Montana Historical Society

Big Sky ~ Big History

Museum and research center closed for renovations. For more info, call (406) 444-2694.

Featured News

Events & Programs

Black History Under the Big Sky:

Nature, Wilderness, and the Stories We Tell About Ourselves

In this lecture, Anthony Wood, Ph.D., historian of Montana and the West, will explore the place and meaning of the stories that narrate our relationship with nature and the outdoors in Montana.

Part of the Montana Historical Society Lecture Series

Thursday, October 3
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Lewis and Clark Library
120 S. Last Chance Gulch, Helena

Vintage image of about 40 black people at a  picnic in Colorado Gulch near Helena, MT.

The Discretion Series:

History as Fiction in the 19th Century West

The Discretion Series is an accumulation of compelling stories intended to challenge pre-existing cultural and historical generalizations, especially regarding American Indian peoples.

Part of the Montana Historical Society Lecture Series

Wednesday, October 9
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Touchmark Senior Living
915 Saddle Dr, Helena

Cover of 'Discretion is Valor' book by J. Hoolihan Clayton

Historic Montana logo graphic.

The Montana Historical Society’s Historic Montana website and companion app take you on a virtual tour of selected buildings, neighborhoods, and cultural sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Historic Montana’s abundant content is reproduced from the thousands of National Register interpretive signs placed at properties across the state to enhance knowledge of historic places and promote historic preservation. Click the link here, the graphic above, or the image below.


McIntosh house in Kalispell, Montana.

Free Admission

at the

Original Governor's Mansion

304 N Ewing St, Helena, MT
Fall/Winter Hours

Continuing through June 1, 2025
Saturdays Only:
Tours at 12, 1, 2, and 3
Closed holidays.

Tour capacity is 20 people. There is no admission fee, and admission is on a first-come, first-served basis - no advanced reservations.

Can't make it? Visit this historic home with a virtual tour of the Original Governor's Mansion or view a twenty-minute video tour.

Original Governor's Mansion Helena, Montana

From Our Collection: Montana's Charlie Russell