Montana Heritage Center Reaches $60 Million Goal, Opens December 3

Helena, MT — The Montana Historical Society (MTHS) announced today that its ambitious $60 million fundraising campaign for the Montana Heritage Center has been successfully completed, thanks to a generous $165,000 gift from the Oakland Family Foundation of Great Falls. The state-of-the-art facility in Helena will open to the public on December 3 with free admission.

After MTHS announced in July that it had reached $59 million of its $60 million goal and launched a public appeal for the final $1 million, Montanans and supporters from beyond the state responded with overwhelming generosity. The grassroots effort narrowed the gap to just $165,000, at which point the Oakland Family Foundation stepped forward with the campaign’s closing gift.

“The Montana Heritage Center represents the culmination of a 20-year vision to give Montana’s extraordinary stories the home they deserve,” said Molly Kruckenberg, director of the Montana Historical Society. “Reaching this milestone is a testament to the more than 1,300 donors from around the world who believe in preserving and sharing our state’s rich heritage. We are deeply grateful to the Oakland Family Foundation for helping us cross the finish line, and we cannot wait to welcome the public to explore these new exhibits.”

The Oakland Family Foundation, a private foundation that supports educational programs throughout Montana, saw the Heritage Center as an investment in the state’s future.

“Montana’s history belongs to all of us, and ensuring that future generations can learn from and be inspired by these stories is essential,” said Ashley Whitney of the Oakland Family Foundation. “We are honored to play a part in bringing this transformational project to completion.”

The $107 million Montana Heritage Center project was made possible through a distinctive funding partnership:

• $60 million in private donations and grants: More than 1,300 individual donors, foundations, and corporations contributed to the campaign. Major contributors include the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation ($25 million), Norm Asbjornson ($10.4 million), and BNSF Railway ($5 million).
• $41 million in state funds: These funds were largely appropriated from the State Lodging Facility Use Tax—commonly known as Montana’s accommodation or bed tax—which is collected from visitors who stay in hotels and lodging facilities around the state.
• $5.5 million from 2007 state bonds: An earlier appropriation supported site planning and preparation work.

Notably, no property tax dollars were used to fund the facility or its exhibits, making this a project supported primarily by private generosity and taxes paid by Montana’s visitors.

The Montana Heritage Center will feature three museum galleries, a library and archives research center, a café, a gift shop, an interpretive trail, and rentable event spaces. Visitors will experience Montana’s past through innovative, interactive multimedia exhibits designed to engage audiences of all ages.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and press conference will take place on December 2 at 3:00 p.m., featuring remarks from Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, major donors Dennis Washington and Norm Asbjornson, MTHS Director Molly Kruckenberg, and MTHS Board President Tim Fox. The event is free and open to the public.

Regular public hours begin December 3, and admission is free to all visitors.

For more information about the Montana Heritage Center, visit mths.mt.gov or email [email protected].