Old Trail Museum

THE OLD TRAIL MUSEUM SERVES THE PUBLIC VIA ITS MISSION STATEMENT IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS: OLD NORTH TRAIL, BLACKFEET TRAPPER/TRADER, CATTLEMEN, SHEEPMEN, ALICE GLEASON, METIS, BEADWORK, GRIZZLY BEAR, ART STUDIO, SHEEPWAGON AND A.B. GUTHRIE DISPLAYS; CHILDREN'S SUMMER PROGRAMS AND GIFT SHOP. THE OLD TRAIL MUSEUM SERVES THE LOCAL AREA, AS WELL AS, ADJACENT COMMUNITIES AND LARGE NUMBERS OF TOURISTS ENROUTE TO GLACIER NATIONAL PARK JUST TO THE NORTH OF CHOTEAU.2023 PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:2023 WAS A YEAR OF CHANGE FOR THE OLD TRAIL MUSEUM. PREVIOUS OTM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JULIE AMELINE RETIRED IN JANUARY, REPLACED BY NEW OTM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEAN DOYLE.THE 2023 WILD GAME FEED WAS A HUGE SUCCESS! WE RAISED OVER $14,000 ON MARCH 25TH OVER THE COURSE OF THE POTLUCK, VARIOUS RAFFLE CONTESTS,PLUS OUR LIVE AND SILENT AUCTIONS! THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED ITEMS, THOSE WHO VOLUNTEERED AND ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO BOUGHT AUCTION ITEMS!THE SOKA PIIWA FOUNDATION AND BOE BROTHERS FOUNDATION ONCE AGAIN MADE LARGE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE OLD TRAIL MUSEUM TO HELP MAINTAIN THE MUSEUM. MANY THANKS TO THEM AND THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND GENEROSITY!2023 BROUGHT THE CREATION OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT INTERPRETIVE CENTER. THE OLD TRAIL MUSEUM'S SCHOOLHOUSE BUILDING BECAME HOME TO THE NEW RMFIC, WHICH WAS CREATED BY COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN OTM DIRECTOR SEAN DOYLE, MONTANA FISH AND WILDLIFE AND PARKS BIOLOGIST BRENT LONNER, MONTANA NBC 4 METEOROLOGIST MITCHEL COOMBS, AND THEUNIVERSITY OF MONTANA WESTERN'S DR. ROB THOMAS, GEOLOGIST. THE RMFIC WAS OPENED ONJULY 1, 2023. ATTRACTIONS IN THE RMFIC INCLUDE EXHIBITS EXPLORING THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT'S NATURAL HISTORY, INCLUDING GEOLOGY, GLACIOLOGY, METEOROLOGY AND WILDLIFE. ANOTHER MAJOR ATTRACTION IN THE RMFIC IS A LARGE 3-D TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT REGION, HIGHLIGHTING NOTABLE LANDMARKS AND TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT.OTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO THE OTM IN 2023 INCLUDE REPAINTING OUR LIFE-SIZED MAIASAURA MODEL AND INSTALLATION OF A NEW LIGHTING SYSTEM IN THE MAIN MUSEUM. OTM BOARD MEMBERS CHRISTA MORGAN AND CLAYTON KETCHAM DID A GREAT JOB PAINTING THE MODEL. IN THE SPRING 2023, THE OTM INSTALLED A LED LIGHTING SYSTEM IN THE DINOSAUR ANTECHAMBER, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF DINOSAUR DISPLAYS IN THE OTM DINOSAUR ANTECHAMBER. A BIG THANKS TO GARY POOR AND JULIE AMELINE FOR WORKING ON THE NEW LIGHTING INSTALLATION.ON AUGUST 30TH, 2023, THE OTM HELD THE ANNUAL WEDNESDAY NIGHT PROGRAM. THIS YEAR'S EVENT FEATURED NBC MONTANA METEOROLOGIST MITCHEL COOMBS AND HIS LECTURE FOCUSED ON WEATHER PHENOMENA PARTICULAR TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. OUR MUSICAL PERFORMERS FOR THE EVENING WERE THE LOOSE MULES - RICH CLOUGH, GARY BETCHER, AND MARCA GIBSON, WHO PLAYED A SET COMPLETELY DEVOTED TO WEATHERTHEMED SONGS. IT WAS A GREAT EVENT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HOSTING MORE IN 2024.OLD NORTH TRAIL TOURSTHE ANNUAL OLD NORTH TRAIL TOURS WERE A HUGE SUCCESS AGAIN IN 2023. TOUR LEADERS DAVE SHEA AND DAVE HARTMAN ONCE AGAIN LED GUESTS ON TOURS OF SEVERAL NATIVE AMERICANSITES ON AND NEAR THE OLD NORTH TRAIL, INCLUDING TEPEE RINGS, EFFIGIES, EAGLE TRAPSAND BUFFALO JUMPS. THE OLD TRAIL MUSEUM WILL ONCE AGAIN BE LEADING TOURS OF THE OLD NORTH TRAIL IN 2024. TO ACCOMODATE THE LEVEL OF INTEREST IN THESE TOURS, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO HOST AN EXTRA SET OF TOURS IN 2024. PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE (OLDTRAILMUSEUM.ORG) FOR DATES OF THE 2024 OLD NORTH TRAIL TOURS AS THEY BECOMEAVAILABLE.ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT TOURSSTARTING IN 2024, IN ADDITION TO THE ANNUAL OLD NORTH TRAIL TOURS, THE OLD TRAIL MUSEUM PLANS TO START A NEW SERIES OF TOURS ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT, ONE BASED ON GEOLOGY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND ANOTHER BASED ON THE GLACIOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE AREA. THESE TOURS WILL EXPLORE THE UNIQUE GEOLOGICAL THRUSTING OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT, AS WELL AS THE ICE AGE HISTORY OF THE GLACIERS OF THE AREA. COME AND EXPERIENCE THE NATURAL HISTORY OF OUR WORLD-CLASS EXAMPLES OF GEOLOGY AND THE HISTORY OF THE UNIQUE GLACIATION OF THE AREA. OTM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEAN DOYLE WILL BE LEADING THESE HALF-DAY TOURS. AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE ON TOUR DETAILS AND DATES, WE WILL BE POSTING THEM ON OUR WEBSITE (OLDTRAILMUSEUM.ORG).2024 RMFIC EXPANSION2024 IS SET TO SEE AN EXPANSION OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT INTERPRETIVE CENTER. INCOLLABORATION WITH MONTANA FISH WILDLIFE AND PARKS AND FORMER BOARD MEMBER DAVE SHEA, THE OTM IS SET TO CONTINUE EXPANSION OF THE RMFIC. NEW ATTRACTIONS WILL INCLUDE NEW ANIMAL EXHIBITS FEATURING ELK, PRONGHORN ANTELOPE AND GRIZZLY BEARS, AS WELL AS AN EXHIBIT FEATURING THE LIMBER PINE SAVANNAH ECOSYSTEM. IN ADDITION TO THESE EXHIBITS, A TOUCH AND FEEL INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT OF FURS, HORNS AND ANTLERS OF ANIMALS OF THE REGION FOR CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE IS BEING CREATED FOR THE RMFIC.CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THE RMFIC IS SET TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE 2024 AND 2025 OTMSEASONS. DONOR CONTRIBUTONS MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS POSSIBLE AND HELP CREATE A GREATATTRACTION FOR TOURISTS AND LOCALS. THE OTM BOARD OF DIRECTORS WOULD LIKE TO THANKANNIE OLSON AND BADGER TRACKS, A CHOTEAUBASED GRAPHICS DESIGNER FOR THEIR HELP ANDPRODUCTION OF SEVERAL RMFIC EXHIBITS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AND OTHER LOCALLY-BASED COMPANIES IN OUR FUTURE.