HARTFORD – The Lewis and Clark State Historic Site will host “Prince Maximilian and Karl Bodmer: Touring the Wilderness of North America” at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12, 2025 in the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site Interpretive Center Theater.
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Historian and author Brain “Fox” Ellis will portray the Prince of Wied, Maximilian, as he takes you on his journey with Karl Bodmer across North America in the 1830s. Their travels focus on the diverse cultures and natural wonders of the Great Plains and the American West.
Ellis is an internationally renowned storyteller, author, and naturalist. He is also a museum consultant who has worked with Chicago’s Field Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield. He is the author of more than 20 books including a series of biographies based on his one-man shows.
“We are tremendously excited to again be partnering with the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars program to bring Brian ‘Fox’ Ellis to our Interpretive Center on April 12,” said site superintendent Brad Winn. “These programs allow us to greatly expand not only our understanding of the early history of Illinois and America but also to reach a greater audience interested in these topics. Prince Maximilian followed in the footsteps of the Corps of Discovery. He and Bodmer gave us some of the most treasured examples of the culture of Indigenous nations directly connected to the Expedition.”
The public is welcome to this free event at Lewis and Clarke State Historic Site, located at 1 Lewis and Clark Trail in Hartford. For more information, go online or call 618-251-5811.
This event is co-presented by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau. Illinois Humanities is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that spark conversation, foster reflection, build community, and strengthen civic engagement for everyone in Illinois. Founded in 1974, they are the state partner for the National Endowment for the Humanities and are supported by state, federal, and private funds.
Lewis and Clark State Historic Site is open from Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The site is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and supported in part by the Lewis and Clark Society of America.
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