What can I see and do at the Pioneer Memorial Museum in Darby?

Way back in 1886, doughty old pioneer Evelin Matteson decided it was time to settle down. He found the ideal spot near the mouth of Tin Cup Creek and set about building a log homestead with his own hands. He would probably have been mighty tickled if he'd had any inkling of all the fuss that was going to be made on its account in the years to come.

In 1956, someone with a lot of time and money on his hands decided he liked the structure and wanted it. Since he paid for it, it was his to do with as he pleased. What he pleased was to shift the whole log building to its present location on Main Street at 334 Bunkhouse Rd in Darby, on Highway 93. It now became Darby's Pioneer Memorial Museum with an invaluable cache of pioneer memorabilia in its safekeeping.

Here's where you'll find photographs, handwritten documents and letters, official papers and deeds of purchase, as well as church and school documents that take you through a time in history when meticulous paper work was considered de rigueur. Someone has thoughtfully provided a photograph of the homestead in its original location. And so it stands today, as it entices visitors with curios and tales of the early days.

Where is the Pioneer Memorial Museum?

The museum is located in downtown Darby, Montana at 101 E Tanner Ave.

When is the museum open?

The museum is open daily from 1pm-5pm from early June through mid-September.

Who can I call with more questions?

Call the museum at (406)821-3753.