Siouxland’s riverfront gathering place
The Center’s
Assets
Our unique, state of the art assets present a broad range of culturally enriching programming. We work hard to diversify our programming.
Locals and Visitors Alike
The Center’s staff welcomes every person who sets foot on our campus and seeks to provide them with a rich cultural experience.
Community
Support
The Center is a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization not funded by tax dollars. We rely entirely on grants and donations to fund our operations. We are an organization supporting donor advised funds.
Our History
Missouri River Historical Development, Inc. built the Sioux City Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in 2002 to commemorate the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.
The Center expanded in late 2007 with the opening of the adjoining Betty Strong Encounter Center to fulfill a permanent mission of commemorating a history of encounters before, during and after the expedition.
Joined by a long indoor pathway called the Crossroads, the two facilities comprise 20,000 square feet of office, exhibit and programming space.
Our Mission
The Center explores the stories of how we live together as diverse people; and how we care for our land, our great river, and the other natural resources we have inherited.
In its ongoing journey, the Center aims to create a home for dialogue that fosters understanding and peace among people who were in this area before Lewis and Clark, those who came after, and those who continue to make their home in this region.
Informally, we also seek to provide our community with a welcoming place of learning, exploration and entertainment with a broad range of programming offerings to improve Siouxland’s quality of life.
Our biggest supporters
Missouri River Historical Development (MRHD) built the Center in 2002, and has sustained our operations ever since with a generous annual grant and ongoing guidance.
Grantors
Granting entities play an important role in allowing the Center to expand and diversify our programming. Center staff has recently redoubled efforts to earn grants through a variety of sources with a goal of becoming more self-sustaining over time.
Association Members
Our Association Members are an important source of funding for the Center, and we appreciate their loyal support.
Businesses and individual donors
Siouxland’s business community has proven to be generous in their support for the Center, and though we don’t charge admission, our guests make sure our donation boxes are never empty.