Dear Friend,

The year 2021 was much like the Lewis and Clark Expedition itself: 

We faced many unexpected challenges, broke new ground and – thanks to teamwork, hard efforts and dedication – we ultimately made great progress.

Welcoming the World
The experience of visiting the Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum begins online.  We have a completely new website, Instagram and LinkedIn presence.  New signage on Interstate 70 beckons visitors and locals and showcases our  home in historic St. Charles.

Arriving visitors are greeted with “Now Open” signs that highlight our hours, status as a destination on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail and Groupon discounts. Climbing the steps, visitors see gleaming strands of 1,804 metal oak leaves above, an exhibit of the “possibles” bag and a new interpretative display bringing the history of St. Charles to life.

       From Albania to Kenya to China to Argentina, we welcomed guests to the museum and via Zoom, we taught classes as far away as Seattle.  We had 21,005 visitors in 2021!

“I didn’t know this place was here – and I grew up in St. Charles.” – an expression heard almost daily by first time visitors.

Brightening the Museum

New lighting and comfort improvements such as ceiling fans and heaters, invite visitors to enter.  We were delighted to see the percentage of people who enter the gift shop and then pay to enter the museum grow by 50 percent. In fact, despite keeping the admissions cost at the same low rate and having the same number of overall visitors, our revenue from admissions set a new record!

Thanks to donations from the Eller Family, staff have a new break room/ meeting area and the executive director’s office has space for displaying books and artifacts and room for meeting guests.  Fresh paint, a new tactile map for visually impaired guests and comfortable furniture on the balcony (courtesy of the Bowers family), improve our guests’ experience.

Lingering in the gift shop
For some in St. Charles, the Trading Post represents destination shopping.  This year, with a staff person dedicated to managing the shop, we added lighting, National Park Service products, and an expanded selection of books and items catering to cyclists and kayakers.

Thanks to our dedicated board members, we obtained a huge selection of the coffee-table book “Chasing Lewis & Clark Across America” by Ron Lowery and custom-made Bicentennial Christmas Ornaments. For veterans, active duty service members and holders of the Park Service “America the Beautiful” pass, we offer a discounted admission.  

Loving those Park Service Perks
As a destination on the Lewis & Clark Historic Trail, we offer the Junior Ranger program, stamp the Passports, have launched the Missouri River Wildlife Walk campaign and display a tactile map for the visually impaired.  We added a selection of brochures for attractions near and far to ensure we can help guests on their journeys. In the Spring of 2021, an exhibit detailing the mapping skills of Lewis & Clark developed by the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation was on display.

The Journey Continues
Despite the limitations inflicted by the pandemic, the Discovery Expedition was front and center for Miller’s Landing Days in New Haven, the Missouri Bicentennial events in St. Charles, the Governor’s Bicentennial Parade in Jefferson City, the Festival of the Little Hills in St. Charles, and the Walk Back in Time in Mexico, MO.

The group was also at the annual Encampment at Fort Massac, Illinois. In addition, we’ve been filming a series of 11 short films based on key episodes in the journals of Lewis & Clark, and have filmed on location in Falls of the Ohio State Park, Camp Dubois, Illinois; Portland, MO, St. Charles, MO, and Sioux Passage Park in North St. Louis County.

Be Our Guest

With the MR-340 Canoe and Kayak Race back to full operations, more than 1,000 people partied at the Boat House in July, with events including 24/7 operations, a live band, vendors and food and refreshments aplenty.  We also hosted a bicycle-themed wedding, a corporate team building event (complete with axe-throwing and filet mignon), an exhibit of the mapping skills of Lewis & Clark, and scores of school and seniors groups, including the Missouri School for the Blind and the University of Missouri St. Louis – Graduate Program in Museums, Heritage and Public History.  

The St. Charles Municipal Band was slated to perform eight times at the Boat House. We hosted a Firebird Club and even a “mini-prom” for high school students dressed to the nines.  The Explorers Club, St. Louis Chapter, had an event at the Boat House and among our many international visitors were people from Kenya, Ecuador, China, Ireland, and the Philippines.

Spread the News
As if widespread media coverage of Mo. Governor Mike Parsons on our Keelboat wasn’t enough, we had front-page coverage in the St. Charles County Community News and a feature segment on NBC affiliate KSDK-TV.  Our Facebook page reached people more 140,000 times. 

We had a live helicopter fly-over from the Fox affiliate KTVI.  As the new year begins, we are looking forward to feature articles in St. Louis Magazine and Show-Me Missouri Magazine.  As we seek to expand the number of events, we are now listed on The Knot/Wedding Wire and Eventective sites and joined the Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce.

Building for the Future

A climate-controlled and light-controlled section of the Museum is planned in the hope of acquiring and displaying some original relics in the future. With the building having its 20th anniversary in 2023, the project is part of a capital campaign, already funded with $70,000 in pledges from private donors Carlota (Lotsie) Hermann Holton, the Schneider family and the Eller family. Also funding new displays and an educational film series is The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, as part of the Lewis and Clark Trail Stewardship Endowment: A National Council of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Legacy Program. 

Movie Magic

The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles has been developing a Film Series that depicts in brief episodes, the key moments of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Each 4- to 8-minute segment highlights a brief chapter in a relatable, engaging format.  The series complements our online education program and fits perfectly with our Mission to educate new audiences, especially the young, on the importance of Lewis & Clark as the first naturalists and conservationists to journey west of the Mississippi and map lands and rivers and document species of flora, fauna and wildlife; survive in an unknown wilderness through grit and teamwork; and thus, change the history of our nation.

Each episode follows a pivotal moment in the expedition and its prelude:

1. Pilot- The Journey Begins 
2. The Handshake 
3. Nine Young Men from Kentucky 
4. York Steps into History (pending)
5. The Shooting Match 
6. Pathway into the Westward-MacKay’s Maps
7. The Charge of Mutiny 
8. Road to Redemption 
9. Death’s Door
10. The Election 

Supplemental Feature:

11. Falls of the Ohio State Park Interview – Dale Brown, Property Manager

Look for films in the new year!

We are a 501(c)3 Nonprofit. You can view our latest Financial Report here.

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Message from the Chairman:  Our future has never looked brighter since the Bicentennial concluded.  Many exciting opportunities are opening up on the horizon.  You can sense a renewed optimism permeating through the organization.  I encourage all to get involved and be part of the new Mission we are embarked upon.  Thanks to many old and new members,      I believe some of our best days are ahead of us.  We Proceed On!  Jan P. Donelson 

We cordially invite you to join or renew for 2022, and enjoy the privileges of your membership, including our twice monthly newsletter, free admission to the Boat House, discount at the Gift Shop and access to member-only events and notices!    If you are so inclined, please consider an additional donation! 

Thank you for your support!