Two exhibits at The History Museum in Great Falls, MT are related – one is of trains and specifically the Great Northern Railroad, the other is of Glacier National Park whose existence would have been vastly different if the railroad had not come through the area. The railroad follows closely along US Highway 2 and pretty much skirts the southern border of Glacier.
I love seeing the Great Northern memorabilia, especially the mountain goat. Jim Meinert, executive director of The History Museum, pointed out a replica of the train he used to ride on when traveling to Montana.
We didn’t have much time to look at this exhibit so I plan to go back for a better look. As we rounded the next corner in the museum, one wall is lined completely with stunning, jaw dropping photos of Glacier National Park.
Great Falls sits between two national parks – Glacier and Yellowstone. US Highway 89, which has been dubbed the Park-to-Park highway, connects the two and runs right through Great Falls. So, much of the summer season visitor traffic in Great Falls is going, or has been, to one of the national parks.
It was difficult to get the right angle to show some of the beautiful photos of Glacier lining one wall. The opposite wall has more. This photo will give you an idea of how they are displayed.
The History Museum is well worth a visit. The building itself is a wonderful example of restoration and it lends itself well to the various exhibits.