A natural history museum in the state’s far southeastern corner plans to double its visitorship with an upcoming renovation and expansion.
The Montana Department of Commerce recently announced an award of $1.25 million dollars to Carter County and its museum in Ekalaka.
Museum executive director Sabre Moore says the money adds to approximately $6 million dollars the Carter County Museum has raised so far for its upcoming expansion.
“This grant has made us a shovel ready for the project, so it’s happening,”
The museum hosts the annual Dino Shindig in July, with lectures and a hunt for fossils. Sabre says museum visitorship generates approximately one million a year in financial benefits to the region.
The museum has been displaying artifacts since 1936. Sabre says it’s not only the first dinosaur museum in Montana, but also the first county museum in the state.
“Generations have grown up going to the Carter County Museum and it's a real point of pride for people in the entire county,” Sabre said.
She says construction will add 15,000 square feet to the museum, almost three times its current footprint [5,800sqr feet], and expansion will include a new multipurpose planetarium, research library and lab space among other improvements.
According to the Department of Commerce, the funding for this award comes from the Montana Tourism Development Grant Program, which supports rural communities through the bed tax. Each recipient is eligible to get up to $2.7 million dollars over the grant period.
Sabre says the museum plans to break ground this fall.
