Clock doctor makes house calls

A broken clock is right two times a day, but that’s not enough for the kids and teachers in the McClaren 1895 Classroom program, for whom the time travel should be as seamless as possible. 

Twice a year the museum hosts hundreds of third graders for an immersive half-day in public school education as it was practiced when Central School opened its doors on Second Avenue East in 1895. Kalispell’s oldest public building now serves as home to the Northwest Montana History Museum. 

The museum’s Seth Thomas wall clock that hangs in the museum’s Swanberg Classroom hadn’t worked in years. Gentle prompts from our volunteer teachers spurred me to action.