Lewiston offers a variety of ways to experience culture, history, and outdoor activities. Downtown forms a cultural corridor featuring local art, history, museums, and educational offerings. At Hells Gate State Park, exhibits on a range of topics take center stage; along the Lewiston Levee Parkway Trail, historical information panels are part of a 13-mile route. Hells Gate Marina has a public boat launch, and jet boat tours to Hells Canyon depart from there on most summer days. The offerings vary by topic and format—from art events to a tour on the water.
Art and Culture in Downtown Lewiston
The Center for Arts & History offers exhibits, lectures, musical performances, films, and hands-on art workshops to the campus and the general public. The program therefore includes both events to view and listen to, as well as workshops where participants can engage with art hands-on. Depending on your interests, exhibits, a lecture, music, or film may take center stage.
Downtown Lewiston’s cultural corridor extends beyond individual event formats: its offerings also include local art, history, museums, and educational opportunities. Those planning a cultural visit will find a range of subject areas here, while the Center for Arts & History offers specific formats, from exhibits to workshops.
History at Hells Gate State Park
The Lewis and Clark Discovery Center features indoor and outdoor exhibits, as well as a film about Lewis and Clark’s journey through Idaho. The journey is therefore explored through both exhibits and a film. The Jack O’Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center focuses on a different subject: it displays hunting trophies belonging to outdoor writer and conservationist Jack O’Connor.
The two centers thus cover different historical and cultural topics. The Lewis and Clark Discovery Center focuses on the journey through Idaho; the Jack O’Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center offers a look at the hunting trophies of a writer and conservationist. This can also be compared with the panels along the Lewiston Levee Parkway Trail, which cover Lewis and Clark’s historic journey to the Pacific Coast.
Trail and Historical Information Panels
The Lewiston Levee Parkway Trail is 13 miles long and is part of the Clearwater and Snake River National Recreation Trail. Its information panels cover Lewis and Clark’s historic journey to the Pacific Coast. When choosing between the trail and the exhibits, the format is as relevant as the subject: panels accompany you along the trail, while the Discovery Center features indoor and outdoor exhibits as well as a film.
Boat Launch and Jet Boat Tours
Hells Gate Marina has a public boat launch; conditions at the marina may vary. Jet boat tours to Hells Canyon depart from there on most summer days. The boat launch and tours are separate offerings: the launch is designated for public use, while the tours depart at specific times of the season. If you plan to take a jet boat tour, check its availability before your trip. This makes the excursion a specific planning consideration, rather than an activity assumed to be available on every travel date.
For the broader travel overview: Nez Perce County.
