What to do and see in Yellowstone Country, Yellowstone Country: The Best Specialty 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.

Crazy Mountain Museum opened its doors in 1992. We host a festival each Memorial Day to kick off the season: Come join us! 11:00 am to 4:30 pm. We are a self-supporting, non-profit entity and offer 3 levels of membership. Hope to see you this summer! Closing for the season on Labor Day (9/2). Call to make an appointment during our off season.

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.

Montana Science Center is where Science and Play connect. Families with children of all ages are welcome into the Science Center. Several science and technology based exhibits encourage interaction and hands-on exploration. Topics of exhibits include Physics, Dangerous Nature, Montana native fish, Earth in Layers, Building Brainstorm, Sun Earth Universe and more! Each area encourage collaborative play to learn about science in an engaging and fun way. Families with older kids can join us in the high-tech makerspace, STEAMlab for exploration in technology like 3D Design & Printing, Laser Cutting, Minecraft, Machine Take-Apart, Soldering, Coding and Robotics. Check our Calendar for special programs, Science Station hours and Open Lab in the STEAMlab.