Cascade County Historical Society

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Cascade County Historical Society Through The History Museum & Research Center, we make the history and heritage of North Central Montana available to the public.

This was the back entrance of the Senate Bar in Great Falls, Montana in the mid 1960s. A sign above the door says that "...
10/21/2026

This was the back entrance of the Senate Bar in Great Falls, Montana in the mid 1960s. A sign above the door says that "Kennedy is Watching You." In April, 1966, the Tribune published that the Senate Bar, along with the Star Cigar Store, Brunswick Hotel, the Mint, New Willard Hotel, Big Six Barger Shop, and the Pension Bar (along the south side of the 200 block on Central Ave) would be demolished that summer as a part of Great Falls Development Corp.'s urban renewal project.

[image: Tribune Collection, 2022.005A.0158]

10/18/2026

Jazz Night 2026! John Gemberling Jazz Combo at The History Museum's Ozark Club

Still working on your outfit for Jazz Night 2026? We have some inspiration pics from the John Staub Collection for your ...
10/13/2026

Still working on your outfit for Jazz Night 2026? We have some inspiration pics from the John Staub Collection for your review. These photographs were taken by John between 1977 and 1978 at the Paris Gibson Square. When the Cascade County Historical Society (The History Museum) was founded in 1976, we operated out of The Square (among a few other places!) Check out these great examples of patterns, crisp mod looks, and flared pants! What do you notice about fashion in these photos?

Celebrate our Big Birthday Bash and wish us a Happy 50th Birthday in style at Jazz Night, Saturday, October 17 at 6pm. Tickets for museum members are $70, non-member $85. Dinner (plus birthday cake!) and live jazz with a no host bar. Call the museum at 406-452-3462 or visit us in person to purchase tickets.

[John Staub Collection, 2025.035]

On Second Saturday, October 10 don't miss your chance to hear a presentation by James Grant, curator of our recent exhib...
10/08/2026

On Second Saturday, October 10 don't miss your chance to hear a presentation by James Grant, curator of our recent exhibition on St. Peter's Mission. Grant is presenting "40 Years Too Late: Investigating the History of Native American Boarding Schools," and will share a behind-the-scene look at the ways he has researched three Native American boarding schools in Montana, including archival documents, oral histories, and even drones!

Listen to James Grant's interview with Visit Great Falls on the No Dam Experts podcast (episode 297, "Voices of Our Ancestors") to hear more about his work on the St. Peter's Mission exhibition. (linked in the comment section)

[Image: M. Perpetua and M. Agnes with students at St. Peter's Mission, circa 1900. Ursuline Western Province Records, U99.16.3-23]

Celebrate 50 years of The History Museum and take your style back to when we began with an optional costume contest! Dis...
10/06/2026

Celebrate 50 years of The History Museum and take your style back to when we began with an optional costume contest! Disco, rock, hippie, or retro cool - prize awarded to the grooviest outfit!

Jazz Night is Saturday, October 17 at 6pm. Tickets are on sale now:

Museum Members: $70
Non-Members: $85

Call 406-452-3462 or visit the museum to purchase tickets.

At Jazz Night, enjoy the sounds of the John Gemberling Jazz Combo, a gourmet pasta bar by Clark & Lewie's, a birthday cake for our 50th, and a cash bar. We'll have a silent auction table with unique local items. Don't forget your dance shoes - the only cure for disco fever is to hit the dance floor.

Business Sponsorships Available: Contact Connie Constan about business sponsorships today!

[image: Phil Coe and Sue Atkinson combine New York, Latin, and Tango hustle steps at the local Great Falls disco scene in July 1978, photographer Stuart S. White, Tribune Collection]

UPDATE: sold out!! 🎃 Notice to Grim Tales enthusiasts: spots are filling quickly for the Grim Tales Tours - as of mid-da...
10/01/2026

UPDATE: sold out!! 🎃 Notice to Grim Tales enthusiasts: spots are filling quickly for the Grim Tales Tours - as of mid-day 9/30/2026, we can fit:

Edit: NOW FULL 0 spaces on Tuesday, October 20
Edit: NOW FULL 0 more spaces on Tuesday, October 27

October 3, 6, 10, 13, 27, and 31 are full! Don't wait to register - call 406-452-3462 to see what space is left for the spooky season.

Original image: View of stormy sky over Great Falls from Gore Hill, c. 1980. [Tribune Collection, 2022.005A.0994]

The votes are in across Facebook and Instagram: the costume contest for Jazz Night 2026 is the 1970s! Celebrate 50 year...
09/30/2026

The votes are in across Facebook and Instagram: the costume contest for Jazz Night 2026 is the 1970s! Celebrate 50 years of The History Museum and take your style back to when we began with an optional costume contest! Disco, rock, hippie, or retro cool - prize awarded to the grooviest outfit!

Jazz Night is Saturday, October 17 at 6pm. Member tickets are on sale NOW ($70) and non-member ticket sales open October 5 ($85). At Jazz Night, enjoy the sounds of the John Gemberling Jazz Combo, a gourmet pasta bar by Clark & Lewie's, a birthday cake for our 50th, and a cash bar. We'll have a silent auction table with unique local items. Don't forget your dance shoes - the only cure for disco fever is to hit the dance floor.

Business Sponsorships Available: Showcase your business to our community! Table sponsorships include premier advertising perks. Contact Museum Director Connie Constan today to secure your table.

[image: Phil Coe and Sue Atkinson combine New York, Latin, and Tango hustle steps at the local Great Falls disco scene in July 1978, photographer Stuart S. White, Tribune Collection]

Autumn is the perfect season for a scavenger hunt! That's why we're launching Terra Cotta Quest - a search to identify t...
09/24/2026

Autumn is the perfect season for a scavenger hunt! That's why we're launching Terra Cotta Quest - a search to identify the historic fired-façades of downtown Great Falls!

To participate in the scavenger hunt, come by the museum or the Downtown Great Falls Association office and pick up a clue sheet or download one from our website. You will be locating buildings downtown based on their terra cotta decoration.

🔶Write down the address, the building location, or a business currently in the building.
🔶Bring your clue sheet back to the museum to be entered into a drawing for a gift basket including a $25 gift card from the Downtown Great Falls Association.
🔶Clue sheets are available now and must be submitted by October 30th at 5pm. The winner will be notified by November 6th.

Tag us while you're out and about and use

Why terra cotta? At a time for growth in Great Falls during the 1910s and 1920s, terra cotta was an affordable option for building ornamentation. Glazed architectural terra cotta could be mass-produced in molds, mimicking expensive carved stone at a fraction of the cost and weight. Its versatility suited popular architectural styles like Beaux-Arts eclectic and added intricate, colorful detailing on high facades. Building details like these would have arrived by railroad.

Thank you to Destination Downtown Great Falls for your support!

Friday, September 25 is the last day to see Courage To Remember: 40 educational panels about the Holocaust on temporary ...
09/24/2026

Friday, September 25 is the last day to see Courage To Remember: 40 educational panels about the Holocaust on temporary display. The panels were produced by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, brought to Montana by Bruce Barrett, and saved by John Kunz.

Don't wait until Friday night - the panels will not be on display during the Cascade Quartet's program, Tango.

Address

422 2nd Street South
Great Falls, MT
59405

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 5pm
Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+14064523462

Website

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