GREAT FALLS — On November 10, 2024, the Children's Museum of Montana in Great Falls closed their doors, facing an uncertain future. This week, they signed their name to a new home at 201 Second Avenue South, which formerly was home to B&B Loan & Rental.
A rainy day to some is a day of prep for others. Board president for Spark! Childrens Museum of Montana Sarah Lautenschlager has worked hard for today.
Lautenschlager said, “We are just taking a minute and taking it all in and being so grateful that we are able to move forward.”
Lautenschlager said, “We walked in and thought, this is it. This is where we can make our home.”
The new space is a large building with natural light and the ability to expand in the future; she noted, "Our goal is to purchase this building to make it our forever home.”
They hope to raise money to buy the property in the near future.
Lautenschlager said, “Our goal is $4 million over the next four years so that we can purchase and sustain programs and keep rotating exhibits coming through and keep everything new and fresh.”
In the meantime, the museum will host several "pop-up' events across the community this summer:
- Saturday, June 21 from 9:00am to 1:00pm at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center
- Saturday, July 19 from 9:30am to 11:30am at Gibson Park (weather permitting)
- Saturday, August 16 from 9:30am to 11:30am at the Community Early Education Center, 801 2nd Ave N
These pop-up events are free and open to all, and the public is encouraged to follow Spark! on social media for updates on event locations and times.
The new location is right across the street from Renaissance Square, which has Magpie owner Andrew Brown excited.
Brown said, “We used to go to the old museum pretty regularly.”
He's not only excited for his kids to have the area nearby, but is also optimistic about the increase in visitors to the area.
Brown said, “Honestly, anything that influences heavier foot traffic in downtown, I'm all about that.”
The museum is still in the early process of getting the new building ready, but Spark! hopes to open by the end of 2025 or early 2026.
(NOVEMBER 7, 2024) The Children’s Museum of Montana is closing temporarily as it continues searching for a new home. Sunday, November 10, will be the Museum’s last official day of operations at 22 Railroad Square. It will be free and open to all from noon until 4pm on Sunday.
A news release on Thursday, November 7, 2024, says that the organization has informed the City of Great Falls that it will be moving out of its current location at 22 Railroad Square at the end of November.
The Children’s Museum of Montana opened on February 13, 1999, at the Railroad Square location with a 15-year lease with the City. While the City has extended the lease several times, the building was not intended to serve as the permanent home of the Museum.
The museum’s board of directors has determined that “the most cost-efficient way forward is to move from the current space into a new, permanent home.”
The Board of Directors is looking at locations in Great Falls to serve as a permanent home, with a goal of reopening in 2026.
The museum is accepting donations to help with the purchase of the new location.
Over the next several weeks, CMOM will be contacting their more than 300 members to discuss the transition and the option of prorated membership refunds.
If you would like to donate - or learn more about the situation - click here to visit the website, click here for the Facebook page, or call 406.836.1436.
Laura Ewalt, the interim director of CMOM, said in the news release, “The Children’s Museum of Montana has spent more than two decades lighting the spark of learning for area children. Our passionate and dedicated staff, volunteers, and board members are excited about the opportunity to honor that history while reinvigorating the Museum to ensure it stays relevant and vital to the community.”
(OCTOBER 9, 2024) The Children’s Museum of Montana in Great Falls has undergone several changes over the last few months, and more changes are still to come.
After taking on 13 new board members and developing a new strategic plan, they have created a new mission, new values, and a new vision.
The board’s goal is to essentially bring a whole new museum to the community of Great Falls.
According to the new interim director, Laura Ewalt, the museum has seen very few changes over the last 20 years.
“We formed quite a few committees so that we can divide and conquer,” said Ewalt. “There's a lot of things to take care of here at the museum, and that has allowed us to split up all the tasks with that bigger board.”
Over the next few months, the board will be soliciting community involvement, such as more volunteers, as well as making changes to several of the current exhibits.
Additionally, the museum will be getting a new look, including new logos and a new name that will be revealed at a later date.
The museum is at 22 Railroad Square in downtown Great Falls; click here to visit the website.
