Western Heritage Center

Housed in this Romanesque building, a former library that looks more like a castle, the Western Heritage Center in downtown Billings, Montana, is a history lesson about the people of the Yellowstone River Valley and the Northern Plains. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum houses both permanent and changing exhibits, and collections include photos, newspapers, personal correspondence, clothing, textiles and artwork. Aficionados of noted western artist J. K. Ralston will be thrilled to see not only his oil paintings and sketchbooks, but also the log cabin that served as his studio. When the cabin, built in 1946 by Ralston and his son, was moved to the museum, its interior was restored to reflect his working environment. The museum’s lower gallery replicates a 1930s dude ranch, and is the backdrop for an American Indian historical exhibit that provides an overview of tribes native to Montana.