Copied to Clipboard
Botany of Nations
It’s time for a new look at a well-known history lesson.
The famous Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804 to 1806 is retold through an Indigenous lens in Botany of Nations, a brand-new exhibit running from March 28 to September 13, 2026 at The Academy of Natural Sciences.
The exhibition — timed to coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary — focuses on plants, which act as portals to under-shared stories, cultures and sciences of the Indigenous people who Lewis and Clark met on their journey.
The exhibit blends botany (the study of plants) with ethnobotany (the study of how people use plants) to reshape the way we interpret the colonial journey — not as something “discovered” but as an interaction with cultures and traditions with long, rich lineages.
The Corps of Discovery — made up of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and nearly 40 other men — embarked on an expedition in 1804 to explore the newly acquired western portion of the country. Along the way, they encountered Indigenous people, who shared cultural plant knowledge with the explorers.
In Botany of Nations, visitors can see over 200 of those preserved plants — which were hand-picked by Lewis — and learn more about the Indigenous sites where they were collected and how Indigenous peoples used plants throughout history.
The exhibition also showcases the explorers’ journal passages, illustrating how the Indigenous people they met respected and celebrated the plants, animals and land around them.
Botany of Nations is created in collaboration with Indigenous-led nonprofit Local Contexts which provides strategies for managing, sharing and protecting digital heritage. The exhibition also features guidance from a steering committee of ethnobotanists, Indigenous knowledge keepers and scholars, including co-curator Enrique Salmón (Rarámuri /Tarahumara) and Local Contexts’ founding executive director Stephany Runninghawk Johnson (Oglala Lakota).
The only way to fully experience Philly? Stay over.
Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package and get free hotel parking and priceless peace of mind.
EnglishEnglish