The site of the new Montana Heritage Center underwent a "ground blessing" ceremony Wednesday morning.
Key Dates
Department of Administration Director announces Montana Heritage Center project committee members
Ground Blessing Ceremony
Steve Lozar, a member of Montana Historical Society's Board of Trustees and tribal councilman with the Confederated Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreille Tribes performed the traditional blessing, known as a smudging, in front of a limited crowd that included Gov. Steve Bullock, Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney and state legislators.
In addition to the smudging and prayer, Lozar symbolically ingested a pinch of earth from the site, acknowledging its historical significance as a trail to traditional buffalo hunting grounds.
"We take it in as a sign of unity, that everyone who walks into this place walks in with equality, walks in with a pure heart, and finds what this ground really is," Lozar said. "It's a place of discovery where we discover who we are, how we connect. We can see how we've connected in the past. We can take joy and pride in the things we've collectively done well, and we can learn from our mistakes."
Excavation Work Begins
Excavation work for the foundation footings will be ongoing this week. The construction team anticipates that rebar will be arriving by the end of August and foundation work will follow. The goal is to get the foundation work completed before the winter weather arrives.
Foundation Work Begins
The foundation for the Montana Heritage Center has started! Some of the Montana Historical Society staff are now working in offices with boarded up windows as we connect the two buildings together. This is going to provide the optimal visitor experience to the Heritage Center as all galleries and public spaces will be on one level. The project team and staff of the Montana Heritage Center have been working hard for many years to make this happen.
Climbing the Walls
The concrete walls are poured!! Workers climbed the rebar, and added insulation to protect the building during cold weather. Plans are in place that will allow construction to continue even in winter. Thank you for all your support.
Main Floor Slab Poured
Construction crews took advantage of the atypical balmy weather and managed to finish one of the huge slabs that will be the main floor of the Montana Heritage Center.
All Galleries Close January 2023; Research Center Shutters Dec. 15, 2022
Construction of the Montana Heritage Center in Helena is slightly ahead of schedule, which means the Montana Historical Society is going to ramp up the anticipated temporary closures and find new ways to fulfill the publics’ needs while having limited access to our artifacts and documents.