Fort Missoula Museum
Fort Missoula Museum
4.5
About
Located at one of Montana's first military posts, this museum houses rotating exhibits and devotes an entire wing to the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps. A recreated Western town of the late 1800s takes visitors back in time to the days of carriage houses and homestead cabins.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
154 reviews
Excellent
77
Very good
62
Average
13
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Frances C
Hayden, ID116 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
The main museum was closed but we spent a few hours anyway exploring all of the historic buildings on the site (most of which were open) and reading all of the information posted in and around them. The train and other equipment at the historic museum site was also interesting.
We enjoyed our time there very much!
We enjoyed our time there very much!
Written 20 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TexasEagle
Abilene, TX612 contributions
Sept 2021 • Couples
Lot of history about Fort Missoula and the museum has an extensive collection of artifacts, including forest service equipment. The post also has remnants of the period during world war 11 when Japanese Italian, and Germans were interned. National forest service also has exhibits on the property
Written 4 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheLongLongTrailer
Hartsburg, MO699 contributions
Aug 2021 • Solo
Way more to see here than you’d think. In addition to the concentration camp buildings there is a forestry area and the biggest war museum outside DC. You could literally spend hours here. The staff is all very welcoming and willing to answer any questions. This one is worth the stop!
Written 4 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
slas86
Glenpool, OK704 contributions
Jul 2022
Traveling through, we decided to stop and got a wide ranging history lesson on Montana. Mining, forestry, railroad, settlers, military--you name it, this place had it for a very inexpensive price. Most of it is outdoors and free but don't pass on the buildings, The videos of the Japanese interment camp was sobering but something to see.
Written 15 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vacationnthree
349 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
So many interesting things to see and it's free! I have always been interested in seeing a Lookout Tower and they have a real original one set up to look like it would in years past.
There are many pieces of machinery there that are nearly one of a kind. Each one having a description of what it is and how it was used.
This is very much worth your time to stop and look around if you like this sort of thing. Highly recommended by my family.
There are many pieces of machinery there that are nearly one of a kind. Each one having a description of what it is and how it was used.
This is very much worth your time to stop and look around if you like this sort of thing. Highly recommended by my family.
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Valerie F
Austin, TX132 contributions
Apr 2021
We spent the day here and didn’t get to see everything. This is so well presented that we couldn’t possibly see everything. The main building wasn’t open, either because of virus or maybe too early in the season. I’m glad it wasn’t open, because we may have spent too much time in there and wouldn’t have seen the cabins, schoolhouse, railroad, so much to do. We must go back to Missoula and visit again. My battery is dying so I’ll keep it brief, but 5+ stars.
Written 17 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Places Where We Go Podcast
Simi Valley, CA974 contributions
Jun 2021
Spent 2.5 hours exploring the grounds here. The museum has a decent collection of fort history. The military exhibits however were extremely dense and difficult to digest due to information overload. A good place still to spend several hours with much to see on the grounds – especially for fans of American history.
Written 6 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
idahosail
Coeur d'Alene, ID35 contributions
Sept 2022
Take time to walk around outside. The early farming and lumber industry vehicles are really interesting to see. Also, the train depot (moved from elsewhere) is fun to see.
Written 8 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cara R
New York City, NY1 contribution
Jan 2015 • Business
While on business (I work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan), I made a stop at Fort Missoula. I love all art, but can appreciate the educational outlet that historical museums create. The first thing I noticed in the museum was the disgusting "orientation room." Carpet in a museum is not a good look unless it is regularly cleaned (including a good carpet shampoo). The two cases contained extremely creepy dolls that were apparently part of their Christmas exhibit - but it is almost February, Christmas is no longer relevant. The walls are white - there is no depth to the room. The brown columns need to be painted - it may be a "historical" museum, but its presentation was disturbing and definitely made me feel that whoever runs the museum does not care about drawing in a crowd for a positive experience. Also, the horse in the orientation room is awkward and out of place. If there was text explaining the horse's purpose, I missed it, which wouldn't be hard to do given that the text is so small and unreadable.
The 150 years of Missoula wing has an abundance of inaccuracies. It goes from 1860 to 1920 - that is mathematically incorrect (that's only 60 years!). When I walked in, I saw a children's station where you can write your story on a piece of paper and tack it to the wall. That is very elementary in what is supposed to be a professional setting. Otherwise the exhibit was very cluttered. Not enough space for all of the history that Missoula possesses. I wasn't sure where to start in the exhibit because it's so tight and overwhelming (in a bad way).
The Fort Missoula gallery has an awkward life-size cutout - who is he? What purpose does he serve? Very small exhibit for the fort. The artwork on the wall is beautiful, the information is great, but the lighting is so bad. The museum was so gloomy! History may be gloomy, but a museum is supposed to be lively. I read that this museum's mission statement is to keep Missoula's history alive, but there is nothing lively about it. It was so dreary and disappointing. Also - I read in the brochure that the building was built in 1910, but there is no sign of historic charm to it. Like I said, very dreary.
In the "gift shop," they sell huckleberry jam and huckleberry chocolate. In all seriousness, I would bet that the chocolate is stale. Not a good idea to sell food in a gift shop at a museum that is not hip and happening.
I would not recommend this museum to anyone, but when visiting Missoula I would recommend the Missoula Art Museum because it is a professional example and is a great representation of the community.
The 150 years of Missoula wing has an abundance of inaccuracies. It goes from 1860 to 1920 - that is mathematically incorrect (that's only 60 years!). When I walked in, I saw a children's station where you can write your story on a piece of paper and tack it to the wall. That is very elementary in what is supposed to be a professional setting. Otherwise the exhibit was very cluttered. Not enough space for all of the history that Missoula possesses. I wasn't sure where to start in the exhibit because it's so tight and overwhelming (in a bad way).
The Fort Missoula gallery has an awkward life-size cutout - who is he? What purpose does he serve? Very small exhibit for the fort. The artwork on the wall is beautiful, the information is great, but the lighting is so bad. The museum was so gloomy! History may be gloomy, but a museum is supposed to be lively. I read that this museum's mission statement is to keep Missoula's history alive, but there is nothing lively about it. It was so dreary and disappointing. Also - I read in the brochure that the building was built in 1910, but there is no sign of historic charm to it. Like I said, very dreary.
In the "gift shop," they sell huckleberry jam and huckleberry chocolate. In all seriousness, I would bet that the chocolate is stale. Not a good idea to sell food in a gift shop at a museum that is not hip and happening.
I would not recommend this museum to anyone, but when visiting Missoula I would recommend the Missoula Art Museum because it is a professional example and is a great representation of the community.
Written 22 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I M C
Cut Bank, MT107 contributions
Oct 2019
I have a weakness for old junk, and this place is full of it. Having worked in the woods growing up, this place brings back a lot of memories. I'm not old enough to have been around all of the equipment when it was working, but it never fails to remind me of the toughness of the men who ran it. When I was a kid, OSHA was the enemy and the men looked out for their own safety. It reminds how soft most of us have gotten and that a day with no AC isn't that bad. Go inside and see the history in pictures and read about the fascinating things that have happened in the valley, Some things we are so proud of and a few we aren't, but it all makes us who we are today and it shaped one of the most amazing places to live in the country.
Written 31 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is most of this fort wheel chair accessible?
Written 16 June 2022
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