Lewis and Clark educational center lacks funding, delays opening

Due to fund-raising problems, a Lewis and Clark educational center in western Iowa won’t be opening to the public for a while yet, even though it was supposed to open July 1. Project director Dan Corcoran says the facility is being built in the Monona County town of Onawa. The non-profit group “Friends of Discovery” was founded in 1985 and spent its first three years building a keelboat replica and two other smaller boats like the expedition team used in exploring the Missouri River two centuries ago. The five-point-two million dollar center would be an all-weather home for the delicate crafts along with other exhibits. Corcoran says the project suffered a setback when it was learned the Friends of Discovery group couldn’t raise the money it needed for the project to get a matching grant.The building’s exterior is done and it will still be dedicated August 9th but there’s still much exhibit work to be done on the inside. A bicentennial celebration is scheduled at Lewis and Clark State Park August 6th through 9th. The facility is about two-thirds complete and should open sometime this fall.