Jill Harding, the program manager of visitor services at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, is reflected in the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center's new windows.

The Fort Clatsop Visitor Center at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park will undergo internal and external upgrades during a remodel.

Improvements will include an enhanced entrance, a revamped heating and cooling system, new windows, modernized bathrooms and more.

Much of the visitor center, including the bathrooms and windows, was constructed in 1963, five years after the park was established. The facility underwent a major expansion in 1991 — adding a theater and exhibit hall — through a public and private partnership with supporters of the park.

Since the expansion, a number of issues have arisen with outdated systems and facilities, and renovations will look to improve accessibility, efficiency and appearance, said Jill Harding, program manager for visitor services.

“(The systems) didn’t always like to work together,” Harding said. “Then our windows, well, you got a little cold when you sat next to them.”

The new facade will feature a large glass wall at the entrance. The design was inspired by native Chinook and Clatsop culture.

“The whole idea is that it (will be) reminiscent or gives you the feeling of walking into a Chinookan plank house,” Harding said. “ … It kind of sets the scene of whose homeland you’re on.”

Harding said the park also hopes to add a mural dedicated to the native tribes.

The collection system, which houses artifacts and archeological items, has been expanded, climate-controlled and made more secure.

After the renovation, the park will look to do more work to the facility down the road. Harding said center could update some of the exhibits, and one goal is to wrap in more stories from the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

“Basically updating them for the most part … making them more hands-on, better for all learning styles, more accessible to all,” she said. “Plus, some of the language is just a little dated.”

Other improvements to the theater and sidewalks are also planned.

The renovations, designated as deferred maintenance, are funded through federal money, Harding said.

Construction on the major renovations, which started in January, is expected to wrap up by June, but could face delays due to supply chain issues.