Historical Museum Offers Camps to History Buffs

Image provided by the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula

The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula has two opportunities for your budding historian or museum curator this summer: History Camp and the Jr. Docent Program.

History Camp at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula

Become a History Detective at HMFM’s Summer History Camp! Travel back through time to learn what life was like when the Fort was built in 1877, experience the trials, tribulations and triumphs of homesteading, experiment with bicycles just like the 25th infantry in 1890, imagine life as a forester during the 1910 fires, and much more! 

Hands-on activities will help campers develop homestead worthy skills and learn about the technology available in the late 19th and early 20th centuries including steam power, forest management, agricultural sciences and cooking! Visits to neighboring historic sites will help campers see Fort Missoula in the wider Montana landscape.  Campers will finish the week by preparing a rustic treats for their families. Covid-19 precautions will be in place, with guidance from the Missoula County Health Department.

Dates: July 19th-23rd  
Time: 9:00 – 4:00
Ages: 8 to 13 year olds
Cost:  $150.00, 10% discount for museum members
Minimum participants: 5
Maximum participants: 15
Deadline for registration: July 1, 2021

Jr. Docent Program

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in the museum? The Jr. Docent Program at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula is an opportunity for young people in the Missoula area to learn about the inner workings of museums.

Through the program, participants will be a part of a team that will become educational leaders and tour guides at HMFM. In addition to gaining knowledge about tour presentation, the participants will learn from our museum curator about the process of curating artifacts at the museum (how artifacts are received, documented and displayed in exhibits). Each docent will be able to harness their own skills and choose the aspect of museum work with which they feel most connected, and they will be able to specialize in that area during their time as a Jr. Docent. Covid-19 precautions will be in place, with guidance from the Missoula County Health Department.

Dates: June 28 th -July 1 st (Monday-Thursday)
Time: 12:00-4:00 (early arrival or late pickup may be available)
Ages: Children entering 5th through 12th grade
Cost: Free, but campers must agree to complete 15-20 hours of volunteer service during the rest of the summer.
Minimum participants: 3
Maximum participants: 10
Deadline for registration: June 10, 2021 (first come, first served)

For questions or to register for either camp, please call Kristjana Eyjólfsson 406-258-3473 or email Keyjolfsson@missoulacounty.us or visit: fortmissoulamuseum.org/education/summer-camps