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Places: The Museum at Central School

By Beacon Staff

For an inspirational and comprehensive journey through local history, lose yourself for an afternoon at The Museum at Central School.

For nearly 100 years, the Central School building was a high school, junior high school, grade school and classroom for Flathead Valley Community College. It’s fitting that the tradition of education is carried on today at the museum.

Take a quick tour of the two floors of history or spend hours perusing vintage pictures of the homesteading on the Flathead River and early Kalispell, collections of rare Western Native American artifacts, the Frank Bird Linderman room and a full-size simulation of a fire tower lookout.

The impressive “Timer Exhibit – Sand Monkeys, Tie Hacks and River Pigs” was created by 2001 Flathead High School graduate Anna Saverud, who researched an extensive time line chronicling the timber industry that helped build the Flathead Valley. The exhibit also includes a working sawmill.

Each week the museum features a 100-year-old newspaper, so patrons can read what was happening exactly a century ago. And every fourth Tuesday of the month enjoy a classic film from the National Film Registry.

The museum is open in the summer Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

How to get there: The museum is located at the intersection of East Second Street and Second Avenue East in downtown Kalispell. For more information on exhibits visit www.yourmuseum.org.