Hospitality Company Adds Family Owned Montana House to its Glacier Park Portfolio
Pursuit, the travel, lodging and hospitality company, continues expanding its inventory of properties in and around Glacier National Park with the purchase of the historic Apgar Village business on the shore of Lake McDonald
By Tristan Scott
The travel, lodging and hospitality company Pursuit is expanding its inventory of business interests in and around Glacier National Park with the purchase of Montana House, a family owned arts-and-crafts shop located in Apgar Village on the shore of Lake McDonald.
Pursuit announced the addition of Montana House to its collection of park-adjacent hospitality and attraction experiences in a Jan. 6 press release.
Located in the heart of Apgar Village, a popular hub for visitors on Glacier’s west side, the store has showcased more than 500 local and Indigenous artisans for nearly 65 years. It has also doubled as a de facto town square serving members of the tight-knit West Glacier and Apgar community, where the former owner, Monica Jungster, and her family have been community mainstays for decades.
“My family and I have been stewards of this special place for many years,” according to a prepared statement from Jungster, who was born and raised in Apgar.
Beginning in the mid-20th century, Jungster has lived and worked at Montana House, where she grew up 400 feet from the banks of lower McDonald Creek. The daughter of a World War II veteran who served in the 10th Mountain Division before moving to Montana, Jungster can recall how, in 1955, her parents purchased a postage stamp of property inside the park’s boundary and built the Montana House Regional Craft Shop, raising their family in the store’s rear living quarters. Since then, floods and fires have reshaped the landscape around Apgar while a dramatic increase in visitation has brought on transformative shifts to the park’s management policies.
Meanwhile, Jungster has quietly withstood the changes, opting instead to safeguard her family’s original business mission and defend the pristine natural resources that for her are both a private birthright and a public privilege. After the wildland fires of 2003 nearly reduced Apgar Village to embers, Jungster replaced the store’s wood-shingle roof with one made of metal. The building’s trim is now a goldenrod color, and the sign is different. Still, not wanting to intrude on the rustic character of the neighborhood, Jungster has largely eschewed modifications, even as she’s accepted the changes around her.
In selling to Pursuit, Jungster said she’s confident her family’s legacy, as well as the nearby amenities important to the community, will be preserved.
“Montana House has been a place to connect, share stories and gather as a community and I believe Pursuit will honor and celebrate this history while creating a space for new generations to come,” Jungster stated.
The acquisition adds to Pursuit’s growing portfolio of businesses in and around Glacier Park. The company most recently purchased Eddie’s Café and Mercantile in Apgar Village, which is also located in Apgar Village. The sale of Eddie’s Cafe in November 2024 included the exclusive Apgar Lookout Retreat, as well as the restaurant, gift shop, supply, and ice cream shop for which Eddie’s has been known for more than 60 years.
In 2022, Pursuit purchased Glacier Raft Company, which included the Glacier Outdoor Center, located a half-mile from the west entrance to Glacier National Park, on a 50-acre parcel overlooking the park and the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. Previous owners built 13 log cabins, a main lodge, retail store, and a wedding venue.
Other Pursuit-owned businesses include the historic Belton Chalet and the Glacier Park Lodge, which is located in East Glacier and was built by the Great Northern Railroad in 1912, two years after the creation of Glacier National Park.
Prior to rebranding as Pursuit, the company operated as Glacier Park, Inc., and was the primary concessioner with Glacier National Park until 2013, when it lost the contract to operate the hotels and lodges in the park to Xanterra Parks and Resorts.
Since 2014, Pursuit has continued to grow, most notably when it purchased multiple businesses in West Glacier from the Lundgren family, including the West Glacier Motel and Cabins; the West Glacier Restaurant and Bar; the West Glacier Mercantile; the West Glacier Gift Shop; and other guest services. Additionally, the deal with the Lundgrens included 3.8 acres of inholding within Glacier National Park in Apgar, the Apgar Village Lodge, the Cedar Tree Gift Shop and staff housing units in Apgar and West Glacier.
Rob Spence, vice president of the Glacier Park Collection by Pursuit, explained in Monday’s news release that Montana House will reopen for the 2025 summer season.
“We recognize the leadership that Montana House has brought to this community and are privileged to continue the legacy of this important piece of Apgar Village history,” according to a statement from Spence. “At Pursuit, we have a long history within Montana and Glacier National Park and are committed to honoring the communities and places in which we both live and work. We work diligently to ensure thoughtful and sustainable growth and are committed to long-term investment in Montana House to deliver an exceptional experience for guests and staff for years to come.”