Lewis & Clark County - MT - Historical Society

10/15/2026

10/15/2026

Standing room only at our Second Tuesday Program on 600 Generations of Life in Lewis and Clark County! Huge thank you to Patrick Rennie and his assistants for this outstanding, hands-on lecture, and thank you to our guests and supporters who show up!

10/06/2026

FREE SMALL TABLE!! The dimensions of this table are 19.75" wide x 36" deep x 30" high. Free to good home. Contact Karen: 406-422-0546 or [email protected]

10/04/2026

What stories can cemeteries tell us about Montana’s past? 🪦

Join us on October 17 in Helena for a day of history, storytelling, and exploration!

The workshop will feature expert presentations on Chinese burial practices in the Mountain West and cemetery symbolism in Montana, followed by an opportunity to explore the cemetery and put to test what you've learned.

We’ll wrap up the day with an Afterlife Party at The Montana Club!

Whether you’re a history enthusiast, preservation advocate, or simply curious, we’d love to have you join us.

📅 October 17 | 📍 The Foundation for Montana History, Helena

Learn more and register: www.mthistory.org/cemeteryworkshop

10/02/2026

600 generations. That's how long people have called this land home before 1805. 🏹

Join archaeologist Patrick J. Rennie at the Lewis and Clark County History Center to learn what they left behind, where to find it, and how to recognize the subtle clues hiding in plain sight.

📅 13 October | 🕐 7:00 PM
📍 Lewis and Clark County History Center, 618 Helena Avenue, Steamboat Building
🎟️ Free to the public

09/12/2026

Muddy hands, big smiles!

Last Tuesday's Second Tuesday presentation with the Clay Arts Guild was an absolute blast! From watching a pro throw a bowl right on the wheel to trying our hand at applying ceramic appliques, this one had something for everyone.

Huge thanks to the Helena Clay Arts Guild for sharing their skills and patience with us — turns out centering clay is a lot harder than it looks! 😅

Missed it? Don't worry — Second Tuesday rolls around again next month, and we'd love to see you there. Keep an eye on our page for details on what's coming up next!

📍 Helena History Center

09/12/2026

One brushstroke a year. Ten years. One journey.

Helena artist Louis Archambault spent a decade painting the Lewis and Clark expedition — traveling to each historic site during the very month it happened, over 200 years later. See all ten paintings in One Historic Journey, on view now through October 31 at the McCahon Memorial Gallery.

The artist with a visitor to the museum from Olympia, WA

09/03/2026

🏺 SECOND TUESDAY PROGRAM: The Clay Arts in Helena 🏺

Join us Tuesday, September 8th at 7 pm for a hands-on look at Helena's rich clay arts history! Artists from the Helena Clay Arts Guild — Montana's largest pottery institution with over 100 members — will throw pots live and lead a hand-building demonstration.

Want to try decorating a bowl yourself? Dress for a fun, messy experience!

We'll also explore how the discovery of lime, clay, and sand deposits fueled Helena's rapid growth in the 1800s — an industry that still supports hundreds of jobs in our area today.

📍 History Center, 618 Helena Ave (Steamboat Block)
🕖 7:00 pm
🎟️ Free admission, free parking
🍪 Light refreshments served

See you there!

09/01/2026

🎨 NEW EXHIBIT: One Historic Journey 🎨

For ten years, Helena artist Louis Archambault traveled to the exact site of a different Lewis and Clark expedition milestone each year — always in the same month the historic event occurred — to paint it on location. The result is One Historic Journey, a ten-painting collection opening at the McCahon Memorial Gallery!

The series traces the expedition's arc through:
🎨 Planning the Expedition
🎨 Four Days of Rest
🎨 Vigilant of the Intruders
🎨 Mountain Gates Serenade
🎨 The Experiment
🎨 A Wonderfully Savage Land
🎨 Against the Odds
🎨 Discovery
🎨 Gathering Balsamroot
🎨 Prairie Vista

Each piece is rendered in Archambault's signature romantic realism, blending watercolor and pastel — grounded in firsthand observation of the land's light and character across the very seasons the expedition experienced.

📅 Opening Reception
Thursday, September 10th | 7:00 PM
McCahon Memorial Gallery

🗓️ On view September 3 – October 31, with pieces available for purchase.

Join us for an evening celebrating local art and Montana history — meet fellow history lovers, enjoy refreshments, and get a first look at this remarkable series.

📍 Free and open to the public at Lewis and Clark County Historical Society, 618 Helena Avenue. We hope to see you there!

For more info: 406.422.0546 | https://www.l-cchs.org/