I enjoy historic sites - a lot. This one is a grand tribute to a lesser known figure of American History who had a great deal more influence on us as a nation than many would expect. I'm "okay" with the large monuments, but I find a lot more interest in settings that preserve what was, so that we can see the area how those in the past saw it.So - this to say, the Park Rangers who were present late in the day on Sept 14, 2014 made the site much more interesting than the marble monument. The ranger at the gift shop area was very helpful in letting us know the hours and what to see in the limited late-in-the-day time we had to spend. The ranger in the monument proper spent several minutes of quality time just "talking" to me about Clark and giving me her thoughts on him. I'm sure some of what she said is what she tells many, but I particularly enjoyed that she shared the information "off script." Our rangers know a LOT about the history of their areas of responsibility. I love when they share it in their own words. She was an added bright spot to our wedding anniversary day.
We were able to walk around the park one evening in September. Unfortunately, the museum was closed. What an asset for Vincennes! We enjoyed the view of the river and bridge; watched joggers, mothers with children, and dog walkers. Such a pleasant park.
great national park, and unfortunately mostly forgotten or overlooked. without clark, the british would have been able to control the river and the ohio valley and the revolution would have been in a heap of trouble, maybe to the extent of failing
Didn't spend much time because it was 9 degrees when I stumbled upon this treasure. It was worth freezing for a few min and next time I'm in town I look forward to seeing the rest of the park
Wonderful art work inside the building. The monument itself was built with granite and marble during the 1930's.
We were on our way back from Holiday World to Illinois and I heard of this place and decided to check it out. Looks like it should be in DC loved the paintings in the rotunda inside. Learned a lot about a lesser known figure in the American Revolution.
The memorial is beautiful, and the movie about George Rogers Clark was excellent. Although his battles, most notably here at Vincennes, were small in scale, their impacts were enormous. The entire Midwest could be a part of Canada without Clark and his brave men, the "Long Knives". Outside the memorial, we met a very freindly park ranger in full colonial costume, who spent a good 30 minutes with our family explaining the events of the night of the attack, complete with the demonstration of operation of the American rifle. If you are a history buff, and if you happen to be passing nearby, I highly recommend that you stop by at this memorial. Also, the 9th and the shortest serving US President William Harrison's house while he lived in IN is about 5 minutes away from here.
Had not visited in over 50 years. Had forgotten how important the capture of the fort was to Indiana and the United States! The ranger took the time to escort just the two of us to the memorial and gave us a blow by blow account of where and what happen at this location. It is refreshing to find someone dedicated and interested enough to share the history with you. The ranger was great! Beautiful memorial and well worth the time and effort to see. Many other interesting places to visit at the site.
The George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is a wonderful experience for the entire family. A great deal of history occurred here on the banks of the Wabash River in southwestern Indiana, and we are so blessed to have this beautiful monument and park.
Although the displays were a bit old, the information was quite interesting and the rangers were very friendly and helpful. Beautiful grounds as well.