Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center

Located on the banks of the Rivanna River in Darden Towe Park, the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center is a hands-on center focusing on the historic Lewis & Clark expedition as a gateway for learning about history, exploration, transportation, the arts, science, the natural environment, and native cultures. The Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center is a place where children and adults are encouraged to explore!

We offer field trips throughout the year! We teach the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the experience of being aboard life-size replicas of the Expedition boats, including the 55-ft. long Keelboat, the 42-ft. long Red Pirogue, the 39-ft. White Pirogue, as well as a Native American bull boat (made of buffalo hide and willow branches); hands-on activities; hikes; exhibitions; and through art projects inspired by the mapmaking, art and journals of Lewis and Clark.

Email us at lcecvirginia@gmail.com to arrange a field trip for your school or group.

Charlottesville is an important part of the history of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Meriwether Lewis was born in Ivy, near Charlottesville, and his relatives lived in the shelter of the Southwest Mountains where the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center is also located. William Clark's family once owned the land where the Center was built, and his older brother George Rogers Clark was born in a small cabin nearby. We are located off the beautiful Rivanna River, which was travelled by Thomas Jefferson, whose Monticello is only a 30-minute kayak or canoe ride downstream from our river launch. Criss-crossing trails fan out from the Center and along the river.