About the Museum
The Marshall Building
The Upper Musselshell Museum is housed in the Marshall Building, a two-story sandstone landmark at 36 Central Avenue South in Harlowton - about two blocks south of U.S. Highway 12. The building was constructed in 1908 from sandstone quarried locally from the hills just outside of town, part of a wave of permanent construction that followed the disastrous fire of 1907 that destroyed much of the original town.
In the century since, the building has had many lives:
The Upper Musselshell Historic Society purchased the Marshall Building in 1996 and began a long renovation the following year. Construction continued in phases for over a decade, with the second-floor exhibits finally opening in 2010.
The building is air-conditioned and fully accessible, with street parking on Central Avenue, a ground-floor entrance, and an elevator providing access to the second-floor galleries.
Upper Musselshell Historic Society
The Upper Musselshell Historic Society was founded in 1987 with a mission to preserve and share the history of Harlowton and the Upper Musselshell River Valley. What began in a single building on Central Avenue has grown into one of the most complete records of community life in central Montana - covering the Milwaukee Road railroad era, the Plains tribes of the Musselshell, the homesteaders and ranchers who followed, and the people who shaped the valley across generations.
The museum's collections are added to regularly, and changing exhibits and displays ensure there is always something new to discover. The research library and archives in the Marshall Building's Reading Room are available to historians, educators, students, and anyone curious about the region's past.
The Historic Society is a nonprofit organization. All gifts of cash and items are tax deductible. Memberships and donations directly support the preservation, maintenance, and growth of the collections.