Our Ground Floor Exhibits represent the best of the Bitter Root Valley and its heritage.
The Discovery Room
Sponsored by Rob and Terry Ryan this room features Lewis and Clark meet the Salish at Ross Hole. This exhibit focuses on Lewis and Clark’s travels through the Bitter Root Valley in 1805 and 1806, where they encountered the Salish tribe.
Life in the West
This exhibit depicts the lifestyle, tools and practices of the early American cowboy, where the sport of rodeo all began.
Trappers & Miners
This room is an example of the kind of log cabin a miner or trapper may have lived in as early as the mid 1800’s.
Walk Through the Bitter Root
Logging and agriculture, the early industries of the Bitter Root Valley are showcased in this display. This exhibit includes murals that show what the valley looked like in the early 1900’s, from Conner to Hamilton.
Montana Cafe
The local eatery may be gone, but the stories still exist in the minds and hearts of all those who remember the iconic restaurant with the big neon sign and the family that owned it. This was the first neon sign in Hamilton and maybe in Montana!
At the special opening reception Cafe stories were told, you can find some of them with the exhibit.
Natural History
Explore the rich natural history of the Bitter Root Valley through this display. The majority of the animals shown here are native to this region.
Bertie Lord
Bertie Lord was an early local photographer who lived during the Victorian era. This exhibit depicts the life of Bertie Lord and a timeline of photograph technology. This exhibit has been refreshed with new interpretation and biography.