C. M. Russell Museum

About

Artist Charles M. Russell captured the landscapes, the spirit, and the culture of the West. On site: museum, Russell home, Russell log cabin studio.

Story

Charles M. Russell captured the landscapes, the spirit, and the culture of the West during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Because the collection of the C.M. Russell Museum spans the artist’s entire lifespan and includes the artist’s home and studio, the museum is the only place in the world where visitors can experience a total immersion in the art and life of Charles Russell, considered by many to be the foremost artist of the American West.
Russell’s log studio was built adjacent to his home in 1903. Made of western red cedar telephone poles, the studio is filled with authentic cowboy gear and Indian artifacts that Russell collected and used when he painted and sculpted.
The Charles M. Russell home is a blue, two-story frame house built in 1900 for $800. It is furnished with period pieces as well as items from the Russell family. When it was built, it was located in the most fashionable district in Great Falls.
The Museum Store features museum-quality gifts, collectibles, books, and clothing. The store provides mail-order service and can ship items anywhere in the world.
The Discovery Gallery provides an interactive space for families and children of all ages to explore Russell’s art and life in the Old West. It features period props, art activities, a fur-trade store, Indian Village, and chuck wagon.
The mission of the C.M. Russell Museum is to collect, preserve, research, interpret, and educate on the art and life of Charles M. Russell; the art and lives of his contemporaries; and the art of preceding and ensuing generations that depicts and focuses on the culture, life, and country of Russell’s West.