Visitor Center at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

ADDRESS

401 South 2nd Street
Vincennes, IN  47591

Telephone: (812) 882-1776

OPERATING HOURS

The Visitor Center at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. It is 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.

AMENITIES

• Information desk where you can ask questions and get a park brochure
• Inquire about access to the George Rogers Clark Memorial
• Souvenir and book store
• Park film
• Exhibit area
• Restrooms

To enter the Clark Memorial, you must be accompanied by a park Ranger. When I visited, there was only one person working. I don’t know if this is normal or just a freak occurrence, but when staffing is this short, either the Visitor Center or the Memorial will be closed, and a sign will be on the door directing traffic to the other building. I first went to the Visitor Center, and it was open. When the Ranger took me to the Memorial, he locked the door behind him and put up a GO TO THE MEMORIAL sign. Anyone who subsequently comes the Visitor Center will walk over to the Memorial, which isn’t far. If the Memorial is closed, a GO TO THE VISITOR CENTER sign will be at the door. I assume if there is more than one Ranger on duty that there will be one in the Visitor Center and one at the Memorial.

Inside the Visitor Center at George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

PARK FILM

The 30-minute film Long Knives plays on demand in the Visitor Center auditorium. Just ask a Ranger to start it for you. Unless you are very familiar with Clark, the film should not be missed, because you won’t learn anything from the information in the exhibit area.

Long Knives is a live-action documentary with Hollywood production values, not something you typically see in a National Park Visitor Center. In fact, I believe it is an independently-produced documentary that the National Park Service simply licenses for exhibition (it is for rental and sale on Amazon). There are no speaking parts, but the film is narrated by actor Peter Coyote (his voice is familiar to many). It details Clark’s fight against the British and its Indian allies on the western frontier during the American Revolution, which culminated in victory at Fort Sackville in Vincennes. The fort once stood on or near to the grounds of George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. The film shows a lot of musket firing, and a few men fall dead during battle scenes, but no blood is shown. It is suitable for young children who understand the concept of war and death.

EXHIBIT AREA

Diorama in George Rogers Clark National Historical Park’s Visitor Center depicts the type of men who fought on the western frontier during the American Revolution

If you want to learn about George Rogers Clark, the exhibits in the Visitor Center aren’t going to help much. Reading through the information, I felt like I had just sat down in the middle of a movie and didn’t know what was going on. It’s not bad information, it’s just that there is no comprehensive backstory presented to give it context. You really must watch the film if you want to learn anything.

All there is in the exhibit area are a few information panels on Fort Sackville, a light-animated map of Clark’s route from Kaskaskia on the Mississippi River to Vincennes where he planned a winter surprise attack on the British, and a diorama of four figures depicting the different nationalities of the men who fought on the western frontier during the American Revolution.

Animated light map inside George Rogers Clark National Historical Park’s Visitor Center shows the route Clark took on his way to attack Fort Sackville

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Be sure to spend the half hour watching the film before heading out to the Clark Memorial. It took me ten minutes to read the information in the exhibit area, but that might have been ten minutes better spent some place else. There is much better information on the wayside exhibits out on the park grounds. Allowing for a talk with a park Ranger, 45 minutes should be plenty of time for a stop at the Visitor Center.

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