Polson-Flathead Historical Museum

The Polson-Flathead Historical Museum opened in 1972 to preserve the history of the Mission Valley and the Flathead Indian Reservation. Step back in time when you visit this museum with its amazing attention to detail as it brings history to life in each of its exhibits.

On display in the museum are a number of authentic items from the 1800s, including firearms, stagecoaches, antique fire engines, chuck wagons and buggies. There’s even a vintage automobile from the early 1900s! A pioneer homestead interior is stocked with a number of authentic items that would have been part of everyday life for the region’s settlers.

Other items of interest include a saddle owned and used by Calamity Jane from her days in a Wild West show. Rudolph, a bull that was used to pull wagons around the region for settlers, is also part of a permanent display. Authentic pieces of history from the Salish and Kootenai Tribes educate visitors about the local Native Americans. The museum even has a marionette display of Lewis and Clark.

The Polson-Flathead Historical Museum is indeed a tribute to the days of the pioneering American West.