George Rogers Clark Memorial in Vincennes, Indiana

PARK OVERVIEW

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park in Vincennes, Indiana, was created in 1966 to take over a memorial and park grounds that the state of Indiana could no longer afford to maintain, thus sticking American taxpayers with the bill. The centerpiece of the park is a large monument dedicated to George Rogers Clark, a man who gained recognition during the American Revolution for fighting the British and its Indian allies in what was at the time the northwestern frontier—the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Construction on the monument began in 1931 and was completed in 1933, but the park wasn’t officially dedicated until June 1936, with President Franklin Roosevelt leading the proceedings.

The park is one of the less involving in the National Park system, consisting only of a Visitor Center and the George Rogers Clark Memorial. If you are unfamiliar with Clark, it is vital that you watch the excellent 30-minute film about his western military campaign against the British that is shown on demand in the Visitor Center. There are a few exhibits as well, but the information is limited.

Of course the main attraction is the memorial itself, but inside is nothing but a statue of Clark and seven murals depicting scenes from his life and important events in the settling of the northwestern frontier in the mid- to late 1700s. There are wayside exhibits explaining the murals. If you just want to take a look, you’ll be out in a few minutes. Even if you read about the murals, you won’t spend much more than fifteen minutes inside the memorial.

Interior of the George Rogers Clark Memorial in Vincennes, Indiana

The only other activities at the park are walking the grounds and perhaps having a picnic on the grass. George Rogers Clark National Historical Park sits on 26 acres along the Wabash River. Wayside exhibits tell the story of Clark, the American Revolution, and the construction of the memorial. For a great view of the park from the middle of the Wabash River, be sure to take a walk to the Lincoln Memorial Bridge at the northeastern end. There is a pedestrian walkway on both sides of the bridge.

Grounds of George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

Why George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is still a National Historical Park is a mystery because such a designation is given to parks with multiple attractions spread out over a large area. When it was founded in 1966, President William Harrison’s Grouseland home and the Territorial Capitol site, both in Vincennes, were part of the park through a cooperative agreement, meaning the National Park Service would not own these properties, but it would now promote them, and they would be eligible to receive federal funds. However, as far as I can tell, today neither are part of the park. This often happens because the National Park Service’s medaling in the management of the affiliated sites isn’t worth the free money, so when the cooperative agreement ends, the contract is not renewed.

The Grouseland website makes no mention of any affiliation with the National Park Service, and in fact states that it is managed by the Grouseland Foundation since 1999. The Territorial Capitol is part of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, and there is no mention of the National Park Service on its website, not even in the Accreditations and Affiliations listing. The only information on the website about the Territorial Capitol is that it is available for weddings. The brochure for George Rogers Clark National Historical Park does list the two sites, but it does so along with six other historic sites in Vincennes. There is no mention of any affiliation on the brochure, and when I visited, the park Ranger never told me about any additional sites. Unless I am mistaken—which wouldn’t be the first time—the designation of National Historical Park no longer applies. The park should be George Rogers Clark National Memorial.

OPERATING HOURS

The Visitor Center at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. The George Rogers Clark Memorial itself is open until 4:45 PM. Both facilities are closed on all federal holidays EXCEPT Memorial Day, Independence Day, Juneteenth, and Labor Day.

Keep in mind that times can always change, so be sure to get the current schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the park.

FEES

There is no fee to visit George Rogers Clark National Historical Park.

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Visitor Center
45 minutes

George Rogers Clark Memorial
15 minutes

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