The Children’s Museum of Montana is closing Nov. 10 in its current location at 22 Railroad Square.

The museum will be moving out of the space at the end of November as its board of directors “has determined that the most cost-efficient way forward is to move from the current space into a new, permanent home.”

The museum has been leasing it’s current space, which is city-owned, since 1999.

The board informed the City Commission of the closure during its Nov. 6 work session.

City approves lease extension for Children’s Museum

The museum had been looking at moving into the Stray Moose property in Black Eagle, but Laura Ewalt, interim museum director, told The Electric that they are not longer considering that location.

She said they have a couple of potential locations currently being evaluated and are hoping to make a decision to make forward before the end of the year.

During the meeting, Ewalt said they hope to be in their new location by early 2026 and will continue fundraising and looking for that new location.

Ewalt said they want to be closed the least amount of time possible knowing it will impact children in the community.

Ewalt said she will stay on as interim director until a permanent director is found and then she’ll go back to her role on the board.

City considering lease extension for Children’s Museum

City Manager Greg Doyon said they were coming to the end of a lease cycle with the museum and will continue working with the museum as it transitions to a permanent location.

The city did not cancel the museum’s lease, the museum board informed the city that it was closing in the current city-owned building.

“The museum has a deep appreciation for the long-standing relationship with the city and is thankful for the home it provided for the museum for so long,” according to the museum release.

The museum is hosting a free community day at the museum Nov. 10 from noon to 4 p.m. at its current location.

Community members are encouraged to submit fond memories of their experiences at the museum on the website.

The museum plans to hold a series of pop-up events across the community during this transition period. These events will be open to all, and the public is encouraged to follow the Facebook page for updates on event locations and times.

Ewalt told The Electric that they are in the process of documenting all the murals, exhibits, personal items such as the tiles, memorability, etc. in the museum to be used for future projects in their new permanent home.

The museum board is intending to hold their annual fundraiser in November 2025. More details on how to support this event and purchase tickets will be coming soon.

Over the next few weeks, museum officials will be reaching out to their more than 300 members to discuss the transition and the option of prorated membership refunds. The museum will also be accepting donations to help with the purchase of the new forever home.

In February 2024, Commissioners approved a lease extension for the museum.

The museum has leased the property, formally known as the Zellerbach Building, since September 1997.

The City Commission approved a 15-year lease agreement for the museum on Dec. 2, 2003 with an automatic five-year renewal.

Discussions continuing about possible home for Children’s Museum in Black Eagle

The original lease required the museum to pay all utility, maintenance and repair costs of the building and its systems, according to city documents.

On Jan. 2, 2019, commissioners approved a new lease agreement through November 2023 without an automatic renewal.

Community meeting set on potential use of Black Eagle property for children’s museum

That lease gave the museum another five years to search for a new location since the city needed the building for additional office space, according to staff at the time.

Since then, the museum looked at several possible locations but none came to fruition.

Over the last year, the museum has been working with Cascade County officials and others to potentially use the Stray Moose building in Black Eagle as a home for the museum. The site is within a superfund site that the county is working with the former smelter company, Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for cleanup efforts.

City Manager Greg Doyon recommended a one-year lease effective Dec. 1, 2023 that may be administratively extended for an additional year if the museum hasn’t yet relocated.

The lease continued at the $1 annual rent for the two years.

County, agencies discussing details for potential use of Black Eagle site for Children’s Museum

After the first two years, commissioners will annually consider and review the lease for another year and may consider market rate lease adjustments, or other modifications, according to staff.

The museum is still required to pay all utility, maintenance and repair costs for the building and its systems.

Staff has presented to commissioners many times in recent years about the need for additional space, including the recent project to remodel the Missouri Room upstairs in the Civic Center for Municipal Court space.

County approves rezone for Black Eagle site eyed for future Children’s Museum home

The project, approved by commissioners but opposed by the city-county Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, eliminates four established meeting spaces and a small office space.

For future Civic Center space needs, Doyon’s long-term vision, subject to commission approval and funding, according to the staff report, is:

• the Missouri Room renovation for Municipal Court
• renovate the existing court space in the basement for IT training and meeting space
• move the planning and community development department into the museum’s building after renovation
• moving the city attorney’s office to the current planning office, which puts it closer to the court space with more room for attorneys and support staff

No members of the public spoke during the public hearing about the lease.

Doyon told commissioners in February that his current plan is to eventually move planning our of the Civic Center and into the building occupied by the museum, unless a better option becomes available in the meantime.