Montana is home to an inspiring regional art scene, and we also boast a unique and colorful history. If you’re a lover of the arts who is planning to visit, you’ll find that, when it comes to our local museums, art and history are often intertwined. Here are a few places where you can explore the beauty of everything from fine art sculptures and paintings to dinosaurs and computers. We know you will find something to enjoy!
Museum of the Rockies
The Museum of the Rockies is the premier place to learn about the history and culture of the Rockies as well as a world-class education and research facility devoted to paleontology and the study of North American dinosaurs. Permanent exhibitions explore Native American history, Yellowstone, and the dinosaurs that have made MOR a must-see destination for many Bozeman visitors. The museum’s latest exhibition, “Conserving America’s Wildlands: The Vision of Ted Turner,” features photographs by Emmy-award-winning filmmaker Rhett Turner. These images document the vast and rugged beauty of the land and animal populations that his father, Ted Turner, has dedicated his life to restoring and conserving. If you’re up for a delightful show, the museum’s Taylor Planetarium is up and running after a recent upgrade, offering daily showings of “Montana Skies,” a show about Montana skies during the current season, and “Incoming!” a show about the “past, present and future of our solar system.” Lastly, if you plan to visit in the spring, be sure to check out the museum’s fun and educational “Dinosaurs and MOR” events on April 12-14.
Bozeman Art Musem
The Bozeman Art Museum is committed to showing top-tier art in the Gallatin Valley as well as bringing people together to enjoy, make, and promote art throughout the region. Currently housed in a small space on Main Street, BAM staff and volunteers are working on an ambitious plan to build a permanent home for the museum and increase its presence and impact in the community. Through April 6, the exhibition “Art Embodied” explores the question “What does it truly mean to see one another?” This show features a collection of portraiture and figurative art celebrating the human form from 1800 to today. On April 19, “Glacier Revisited” will highlight lithographs, prints and paintings of Glacier National Park.
American Computer & Robotics Museum
Did you know that Bozeman’s American Computer and Robotics Museum is the oldest continually operating museum of its kind in the world? And if traditional art museums are not really your thing, you’re in for a real treat if you decide to check it out. Learn about the history of the space race, personal computing, the enigma machine, and the explosion of the Information Age. Kids and adults alike are guaranteed to find many displays that will fascinate and surprise them at this small but mighty museum. Although no events are currently planned, museum staff do offer guided tours and group visits.
Gallatin History Museum
Housed in the former Gallatin County Jail, the Gallatin History Museum is the place to find out everything you ever wanted to know about the history of the region. The building itself is on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed by well-known local architect Fred Willson, who was behind many important buildings in Bozeman. The museum is open four days a week for browsing, or if you want to dive deep, you can also book a guided tour with an expert docent, who will lead you through the exhibitions. On their website, you can also download and print some super-neat self-guided tour maps to enhance your exploration of Bozeman neighborhoods, Main Street, or the Sunset Hills Cemetery. Although there are no events on the museum’s calendar as of this writing, the Gallatin History Museum occasionally offers events and programs, so check back often.
Montana Science Center
Although the Museum of the Rockies and the American Computer & Robotics Museum both have much to offer young museum patrons, the Montana Science Center is probably the place to go if you’re looking for an awesome, kid-friendly way to spend an afternoon. The Montana Science Center blends education and science through a wide variety of interactive, hands-on exhibits and learning experiences. Current exhibits invite participants to explore design and architecture, cold-blooded animals, rocks, fossils and topography. MSC also offers a “high tech makerspace” called STEAMLab, where young people of all ages can learn 3D printing, building computers and programming, Minecraft skills and more. Their busy event calendar features a rotating series of highly engaging events and workshops, including a “Science Night In,” where you can drop the kids off for the evening to eat pizza and do science activities while you get a much-needed break.
Bozeman’s mountains are incredible, and when you come to visit, you’ll discover that we have so much more to explore! Get your free travel or relocation guide today at VisitBozeman.com.
If you enjoyed this blog, take a look at some of our other related articles:
- A Guide To In-Town Exploration In Bozeman
- What You Need To Know About Museums In Bozeman
- Montana's Creative Capital: Art Galleries In Bozeman, Montana
- Iconic Bozeman: The Ellen Theatre
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