The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is pleased to announce it has won an Iowa Tourism Award for Outstanding Attraction. The award ceremony was held at the Iowa Tourism Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, March 20, as part of the Iowa Tourism Conference. This award recognizes the Center’s efforts to support and grow tourism in Iowa.
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center’s Scraposaurs Traveling Exhibit supported Iowa tourism by providing a unique cultural experience for visitors and by having a positive impact on the community. Made from recycled metal and found objects by award-winning artist Dale Lewis, the Scraposaurs Traveling Exhibit featured fourteen fun and inspiring large-scale metal sculptures of dinosaurs and strange prehistoric creatures. This family-friendly exhibit was highly educational, inspiring visitors to create their own sculptures from recycled materials.
As an integral part of the Lewis and Clark Trail, highlighted by the Floyd Monument, the first historic national landmark designated in the United States, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is a stop for many travelers. It is not unusual for the Center to have visitors each year from 90% of the states. People traveling the Lewis and Clark trail learn that Iowa has more connection with the Corps of Discovery than they realized. In turn they often ask about other places to visit.
The project increased visitation to the area and increased associated tourism expenditures in the community. During the summer months of May, June, July, and August of 2022, the Center averaged per month 830 visitors from Iowa, 122 visitors from South Dakota and 190 visitors from Nebraska.
