July 1, 2021
 

Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan Transfer to State Historical Society of North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. – As of July 1, 2021, the State Historical Society of North Dakota is managing the North Dakota Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan State Historic Site in Washburn. Both properties were formerly managed by the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department until a change in the state’s century code enacted by the 2021 State Legislative Assembly. Visiting hours, public tours, and services at each site remain the same. Dana Morrison, formerly the interpretive coordinator, was recently named as site supervisor and will oversee daily operations.

With the addition of these two sites, the State Historical Society now manages 59 museums and historic sites across North Dakota. “We’re excited to add these significant places to our historic sites management,” says State Historical Society Director Bill Peterson. “They will help us complete our story of the history of this region from around 1400 to today using the Missouri River as a narrative channel. We look forward to working with the Washburn community to enhance tourism and commerce.”

The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center offers engaging exhibits, hundreds of period artifacts, world-class art collections, and interpreters who tell the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s arrival at the Mandan and Hidatsa villages in 1804. Visitors can also step back in time at the reconstructed Fort Mandan, a furnished, full-size replica of the fort in which the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter in 1804-1805.

“The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan play an important role in telling the history of our state, and we’re confident that visitors will still receive quality experiences at both sites from the same knowledgeable staff,” says North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department Director Andrea Travnicek.

Find more information about the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, Fort Mandan, 57 additional state historic sites, and upcoming activities and rental opportunities at history.nd.gov/sites. For questions about the change in sites management, please call 701.328.2666.

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CONTACT
Kim Jondahl 701.328.1476

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