State of Montana Newsroom
Montana Historical Society to Host Five-Day History Festival in Helena
Helena, MT —The Montana Historical Society will host the Montana History Festival from Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, June 28, a five-day community celebration marking the grand opening of the fully completed Montana Heritage Center. The festival will feature free tours, hands-on workshops, live music, an Indigenous artisan market, traditional games, roundtable discussions, and a signature event on the Capitol Lawn with activities spread across Helena. All are welcome, and most events are free.
The Montana Heritage Center opened to the public in December 2025, and the months that followed brought the addition of the Center's café, its Larry Len and LeAnne Peterson Library and Archives, its Sovereign Nations Arbor, and the installation of new artwork and landscaping. In the six months since opening, the Heritage Center has welcomed more than 80,000 visitors from around the world. The History Festival celebrates the Center’s full opening and invites communities from Helena and beyond to come experience it together.
"This festival is our invitation to Montana,” said Molly Kruckenberg, director of the Montana Historical Society. “We've spent years building a facility that tells the story of our state, and now that we're fully open, we want everyone to come see it, experience it, and celebrate it with us. There is something here for every Montanan."
The festivities open on Wednesday, June 24 with Helena's free summer concert series, Alive at Five, on the Capitol Lawn. On Thursday, June 25 and Friday, June 26, free recurring tours of the Montana Heritage Center, the Montana State Capitol, and the Original Governor's Mansion will run throughout each day, alongside community tours and events, an Indigenous artisan market, and music by the Magpie Singers.
Saturday, June 27 brings the festival to a crescendo, with continued tours and workshops joined by a Historic Organizations Open House at the Capitol Rotunda, traditional Native games on the Capitol Lawn, hands-on history activities for families, and an Indigenous high tea and fashion show. That evening, the Capitol Lawn will host a signature event to kick off Montana's America 250 celebrations, featuring a flyover and a concert by Jack Gladstone and the New Horizons Brass Band.
“Montana's history isn't behind glass,” added Kruckenberg. “It's alive in the places we gather, the traditions we carry, and the stories we tell each other. We can’t wait to celebrate these stories with Montanans of all ages."
A full schedule of events, including registration information for workshops and other ticketed programming, is available at mths.mt.gov/historyfest.