Ravalli County Museum

The Ravalli County Museum in Hamilton, Montana, is operated by the Bitter Root Valley Historical Society (BRVHS) in order to acquire, preserve, and interpret the historical and cultural heritage of the Bitter Root Valley and the inhabitants of Ravalli County, Montana. United States. The Museum is open year-round and features three main focal points: local history, natural history and art.

Ravalli County Museum has a total of 9 exhibit galleries, with five of the galleries housing permanent exhibits.

“The Discovery: Lewis & Clark Meet the Salish in the Bitter Root,” is a display that depicts the story of the historic encounter between the Salish Tribe and Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the Bitterroot Valley, just before they crossed the Continental Divide in 1805. The exhibit is made up of murals, copies of pages from the Lewis and Clark Journals, Native American artifacts, the local flora and fauna and replicas of the equipment used on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The "National Senior Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame" is a collection of rodeo items from Hall of Fame inductees combined with interpretations that tell the story of rodeo and the lifestyle of the American cowboy.

“A Walk Through the Bitter Root,” is a two-room exhibit featuring murals of the landscape of Darby, Conner, Sula, and Hamilton as it looked in the 1900s, painted by local artist Suzette DelRae. The exhibit also features agricultural artifacts, old maps and dioramas depicting the lifestyle of the pioneers that settled in the valley.

“Bertie Lord, Pioneer Photographer” displays artifacts from the collections of Bertie Lord, donated to the Museum by the Lord family. Photo equipment, memorabilia and prints from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, including stereo views, portray the hobby that was Bertie Lord’s passion.

...
Wikipedia