• Planning a Heritage Explorers visit is simple. Our goal is to make the experience easy for teachers while providing meaningful learning for students.

  When contacting the museum, please include:

  • School or organization name
    • Grade level(s)
    • Approximate number of students
    • Preferred visit date
    • Special curriculum interests or classroom topics

  Most visits last 2–3 hours and include a guided museum experience, interactive learning activities, and time to explore the nature trail.

  To schedule a visit:

  Email: info@ninepipesmuseum.org
  Phone: (406) 644-3435

  We recommend scheduling at least 3–4 weeks in advance, especially during spring field trip season.

• Dropdown Content

  A typical Heritage Explorers visit includes several engaging learning experiences.

  Guided Museum Exploration

  Students explore museum galleries with a guide who shares the stories behind artifacts, photographs, and historical objects.

  Hands-On Learning Activities

  Interactive activities allow students to connect with history through creative and tactile experiences.

  Storytelling and Cultural Learning

  Students may hear stories or perspectives connected to the cultural traditions of the region.

  Nature Trail Exploration

  Students can explore the museum’s nature trail to learn about wildlife, plants, and the seasonal cycles that shape life in the Mission Valley.

  Each visit is designed to encourage curiosity, observation, and thoughtful questions about history and culture.

Heritage Explorers supports classroom learning in several key areas.

The program aligns with Montana’s Indian Education for All (IEFA) initiative by helping students learn about the histories and cultures of Montana’s tribal nations in a respectful and place-based environment.

Teachers frequently connect their visits to:

• Montana history
  • Social studies and civics
  • Cultural studies
  • Environmental education
  • Oral storytelling and memory

By engaging with artifacts, landscapes, and community stories, students gain a deeper understanding of how history, culture, and place are connected.

Ninepipes Museum recognizes that travel costs can make field trips difficult for some rural schools.

When possible, the Heritage Explorers program may offer limited travel mini-grants to help offset transportation costs.

These funds are intended to help ensure that students from smaller communities throughout western Montana can participate in the program.

If transportation support would help your school visit the museum, please mention this when scheduling your field trip.

Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana was founded in 1998 to preserve and share the natural and cultural heritage of the Mission Valley and the Flathead Reservation.

The museum works with tribal and non-tribal community members to ensure the stories represented in its collection are shared with respect and care.

Through artifacts, storytelling, and educational programming, the museum invites visitors to explore the diverse histories that have shaped this region.

Located in Charlo, Montana, the museum sits near the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge and serves as a cultural gathering place for students, educators, and visitors from across the state

Heritage Explorers is designed as a growing educational initiative that will expand in the coming years.

Future program development may include:

• Student-designed mini-exhibits through a Junior Curators program
  • Recorded oral histories and digital storytelling resources
  • Traveling classroom materials for schools unable to visit the museum
  • Expanded partnerships with local educators and tribal knowledge-keepers

Heritage Explorers aims to become a lasting educational resource for the Mission Valley and surrounding communities.