When Lewis and Clark made their historic journey to explore the West 200 years ago, they were on the cutting edge of technology. Still, they would have been hard-pressed to understand the wealth of technology within the Web site supporting the Bicentennial Exposition commemorating their trip.

The Missouri Historical Society wanted to build a site accompanying the Lewis and Clark show that would not only encourage visitor attendance but would also provide a rich you-are-there experience for online visitors unable to attend the actual exhibition.

The site, built by Terra Incognita Productions, uses a variety of media, including streaming audio and video, text, graphics and photographs, to dramatize the story and allow visitors to decide how deeply they wish to delve into the exhibit.

A main plus of the online exhibit is its ease of navigation. It launches in a compact window, with three main links at the top of the page that let visitors decide how they want to traverse the information – via a map of the route Lewis and Clark took, via different themes such as Discovering Diplomacy, A World of Women or Curing and Plants or by perusing the various artifacts that are part of the exhibit.

The site also includes a detailed map, with 39 numbered segments, that presents Lewis and Clark’s route and the highlights of the expedition. When online visitors roll their mouse over the numbered links, they are presented with information about the place and Lewis and Clark’s experience there. If they decide to click on the route, they are presented with more content, such as images of artifacts, audio quotes related to the locations and historically appropriate music.

The museum curators say the elements turn what could have been a dry, educational presentation into a rich interactive experience.

For more information visit the site here or visit Terra Incognita here.