Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center

Welcome to Lewis & Clark country! Around here it’s a source of immense pride that the idea of Lewis & Clark and The Corps of Discovery Expedition began up the hill at Thomas Jefferson’s house. Both Meriwether Lewis and William Clark hailed from Albemarle County. Numerous descendants and several properties harken back to America’s original astronauts.

The Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center is a celebration of their Undaunted Courage. Located along the Rivanna River at Darden-Towe Park, the center itself is an architectural gem: the modified-prairie school design by Hays & Ewing won a national architecture award in 2018. On this site the landscape and river converge onto a plain of environmental sustainability and education. Rotating activities include all the endeavors of the Corps of Discovery: mapmaking, journaling, drawing, nature observation, carpentry, boat building, and more. Trails along the Rivanna River deepen the sense of adventure’s origins.

Admission is $7. Call ahead to reserve space.