Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center - Lewis and Clark Trail Experience

Information

Open 7 days a week 10:00 AM To 4:00 PM Closed major holidays

(712) 279-0198

Free Admission

Only service animals are allowed inside this site.

lat: 42.4911307 long: -96.4175903

Our site is a unique dry docked riverboat in the heart of America. The MV Sergeant Floyd, situated next to the Missouri River, is home to an Iowa Welcome Center, a river museum and a gift shop. You can learn about Native American culture, fur trapping, the Lewis & Clark expedition, hard working steamboats and much more. This is a self guided tour, but guided tours can be made by appointment. We offer presentations to schools, bus tours, class reunions and more. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff is here to answer your questions, point you to local favorites and make sure your time spent here is enjoyed! We hold annual events each year, including:

The Bill Diamond Antique & Classic Car Show (the second Sunday in July).
The Sergeant Floyd Memorial & Encampment Ceremony (always held in August).
A new Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt (on the grounds each April).

We are open year round and only closed four major holidays. We have free parking, and RV/bus parking is available. The boat is located right next to Interstate 29, at exit 149, so it is very easy to access. Set right next to the river this is a beautiful drive along the riverfront as well. In 2020 riverfront restorations began to add in and update existing features also.

Sgt. Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center

Sgt. Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center

Sgt. Floyd Burial Re-Enactment

Sgt. Floyd Burial Re-Enactment

Sgt. Floyd Encampment

Sgt. Floyd Encampment

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat

Bill Diamond Annual Car Show

Bill Diamond Annual Car Show

Bill Diamond Car Show

Bill Diamond Car Show

Bill Diamond Car Show

Bill Diamond Car Show

Bill Diamond Car Show

Bill Diamond Car Show

Bill Diamond Car Show

Bill Diamond Car Show

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Displays

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Displays

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Display

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Display

Inside Sgt.Floyd Riverboat-6 Hour Canoe

Inside Sgt.Floyd Riverboat-6 Hour Canoe

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Dug Out Canoe

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Dug Out Canoe

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Display

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Display

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Controls

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Controls

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Pilot House

Inside Sgt. Floyd Riverboat-Pilot House

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

Kite Flying/Scavenger Hunt

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Site of the Week: The Lewis and Clark Visitor’s

Site of the Week: The Lewis and Clark Visitor’s Center at Gavins Point Dam

By August of 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition had entered the land of the Yankton Sioux, a powerful tribe on the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark were tasked with notifying them that the United States now had a claim over their land. So, on August 29, the expedition met with the tribe at a site called Calumet Bluff where Lewis gave his routine speech and the customary gifts were handed out.

Today, the Lewis and Clark Visitor’s Center at Gavins Point Dam sits on Calumet Bluff, overlooking the nearly two-mile-long Gavins Point Dam. The dam was originally planned to be built further upstream at Gavins Point,the place from which the dam gets its name. However, even though it was constructed at a different site (which resulted in the formation of Lewis and Clark Lake), the dam maintained its original name throughout the project.

The visitor’s center, which is operated by the Army Corp of Engineers, has exhibits pertaining to the wildlife and rich history of the area. Information regarding recreation on Lewis and Clark Lake is also available, as well as a gift shop and bookstore. There is a viewing deck on the back of the visitor’s center which allows visitors to view the Gavins Point Dam.

https://www.nps.gov/places/lewis-clark-visitor-center-at-gavins-point-dam-nebraska.htm

Photos credited to Cait Clark

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #nebraska

Site of the Week: Sergeant Floyd Monument The Lew

Site of the Week: Sergeant Floyd Monument

The Lewis and Clark Expedition is known for having lost only one man, something of a miracle when it comes to such a lengthy and treacherous adventure. Sadly, the majority of people do not know the name of this man as he died rather early on in the Expedition. Fortunately, there is a monument dedicated to his burial in Sioux City, Iowa.

On July 31, 1804, Sergeant Charles Floyd, one of the original “Nine Young Men from Kentucky,” wrote in his journal that he was “verry sick and {had} ben for Sometime.” He recovered somewhat before suddenly taking a turn for the worse. Captain Lewis administered to him as he was the Expedition’s doctor, but it was no use. On August 20th, the young man passed away at the age of 22. It is widely believed that Floyd died from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix. If this truly was the case, there would have been nothing that Lewis could have done to save him.

Today, the Sergeant Floyd Monument stands on a cliff overlooking I-29, a tall obelisk surrounded by iron fencing for protection. There is a parking lot and informational signs concerning the Expedition and the last days of Floyd’s life. When standing at the base of the monument, one can look out over the mighty Missouri River. Despite the rumbling of the cars racing by below, the site possesses a solemn tranquility, especially when visited in the evening as the sun is fading in the west. A sun that young Charles Floyd was unable to pursue with his fellow explorers.

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #Iowa #siouxcityiowa

Lewis and Clark spent the winter close to the Clat

Lewis and Clark spent the winter close to the Clatsop Village that was located on the site of Fort Stevens State Park - located at the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon on Point Adams.

When Europeans first arrived in the area, it was the site of a large Clatsop settlement, and William Clark noted eight large houses on the site when they sailed past in 1805. The name of the landmark itself was coined on May 18, 1792, when Captain Robert Gray, a merchant mariner, sailed into the mouth of the Columbia River. He chose the name in honor of the then president of the United States, John Adams.

Point Adams later became part of Fort Stevens, a Civil War-era military fort established in 1863. The original earthen fort was built to keep British and Confederate gunboats from entering the mouth of the Columbia River. It was named after Union Army General Isaac I. Stevens, who also served as the first territorial governor of Washington state.

After World War II, Fort Stevens was considered obsolete, and it was turned over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for use as a headquarters in 1947. Then, in 1975, the site was officially designed as a state park after being leased to Oregon State Parks.

Today, visitors can visit the historic Fort Stevens and Point Adams visitor center and museum, take tours through the old earthen fort and artillery gun batteries, or take advantage of all the wildlife opportunities like fishing.

There are several camping options available as well. All campsites are ADA accessible and come equipped with a picnic table and grill. Yurts and cabins are also available for rent. Restrooms, showers, a playground, and a dump station are on site.

https://www.lewisandclark.travel/listing/fort-stevens-state-park/

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #Oregon #fortstevensstatepark

Happy New Year, Everyone! January 1, 1806 “A n

Happy New Year, Everyone!

January 1, 1806

“A new year at Fort Clatsop

To bring in the new year at Fort Clatsop, the enlisted men fire a volley to awaken the captains. Lewis resumes writing his journal and imagines New Year’s Day in 1807 when everyone will be home. Clark inventories ship captains that visit the area, and Sgt. Gass is surprised by the number of active insects this time of year.

‘…our repast of this day tho’ better than that of Christmass, consisted principally in the anticipation of the 1st day of January 1807, when in the bosom of our friends we hope to participate in the mirth and hilarity of the day, and when the zest given by the recollection of the present, we shall completely, both mentally and corporally, enjoy the repast which the hand of civilization has prepared for us.’
—Meriwether Lewis”

https://lewis-clark.org/day-by-day/1-jan-1806/

Photo Credit: "Snow on Fort Clatsop by Robert Potts"

Our new APP is now available! Check it out if you

Our new APP is now available! Check it out if you haven’t yet to bring the adventure and magic of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail on your mobile device. Scan the QR code here or find it on your app store.