Headwaters Heritage Museum
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The Headwaters Heritage Museum and Gift Shoppe is located in a 1910 bank building, originally the Three Valleys State Bank, in the center of downtown Three Forks at the southwest corner of Main and Cedar. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum celebrated twenty-five years in this building the summer of 2007. The city of Three Forks commemorated its centennial in 2008. The museum contains a vast and fascinating array of artifacts from the Missouri River Headwaters area. An anvil from an 1810 fur trapper's trading post at the Headwaters, Montana's largest brown trout weighing in at 29.5 pounds, an extensive barb wire collection, a dugout canoe used in a Lewis and Clark TV documentary, and a log cabin from Gallatin City, built in the 1860s, are but a few of the interesting exhibits. Upstairs is a nostalgic journey to the past with an old fashion kitchen, schoolroom, dress and millinery shop, beauty shop, blacksmith shop and dental office. Three Forks was founded in 1108 by the Milwaukee Railroad, and there is a station agent's office filled with memorabilia. A military room is dedicated to those who served our nation. A newspaper microfilm archive is now in operation that features the earliest issues of the Three Forks Herald, as well as the complete run of the highly inflammatory Pink Reporter which was published between 1938 and 1942. Souvenirs, gifts and post cards are available in the Gift Shoppe, as well as a nice collection of Lewis and Clark and local history books. Members of the Three Forks Area Historical Society receive a 10 percent discount. Admission is free, although donations are gratefully accepted. An appointment/reservation can be made to see the museum off season by calling 285-3644. Things to do and see in this area are plentiful throughout the summer. A short drive from Three Forks is the Headwaters State Park where you can enjoy the same view Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery did in 1805 when they first gazed upon the confluence of the three rivers, Jefferson, Madison, Gallatin, which form the Missouri River. Other nearby attractions are the Lewis and Clark Caverns, 16 miles west of Three Forks, Madison Valley Buffalo Jump, 14 miles south near Logan, and Parker Homestead, Montana's smallest state park, eight miles west on Highway 287. Activities include rodeos, parades, horse drive, Rockin' the Rivers concert, and an antique aircraft show. Willow Creek offers arts and crafts the third Friday of each month and there are Friday night speakers at the Lewis and Clark Caverns and Saturday night speakers at the Headwaters State Park. A must see is the larger than life statue of Sacajawea and baby Pomp in Sacajawea Park. Commissioned by the Three Forks Area Historical Society, it was dedicated in July of 2005 to commemorate the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.
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Map and Driving Directions
 Contact Info
Mailing Address:
PO Box 116 Three Forks, MT 59752 Street Address: 202 Main Street Three Forks, MT 59752 Phone: 406-285-4778 Alternate Phone: 406-285-3644 Email: museumthreeforks@aol.com
Directions
Take either exit off I-90 to Three Forks. The museum is located at the southwest corner of Main and Cedar, 202 South Main Street, in the center of town. Three Forks is 30 miles west of Bozeman.
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