The Bair family home was converted into a museum to display the wealth and taste of this…read moreillustrious family. 16th century Ming Dynasty vases adorned the coffee tables. Oversized gold doorknobs gleamed from the light of the half-drawn windows. Signed portraits from FDR, Truman, Teddy Roosevelt, and Herbert Hoover expressed their friendly regards for the Bair family. The visitor center featured paintings from Edith Freeman (on loan from the Yellowstone Art Museum), C.M. Russell, Eduardo Cortes, and others. Early 20th century Navajo blankets hung in glass cases. Sheep baron Charles Bair mingled with the likes of western icons such as Will Rogers and C.M. Russell. His house embodies his (and his family's) lavish taste.

Closed for the season after Labor Day. Still, plenty to see on the outside including the captions…read more Of course, Lewis and Clark passed by here. The view is amazing, the grounds are lovely and it's absolutely worth a stop as it is right next to the highway. [Review 20812 overall - 75 in Montana - 1796 of 2023.]

From the owner: Featuring the story of Sweet Grass County from the earliest settlers to modern day Big Timber…read more Come see our Cobblestone Village, one room school house, Norwegian Stabbur, blacksmith shop, Fjare Homestead Cabin and more. Upon arrival you will see the Lewis & Clark Native Plant Garden--one of the only ones left in the state. Paintings on display from the late Jack Hines depict the scene in Sweet Grass County from ice age to homesteading days. Bring the kids! We offer a variety of scavenger hunts to introduce them to SGC history in a fun-filled way. Exhibits include: Ranch brands, Stetson Chap Collection, Native American Artifacts, Cremer Rodeo, Sweet Grass County Archaeology, Sheep and Wool History, Fires, fires, fires, Mining industry, and extensive local research and archives. Our museum features free WiFi, a picnic area, free admission (donations are appreciated!), a gift shop filled with books, rocks, souvenirs, locally made items and more! Our parking lot is large enough to accommodate large travel trailers as well!

After breakfast I was looking for things to pass the time to digest while also learning more about…read moreMontana and this museum fit the bill perfectly. This is located right across the Montana State Capitol building. The museum entrance fees are as followed: - $5 (adult) - $1 (children) - $12 (family: 2 adults and immediate children under 19) - free (members) Once you pay your fees you get a sticker and a receipt which you can actually use as admission for two days. You can go in and out during the day as well if you just keep your receipt. There are a good amount of exhibits here, including one about the history of children toys, history of bison and other wildlife in the area, the daily lives of Native Americans, and the journey of Lewis and Clark through Montana. Some of my favorites were reading and seeing clothing, weapons, tipis, and other artifacts that Native Americans used to live, trade, and hunt. You can actually go into a replica of a tipi and sit on one of the chairs like how they would. I also learned about the history of their interactions with Lewis and Clark as they made their way through Montana, including wars that broke out between them and resulted in whites taking over their land and pushing them out. There were also some exhibits about the different tribes in the state and where they lived then and now. This museum was very informative and is exactly what I am looking for when I want to learn about the history of wherever I'm visiting, especially for a small entrance fee. If you're in Helena and looking to learn more about the area I recommend coming here!

This was an excellent visit for our family. The center has a great collection of artifacts from…read moreMontana history. It is right across from the Capital building.

This was so great. Our guide very knowledgeable so we learned a lot and was entertained throughout…read morethe tour. This is a unique experience and we highly recommend the this attraction.

We stopped in to Butte on our cross country drive and visited the mining museum after lunch in…read moretown. They offer military and other discounts on their entrance fee The gift shop area includes information on local, current mining operations as well as merch. This is an outdoor museum so dress for the weather. If you want to take the under ground tour be sure you are wearing closed toed shoes. (Crocs not included, I don't know why) They also have above ground tours. Part of the property is set up like a western town. Something that would grow up around a mine. Post office, apothecary, carpenter, blacksmith, etc, etc. All these buildings are set up with window displays but most are not open to the public. You just peer thru the windows. There is a memorial garden to miners. A mine yard with pieces of heavy equipment. The motorized lift, miners locker room, light room, information and equipment used in dry and wet boring, 3D representations of mines and more with information posted on the displays. You can walk up into the mine head if you are so inclined to see how the ore chutes operated. We spent about two hours here without realizing it. Very interesting museum. Staff are very personable, answered questions and suggested reading material for more on the subject. Very good, family friendly stop.

A contemporary art museum in Helena MT, they have a number of rotating exhibits and a permanent…read morecollection. When we visited, they were operating on a donation basis so we did stuff some money into the donation box as we started our time here. About an hour was enough to peruse through the exhibits. Some classic arts and landscapes, some modern contemporary art, a number of pro-conservation political messages here and there. Nothing outlandish. I especially enjoyed the "Big Sky" paintings by Dale Livezey and was really hoping that there might be a print I could purchase in the gift shop. Sadly no. His amazing landscapes showed a perfect sky with a gradation of color that I have never seen so well executed. It just smoothly blended from dark blue to lighter blue to very light blue with no lines. Perfectly smooth transition and I was very impressed. I would only say to the artist that there is no need to depict a moon, whether crescent or half. Gift shop is interesting, but little of the art on view is available here. Bummer. Street parking available.

Very good art here in a small town and the space is amazing. They have some great classes and…read moreagain the art collection was fantastic.

Cute museum but they make you wear masks even if your the only people there. The water table is…read morecool and the wind tubes but its just not worth going if they are going to force their views on you and your kids.

I came to Helena to visit my daughter and grandson.....and she comes here several times a week to…read morelet him play and use the interactive displays. Wow. I couldn't have been more impressed. This place is AMAZING! There is so much to do and all ages are accommodated and planned for. The membership is a deal and the staff was helpful and nice. What a great time we had here and observing the other kids ranging in ages of infant to pre-teen.....I'd say they all loved it as well.

If your in 3 forks it's a must stop 2 story's of local history. Amazing items from the past. It's…read morefree but you can leave a donation. 5 Stars. Must stop and visit

I have been to this museum numerous times and enjoy it every time I go each year. I love looking…read moreat the antiques and learn about the history of the Bair Family. This is a MUST SEE!!!

The Montana State Capitol building is lovely as most of these very old buildings are. The…read morearchitecture is standard and it looks stately from the outside. The grounds are fairly well manicured and look okay as well. What I did not appreciate was the ten commandments slab at a government building. I was here for a historic tour of the town but I know enough about the founding of this country to know about separation of church and state. How disappointing. The inside of the building was also well built and very old. Unfortunately, when you approach the state police stationed at the information desk, it only takes a moment to realize why they may have been put there. I'll give you a hint, it is not their wealth of knowledge or sunny disposition. Parking is very difficult as almost everything is permit parking and street parking fills up quickly. There was also no security at all from what I could see, with the exception of the aforementioned misanthropes sipping their coffee at the information desk. As state capitals go, I believe there is plenty of room for improvement here.

Leia was a wonderful tour guide. Her presentation was fact filled, but very interactive and FUN!…read more She is a great ambassador for the Capitol complex!

What an AMAZING place to visit! The history and items on display about the Whitehall area and the…read moreWonderful people who made it what it is! So very much to look at ! Clean and Very friendly staff! A must see from Memorial Day to Labor Day!!!

A must visit if you're around either visiting or live near by. A great history learning experience…read moreand a step back in time. Friendliest volunteer showed me around. I will be back.