Chinook’s Blaine County Museum

Today we are cruising east on US Hwy 2 from Havre to Chinook. Our first stop is the Blaine County Museum.

There are several notable themes at the musem – area homestead history, Chief Joseph and the Battle of the Bear Paw, and the Montana Dinosaur Trail.

The Blaine County Museum serves as interim visitor center for the historic Bear Paw Battlefield 16 miles south of Chinook. Park ranger Stephanie Martin was on hand to greet us and also to explain Amtrak’s Rails to Trails program. After learning about the last major Indian battle in the US, we watched an emotional video about it.

There are several new dinosaur displays since I last visited the Blaine County Museum.

A gorgosaurus skull has been there before the but other displays were impressive and well-done.

 This is one of the new displays showing a hadrosaur bone.

If you are following the Montana Dinosaur Trail, be sure to purchase a dinosaur passport available at any of the locations on the trail. Each facility has their own unique stamp, typically a dinosaur that was found in the area. The Montana Dinosaur Trail covers about two-thirds of Montana so you’ll see a great variety of terrain if you visit all of the stops on the trail.

You’ll also find a nice assortment of books for sale at the Blaine County Museum, mostly relating to history of the area.

The Blaine County Museum is open year round. In winter months they are open from 1 – 5pm Monday through Friday.