Public Programs and Events

The Montana Historical Society hosts public programs on a wide variety of topics relating to the Treasure State’s history and culture. Most programs take place on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. (excluding holidays and a summer break). Every fall the Society holds its annual Montana History Conference. Special lectures, exhibit openings, curator tours, and family programs also enliven the year.

Can’t make it? Watch the archived recording on the MHS YouTube Channel as well as a variety of great presentations.

Sign up to learn about upcoming programs.

September, 2024

• Wednesday, September 11, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
  The More You Do, the More It Comes to You: Lee Steen and the Tree People
  Touchmark
  915 Saddle Dr, Helena
  Presentation by Lindsay Tran
  From the 1940s through the 1960s in the small town of Roundup, Lee Steen and his twin brother Dee created a sprawling roadside assembly of sculptures made from cottonwood tree branches and discarded trash. Passing motorists on Highway 12 bought the sculptures for five dollars apiece. Two art students from the University of Montana met the Steen brothers in 1970 and helped organize the first exhibit of the Steens' "tree people" at Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings. Historic architecture specialist Linsday Tran will highlight how, fifty years later, the Steen brothers remain a case study in the power of imagination, the resourcefulness of small-town Montanans, and the paradoxes inherent to the label of “outsider artist.” This talk will not be recorded.

• Saturday, September 14, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
  Investigating Mann Gulch
  Kids Workshop
  Lewis & Clark Library
  120 S Last Chance Gulch, Helena
  Join the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Montana Historical Society for Investigating Mann Gulch, a workshop for kids ages 8 and up on Saturday, September 14 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the Lewis and Clark Library.

  On August 5, 1949, a forest fire swept through Mann Gulch, north of Helena, and claimed the lives of 13 wildland firefighters. Many lessons can be learned from this history. Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest staff will lead a hands-on kids workshop to explore improvements in fire fighting equipment, how fire spreads, fire ecology, and what it's like to be a smokejumper.

  Registration is open to ages 8 and up and is limited to 12 kids. Parents are encouraged to attend. Please fill out the following form to register your kids: https://forms.gle/nwW432wfTcyt5XGUA

• Thursday, September 19, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
  Women's Activism in Montana: The Progressive Era
  Lewis & Clark Library
  120 S Last Chance Gulch, Helena
  Presentation by Martha Kohl
  Industrial Workers of the World activist Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was just one of the women who organized across Montana during the Progressive era. Martha Kohl, Outreach and Education program manager at the Montana Historical Society, will discuss how she and legions of other women joined better-known figures like Jeannette Rankin to improve their communities and shape Montana politics and history. This talk is being offered in conjunction with the Lewis and Clark Library's Big Read 2024 of The Cold Millions by Jess Walter, which touches on the importance of women activists in Montana's history.

Unless otherwise noted, recordings will be posted on the MTHS YouTube channel.

To arrange speakers for your group or organization, or other questions regarding public programs, contact Laura Marsh at (406) 444-4789 or laura.marsh@mt.gov.