Montana Heritage Center Wins National Museum Impact Award
When the Montana Heritage Center opened its doors in Helena last December, it marked the most significant transformation of the Montana Historical Society's galleries in roughly forty years. Now, less than six months later, that work has earned national recognition.
The American Alliance of Museums has selected the Montana Historical Society for its 2026 Museum Impact Award, honoring the Heritage Center as a project driving meaningful change in how museums engage with their audiences and communities. The AAM, which represents the full scope of the museum field in the United States, will present the award at its annual meeting and MuseumExpo in Philadelphia.
The recognition arrives after more than two decades of planning. The Heritage Center is the first major upgrade to the Historical Society's physical space since the 1950s and the most substantial overhaul of its galleries since the 1980s. Across 15,000 square feet of permanent exhibits, it sets out to tell the full story of Montana from pre-contact history through the present day, with particular attention to the long-standing gaps in how the state's Indigenous communities have been represented.
Walk through the galleries and you encounter immigrants and settlers, ranchers and miners, artists and activists. Multimedia interactives sit alongside more traditional displays, and the interpretation is designed to be accessible across generations.
"When communities are welcomed as co-authors of history, museum spaces become more truthful, more relevant, and more inspiring," said Molly Kruckenberg, director of the Montana Historical Society. "That is what we set out to build, and we are honored to have this work recognized on a national stage."
The Montana Heritage Center is located at 225 North Roberts Street in Helena. Admission is free, and the museum is open seven days a week. More information is available at mths.mt.gov.
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