What to do and see in Yellowstone Country, Yellowstone Country: The Best History Museums

Visit the American Computer & Robotics Museum and find out why distinguished Harvard scientist Edward O. Wilson described us as, “Inch for inch, the best museum in the world.” $7.50 for Adults, $4 for Youth and Seniors. Located in beautiful Bozeman, Montana, the ACRM is the oldest continuously operating museum devoted to the history of the Information Age and Computing. Our exhibits span 4,000 of human innovation, from original cuneiform tablets to the first personal computers, and include topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, the Space Race, Cracking the Enigma Code, and more.

Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University is a Smithsonian Affiliate, recognized as one of the world's finest research and history museums. It is renowned for displaying an extensive collection of dinosaur fossils, including a T. rex skeleton! MOR delights visitors with changing exhibits from around the world, permanent indoor and outdoor regional history exhibits, planetarium shows, educational programs, insightful lectures, benefit events, and a museum store. The Museum Store sells healthy snacks such as juice, yogurt, nuts, and string cheese. Snack and beverage vending machines are located in the lower lobby. There are numerous cafes and restaurants nearby.

Museum on the history of transportation through Yellowstone National Park opened seasonally from May to October. Housed in the original 1909 Union Pacific Railroad Depot, the Museum features permanent and temporary collections telling the story of travel to Yellowstone and the town of West Yellowstone. Free walking tours of the historic center are available in the evenings during summer.

Located in Red Lodge's historic Labor Temple Building, the Carbon County Historical Society and Museum is the county's central source for historic, genealogical, and archival information about Carbon County, Montana. The museum was first established in 1959 by Alice Greenough to house the collection of her world-renowned rodeo family. The Carbon County Historical Society was formed in 1974, and incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit in 1975. In 1990, the three-story Labor Temple building was gifted to the Carbon County Historical Society by an anonymous donor. In 1909 the Labor Temple was completed in Red Lodge on the corner of 8th and Billings Ave (now Broadway). This four-story, 20,000 sq. ft. Labor Temple Building was constructed by the Red Lodge Miners Local No. 1771 for $36,000, using a quarter of a million bricks from the Fromberg brick yard. It once served more than 1,000 union miners in Carbon County. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The historical society received money through grants, and private donations to restore the main floor and basement. In June 1999, the Labor Temple once again opened its doors to the community as the county's museum. The historical society is in the process of raising funds to restore and renovate the top two floors, with a completion date goal of 2017.

The Yellowstone Gateway Museum is housed in the 1907 Northside School, listed on the Natl. Register of Historic Places. Exhibit themes include: Native Cultures, Expeditions, Yellowstone, Transportation (especially Railroad), Pioneers, Military. Temporary exhibits include: Flintknapping, Fire, Communication. Outdoor exhibits include: Historic Vehicles (fire trucks, railroad caboose, stagecoaches, sheep wagons; Blacksmith Shop, One-room Schoolhouse, and more. Interpretive exhibits include stories and interactives designed to engage all ages. Ask for the History Quest, Museum Explorers Journal, and enjoy Dress-ups in three areas of museum. We change or add new exhibits annually. A research center library and archives are also available.

Step back in time and learn about Gallatin County's heritage. Visit the Gallatin History Museum in Bozeman, which offers a unique glimpse into the area's past. In addition to jail cells and a hanging gallows, the museum maintains displays illustrating the unique histories of a variety of people who have called Southwest Montana home. Permanent exhibits include Native American history in the Gallatin Valley, a model of old Fort Ellis, the infamous Big Horn Gun, five generations of wedding dresses from the Accola-Spain family, and even a porcelain doll that belonged to a girl who came to Bozeman by wagon in 1864. The museum also boasts a photo archive with more than 25,000 historic images that can be reproduced for a small fee. There's a research library that includes a special Lewis and Clark collection and files on many Gallatin County communities and families. The bookstore has hard-to-find materials dealing with the history of Gallatin County for sale at reasonable prices. The Gallatin Historical Society, founded in 1977, moved into two rooms in the county jail building in 1979. Built in 1911, the jail was already considered a historic structure. When prisoners were moved to the new Law and Justice Building in January 1982, the county commissioners granted the Society use of the entire building for a museum. The Pioneer Museum was created and in 2014 the name changed to Gallatin History Museum to better reflect the collection and the mission of the organization which is to preserve, promote and foster the history of Gallatin County and Southwest Montana. The Gallatin History Museum is a 501 3C non profit and is operated by the Gallatin Historical Society. It is not a County agency and does not receive any tax dollars, but instead relies strictly on memberships, donations, and memorials to operate. Members receive a quarterly magazine that features articles on local history, free admission to the museum and discounts in the bookstore. Admission is $5.00, children under 12 and museum members free. Summer (Memorial Day-Labor Day) hours are Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm and Winter (Labor Day-Memorial Day) hours are Tuesday - Saturday 11am- 4pm.