Montana Historical Society

Big Sky ~ Big History

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

Visiting the Reference Room

LIBRARY & ARCHIVES CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION

We anticipate reopening in late 2025.

During the closure, Library & Archives collections are in storage for safekeeping and not accessible. Online resources are available, including: Digitized Montana Newspapers and collections found on the Montana History Portal. Limited remote research services are also available. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please direct questions to mhslibrary@mt.gov.

We suggest you spend searching our collections to find research materials prior to visiting us or making an appointment. Identifying materials in advance will save you time and make for a smooth visit.

Search our catalog

Explore our finding aids

View our indexes

Our Indexes include Topical and Biographical Vertical Files indexes and a Newspapers index.

This one-page checklist explains what you need to know before your visit.

Researchers may make a reservation by contacting mthslibrary@mt.gov. Walk-in research is subject to space availability.

  1. Upon arrival all researchers will sign in and store any belongings not required for note taking in a locker.
  2. Researchers will complete a registration form if not submitted in advance.
  3. Researchers will be assigned to a research table or station. Care of the collections restrict us to one researcher per table or station.
  4. We have computers, photocopiers, microfilm readers and other equipment onsite. The research room has free wi-fi available for researchers.
  1. Archival materials and special collections are often unique, irreplaceable, and fragile. Please handle items with care and adhere to special instructions given to you by staff.
  2. You may use a digital camera, phone, or mobile device to take pictures of materials in the Reference Room. Talk to a staff person before using your camera. 
  3. You may save scans from the microfilm readers, computers, and photocopiers using a personal flash drive. You may print from the microfilm readers and computers for .25 per page. You may make photocopies for .25 per page with staff approval.
  • Free Public WiFi
  • Public PCs. We offer public access to PCs to help you conduct research using our catalog and finding aids. We also provide access to other online resources, including Ancestry.com and our Onsite Portal to Digitized Montana Newspapers on Newspapers.com.
    • You may save files to a USB drive for free. If you prefer to print, each page is 25 cents (35 cents for mail-order requests).
  • Digital microfilm readers. You may save or print images from microfilm. Saving to a USB drive is free. If you prefer to print, each page is 25 cents  (35 cents for mail-order requests).
  • Photocopiers. We allow photocopying of most materials, but we recommend bringing a digital camera for materials we deem too fragile for photocopying. Photocopy costs are 25 cents per page (35 cents for mail-order requests)

 

Closed for Construction

225 N Roberts Street
Helena, MT 59620
(406) 444-2681
mthslibrary@mt.gov

 

Catalog

Search our catalog to find records from our entire collection, including library materials, archival and manuscript collections, government records, and photograph collections.

Search the catalog

 

Finding Aids

Search our Finding Aids to find detailed inventories of our archival and manuscript collections, government records, and photograph collections.

Search our finding aids