Though this is a small museum it has a lot to offer, with all manner of interesting items crammed onto the grounds and into the buildings. Outside, the first thing one notices on approaching the museum are the dinosaurs, three of which stand outside. Less noticeable are a series of vintage buildings, most of which hold further displays of local paraphernalia. At the end of the row of buildings is an ice cream parlor, open through the season whenever the museum is open.
Inside the main building are paleontology displays as well as items of more recent vintage relating to the local history of Choteau.
In front of the main museum building are several large artefacts - a road grader, two bear traps and this covered wagon. Not a nineteenth century Conestoga wagon used by overlanders looking for new frontiers, this is the type of wagon built in the early to mid twentieth century by ranchers, for use during roundup and vaccinating time. On a large ranch it was most effective to do vaccinating (and similar chores) out on the range, wherever the cattle were found. These wagons were built to provide a bit of shelter, a cookhouse for the cowboys, and to carry along necessary supplies.
This particular wagon was built on an old truck chassis, using leaf springs (giving a smoother ride than an unsprung wagon) and the truck's wire wheels with pneumatic tires. Generally driven by the ranch's cook, he was probably quite appreciative of the smooth ride of this wagon as compared to that of a typical wooden wheeled wagon of older vintage.
Following is more detailed information on the museum, from the museum itself.
Old Trail Museum
The museum complex consists of the main museum building which houses a gift shop, a dinosaur gallery, area artifacts and exhibits. A wooden boardwalk accesses several other buildings including the Grizzly Cabin, the Jesse Gleason Art Studio, the Metis House, the Schoolhouse, the Ice Cream Parlor, a Blackfoot tepee or lodge and the Carriage House gift shop that has Montana-made and locally-made items.
The museum is one of 14 stops on the Montana Dinosaur Trail. The Dinosaurs of the Two Medicine Paleontology Gallery in the main building contains a life-size Maiasaura (the Montana State Fossil) along with a mural of the natural environment by local artist Jim Utsler.
Other paleontology exhibits in the gallery include a dinosaur skull cast of Einiosaurus, a cast of a meat-eating dinosaur, dinosaur footprints, dinosaur eggs, nests, and babies; and tools of the trade. Also included are exhibits of Maiasaura babies, Egg Mountain, dinosaur claws, Cretaceous marine fossils, geology of the Rocky Mountain Front and the Willow Creek anticline and a dino dig display.
Included is a “touch” bone where children and adults alike will get the opportunity to see (and touch) a real fossilized duck-billed dinosaur thigh bone.
In addition to the paleontology the museum contains more exhibits such as, Old Agency on the Teton, Jesse Gleason’s art studio, the Old North Trail, a Metis Red River Cart and Choteau’s last hanging.
After touring the museum enjoy an ice cream from the ice cream parlor located in the museum complex. There are shaded picnic tables for your convenience and plenty of room to park your RV.
From the Old Trail Museum