Museum at crossroads over future of historic building

The Northwest Montana History Museum has reached an impasse over the future of its location in downtown Kalispell.

The nonprofit leases the historic brick-and-stone building from the city for a nominal fee of $10 per year. In return, the museum is responsible for maintenance and repairs — of which there are many. 

Constructed in 1894 as a school, the 131-year-old structure needs vital upgrades. The heating and cooling system requires work, water drains into the basement, and the museum lacks a climate-controlled space to store its archives. 

But museum board members say it’s nearly impossible to raise funds for such projects when the nonprofit doesn’t own the building. 

“A large investment into the building does not make financial sense unless the city were to grant us ownership,” board member A.J. King told the City Council at a meeting last week where museum officials floated the idea of transferring the property.

Council members expressed interest in the idea and plan to discuss it further at an upcoming work session. 

The proposal could benefit both parties. 

Relinquishing ownership would remove a non-revenue-generating property from the city’s books and place it in the hands of a trusted local organization committed to preserving Kalispell’s history. Not long ago, the building was boarded up and slated for demolition to make way for a parking lot — a plan narrowly defeated by a tie-breaking vote. 

The city later invested $2.5 million to renovate the structure before leasing it to the historical society in 1997 to operate a museum. Nearly 30 years later, more work is due. 

With the deed in hand, museum leaders say they would be in a stronger position to launch a capital campaign and seek grants to fund improvements. 

The museum isn’t just home to a sizable collection of artifacts and fascinating exhibits. (If you haven’t seen the model train display, put it on your summer bucket list.) It’s also a valuable public space, hosting more than 140 events each year, including book clubs, celebrations of life, concerts, rehearsals and community meetings. 

“We are an active part of the economy and culture,” said Executive Director Margaret Davis. 

The landmark, which draws more than 10,000 visitors each year, deserves investment to ensure it remains a fixture of Kalispell for the next century. Transferring the property would be the first step toward making that vision a reality.