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Montana’s Lewis & Clark Festival Takes You Back In Time To 1805

The Lewis & Clark Festival in Great Falls offers a weekend of historical re-enactments, demonstrations, and activities celebrating the famous expedition.

Published May 19, 2021

Written by 

Jessica Wick

The Lewis & Clark Expedition was quite the adventure, as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the new Louisiana Purchase from 1804-1806. The group spent quite a bit of time in Montana, which is something you can learn about in detail at the Lewis & Clark Foundation in Great Falls.

And if you happen to be a true history buff, check out the Lewis & Clark Festival, which kicks off July 9th this year. The weekend of presentations and re-enactments is a total blast.

The Lewis & Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center was founded n 1991 by some local citizens who teamed up with the U.S. Forest Service to create a nonprofit. It officially opened to the public in 1998.

Sign for the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, surrounded by a grassy field with flowers.
Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center / Facebook

The foundation is located in Great Falls, and it's a fantastic resource for information on the expedition.

The annual Lewis & Clark Festival has been a Great Falls tradition for years.

Two individuals in traditional Native American attire stand near a colorful teepee in a grassy area.
Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center / Facebook

While it (obviously) had to pause operation in 2020, this year's dates have been set for July 9 - July 11.

This weekend-long event is your chance to travel back in time, to journey through the weathered pages of the daily journals kept by Lewis and Clark themselves.

A historical reenactment with people in period costumes gathered around a tent, engaging an audience in a park setting.
Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center / Facebook

Since they wrote detailed descriptions of their journey and what they experienced, telling their stories is easy (and fascinating).

The events include demonstrations, exhibits, and even some all-out re-enactments.

A speaker presents in front of traditional tipis, with an audience seated on chairs in a grassy area.
Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center / Facebook

The actors are dressed in historic clothing, and everything is kept as authentic as possible.

To put it mildly, things get quite real.

A group of reenactors in historical attire fires muskets, with smoke rising and a teepee in the background.
Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center / Facebook

You'll smell the burning campfires and gun powder, taste the same foods the Expedition ate, and enjoy the sites of tipis and Native American dancers and drummers. There will also be food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, and even a special children's area.

The Lewis & Clark Festival is free to attend, although certain things will require a purchase.

A group of historical reenactors in period clothing, holding rifles and an American flag, posing outdoors in a park.
Lewis and Clark Foundation at the Interpretive Center / Facebook

Set aside the weekend of July 9 - 11 to learn about this fascinating part of our history.

Doesn't this festival sound fun? The Lewis & Clark Foundation is pretty great. They even have a Digital Escape Room.

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