor Day Celebration in Nebraska City April 24–26th, make time to explore our amazing local museums. It’s a fun, family-friendly way to learn about the people and stories that helped shape our community.
Plan your stops and start exploring:
👉 https://www.nebraskacitymuseums.org/
Bring the kids, discover something new, and celebrate the roots of Nebraska City! 🌳📚

02/09/2026

Retrace the Steps of America’s Greatest Explorers on This Stunning Nebraska River Bluff 👇🏻

01/15/2026

About a week ago we mentioned the Corps stopping in June 1804 for a short period in western Missouri to give the men a chance to “make a Toe rope out of the Cords of a Cable…," as ordered by William Clark.

In North America, most ropes were made from h**p prior to the 1830s. Fibers were spun into yarns, and yarns were twisted into strands. Then three or more strands were twisted together to form a rope. The more strands, the thicker and stronger the rope.

During the June 1804 rope-making camp, they primarily made tow ropes out of cords purchased by Lewis while in Pittsburgh. But in frontier locales, it was common to make rope using strips of animal skins, such as bearskin or elk hides. In fact, based on journal entries, we know the Corps did so in late August and November of 1804 and in March 1805. When they reached the White Cliffs section of the Upper Missouri River, all the tow ropes except one were made of elkskin.

In Europe and back the eastern U.S. ropes were typically made at a facility known as a ropewalk, first using hand-power, and by the mid-19th century, steam-power. Here’s a short video from George Washington Carver National Monument near Diamond, Missouri, in which the process of rope-making by hand is explained: https://youtu.be/ad9rdjGW7Xg.

Image: “The Rope Maker,” an engraved illustration from 1818. Public Domain.

Image Description: A black-and-white engraved image shows an early 19th century adult man using a simple ropewalk in an outdoor setting.

01/08/2026

January 8, 1805
Sgt. Ordway's visit

With a cold northwest wind blowing, Sgt. Ordway visits a Mandan village, likely the one nearest Fort Mandan—Mitutanka.

On the Ouachita River in present Arkansas, President Jefferson‘s Hunter and Dunbar Expedition turns back.

Mandan Village
Interpretive painting with a soldier and Indian walking in a snow-covered village

Mandan Village Visit
I went up to the village the wind blew cold from N. W.
—John Ordway

Hunter and Dunbar Turn Back
Also on this day, the Hunter and Dunbar Expedition, tasked by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the Ouachita River in the Louisiana Territory, turns back for home:

8th. Tuesday

This day, having put every thing on board the boat, we struck tents & took our departure from Ellis[‘]s Camp on our way back to the Mississipi to the no small joy of all hands, as their provisions, especially of flour & whiskey were for some time past expended . . . .
—George Hunter

Painting created by Split Rock Studios, Sioux City, Iowa. Original in the collection of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation and photographed by Kristopher K. Townsend.

01/06/2026

Did you know?

Joy Morton, the eldest son of J. Sterling Morton, was the founder of the Morton Salt Company, famous for the slogan “When it rains, it pours.” From 1903 to 1923, Joy used Arbor Lodge as his summer home before ultimately donating the property to the State of Nebraska as a monument to his father. Today, it stands as a lasting piece of Nebraska history in Nebraska City.