History Museum | Great Falls

The History Museum – Great Falls, Montana

Situated along the banks of the Missouri River in a handsome brick building that once served as a flour mill, The History Museum of Great Falls offers an immersive journey through north-central Montana’s past. It’s a place where the stories of pioneers, homesteaders, Native peoples, and industrial dreamers intertwine, creating a vivid portrait of life on the northern plains. The museum serves as both a guardian of local memory and a storyteller of the region’s unique character.

Origins and Setting

The History Museum is housed in the Old Milwaukee Road Freight Building, constructed in 1929 during the height of Great Falls’ industrial era. This repurposed railway warehouse gives the museum a distinct atmosphere - tall ceilings, exposed beams, and wide gallery spaces that reflect the working spirit of the city’s past.

The institution was established by the Cascade County Historical Society, which sought to preserve and interpret the area’s rich history - from its Indigenous roots to its boom years in agriculture, railroads, and hydroelectric development. Its proximity to the River’s Edge Trail and the Missouri River makes it an ideal stop for visitors exploring Great Falls’ heritage corridor.

Exhibits and Collections

1. The Indigenous and Early Exploration Era
The museum begins with the stories of the Blackfeet Nation, Cree, and Métis peoples, whose presence shaped this landscape long before European arrival. Displays include traditional clothing, tools, and interpretive panels that honor native craftsmanship and storytelling traditions. Exhibits also touch on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, highlighting their encounters along the Missouri River and the natural challenges they faced near Great Falls.

2. Homesteading and Settlement
The homesteading galleries capture the grit and hope of settlers who arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Artifacts include battered trunks, handmade quilts, farming equipment, and letters from families describing their struggles with isolation and drought. A recreated pioneer kitchen and schoolroom bring this era to life with tactile realism.

3. Industrial and Agricultural Growth
As Great Falls developed into a major industrial hub, powered by the Missouri’s dams, its nickname “The Electric City” was born. The museum showcases this transformation through original tools, photographs, and machinery from the hydroelectric plants, grain mills, and railways that built the local economy. A scale model of early downtown Great Falls helps visitors visualize how the city evolved from a frontier settlement to a bustling trade center.

4. Military Heritage and Modern Life
Another gallery honors the long-standing relationship between Great Falls and nearby Malmstrom Air Force Base, featuring uniforms, maps, and memorabilia from World War II to the Cold War. The exhibit offers personal stories from servicemen and women who helped shape the modern identity of the region.

Archives and Special Collections

The museum’s archives are a treasure trove for historians and genealogists, containing thousands of photographs, newspapers, and personal documents from Cascade County and surrounding areas. Researchers often visit to trace family histories or study early business records, land deeds, and oral histories preserved by the Historical Society.

The photo collection is particularly striking - black-and-white images of streetcars rolling through early Great Falls, proud farm families posing beside new tractors, and workers assembling turbines at the dams that lit up the city.

Community Engagement and Events

The History Museum is as much about the present as the past. It regularly hosts rotating exhibits, guest lectures, and heritage events that connect residents to their roots. Annual favorites include the “Ghosts of the Past” cemetery tours, vintage Christmas displays, and pioneer craft demonstrations where visitors can try traditional skills like butter churning or hand quilting.

The museum also partners with local schools, providing hands-on education programs that make regional history tangible for younger generations.

Atmosphere and Visitor Experience

Walking through The History Museum feels like stepping into a time capsule - each corner layered with stories. The building’s industrial bones give it a quiet strength, while its exhibits add warmth through personal touches: handwritten letters, faded photos, and the scent of old wood and paper that drifts faintly through the archives.

Docents are known for their friendliness and knowledge, often adding anecdotes about Great Falls’ early families or pointing out details that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Closing Impression

The History Museum stands as the living memory of Great Falls - a place where heritage is not just preserved but shared with heart and care. It reminds visitors that Montana’s history is not only about rugged landscapes and famous explorers, but also about the everyday people who built lives here through persistence and imagination. In this quiet brick building by the river, their stories continue to echo, telling how the “Electric City” came to shine.