Montana Heritage Center Opens December 3 After Completing $60 Million Fundraising Goal

Twenty years of planning, 1,300 donors, and one final $165,000 gift have brought Montana's new flagship museum across the finish line.

The Montana Heritage Center in Helena will open its doors December 3 with free admission, capping a fundraising effort that began as an ambitious vision and ended with a grassroots push that pulled the state together. When the Montana Historical Society announced in July it was $1 million short of its $60 million goal, Montanans responded. Individual donations whittled the gap down to $165,000, at which point the Oakland Family Foundation of Great Falls wrote the check that closed the campaign.

The $107 million project represents an unusual funding model for a state museum. Private donors and grants covered $60 million—led by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation's $25 million contribution, Norm Asbjornson's $10.4 million, and BNSF Railway's $5 million. Another $41 million came from the state's lodging facility use tax, the 4% charge visitors pay when they stay in Montana hotels. An additional $5.5 million from 2007 state bonds covered early site work. No property tax dollars were used.

"Montana's history belongs to all of us, and ensuring that future generations can learn from and be inspired by these stories is essential," said Ashley Whitney of the Oakland Family Foundation, explaining why the foundation chose to make the campaign's final contribution.

The center will house three museum galleries, a library and archives research center, a café, gift shop, interpretive trail, and event spaces available for rental. According to promotional materials, exhibits will use interactive multimedia to engage visitors of all ages with Montana's past.

Montana Historical Society Director Molly Kruckenberg described the opening as "the culmination of a 20-year vision to give Montana's extraordinary stories the home they deserve."

A ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place December 2 at 3:00 p.m., with remarks from Governor Greg Gianforte, donors Dennis Washington and Norm Asbjornson, Kruckenberg, and Montana Historical Society Board President Tim Fox. The event is free and open to the public. Regular hours begin the following day.

More information is available at mths.mt.gov or by emailing [email protected].

Distinctly Montana attended a preview event at the center. Watch for our full coverage in the coming days.