Blaine County Museum

Chinook is a small town resting in the North-Central part of Montana. The small Hi-Line community is widely recognized for its close proximity to the Bear Paw Battlefield, the historic site of the final conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. Military. On the rise, however, is a relatively new project which seeks to showcase and idolize the beautiful Montana wildlife we often take for granted.

The Blaine County Wildlife Museum has been fifteen years in the making, and finally opened its doors to the public this summer. With breathtaking exhibits along with a museum store and a friendly, helpful staff, the Wildlife Museum is a must-see for anyone traveling around the state. It also runs in conjunction with the Blaine County Historical Museum and the afore mentioned Bear Paw Battlefield, offering an abundance of enlightening information and tremendous sightseeing during these beautiful summer months.

Currently there are four completed exhibits including the Swift Fox, Peaks to Plains, Buffalo Jump, and Wetlands displays. A fifth exhibit entitled the Moose-Grizzly Encounter is nearing completion as well. At its current state, the Wildlife Museum offers a unique opportunity for visitors to see completed masterpieces as well as careful works in progress. But don't expect to be sold short the finished displays are amazing and unforgettable; the works in progress are interesting and insightful. Visit BCWildlifeMuseum.com for a glimpse of the multiple exhibits or for additional details, history, and contact information.

The Museum owes tremendous thanks to the remarkable designs of Minnesota-based Acorn Exhibits, Incorporated. This husband and wife team, Kurt Wohnsen and Elizabeth Marshall, have spent countless hours constructing exhibits and creating incredibly detailed and accurate works of art for the Wildlife Museum since 2000. Before undertaking the huge project in small-town Chinook, Kurt and 'Liz' were employed by the Denver Museum of Natural History and the Science Museum of Minnesota. They have also been commissioned by The C.M. Russell Museum of Western Art in Great Falls, Montana, The International Wildlife Museum in Tucson Arizona, The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, and Lifetouch National School Studios.

Where is Chinook hiding their new claim to fame? It isn't such a secret, as the museum sits right in the middle of Indiana Street (a.k.a. Main Street) just over 3 blocks off Highway 2. The building was formerly a one-cinema theater, but sat vacant for several years after its closing in the mid-80's. In 1991, the once "Blaine Theater" building was donated to the cause by the Blaine Bank of Montana.

Local and foreign visitors alike will be shocked, amazed, or even speechless after viewing the fantastic exhibits. Educational yet exciting, designed for the old, the young, and everyone in-between the Blaine County Wildlife Museum will not disappoint.

Click here for more information about the Montana Dinosaur Trail.