Montana. Cowboy Hall of Fame Western Heritage Center A VISION FOR OUR FUTURE

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1 Montana & Cowboy Hall of Fame Western Heritage Center A VISION FOR OUR FUTURE

To cherish and pass forward the cowboy way of life, American Indian cultures, and our

Through the generous support of private philanthropists, we are building a world-class

international destination for visitors of all ages to learn and to live the true spirit

2 To cherish and pass forward the cowboy way of life, American Indian cultures, and our collective Montana heritage, for generations to come. Through the generous support of private philanthropists, we are building a world-class cultural heritage center dedicated to celebrating and preserving the authentic Montana way of life. The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center will be a regional and international destination for visitors of all ages to learn and to live the true spirit of the people of Montana. The time is now to build a tribute to our cherished past, present, and future to honor those who have come before us, and to proudly encourage those who strive to continue in their footsteps.

3 A Living Heritage Center The essential message of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, the story that needs to be told here, is the story of Montana s people: their endurance, ingenuity, love of the land, self-reliant ethic, and their pride in living in and faithfully extending the heritage of Big Sky Country. As Board Member Mike Gurnett has observed: This is truly an idea for which the time has come... Each day we lose more of our heritage and it is our responsibility to act now. Our vision is to be the state s premier destination attraction that honors and celebrates Montana s unique western culture. Although it will be historically accurate and populated with historic objects, this will not be a traditional museum driven by strict academics or by an extensive collection of curated artifacts. It will be a living cultural center where visitors can come to learn about and celebrate their heritage, while continuing to make new history in the present. A key component of this vision is an extensive program calendar, including public classes, group tours, classroom field trips, service learning opportunities, volunteer programs, cultural events, festivals, traveling exhibitions, and much more. It is hard to be pessimistic about the West. This is the native home of hope. When it fully learns that cooperation, not rugged individualism, is the pattern that most characterizes and preserves it...it has a chance to create a society to match its scenery. Wallace Stegner Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 3

The Heart of Montana I can already envision a parking lot filled with school buses from across the state Mike Gurnett, Board Member Through a diligent, 14-month site selection process, focusing on

4 The Heart of Montana I can already envision a parking lot filled with school buses from across the state Mike Gurnett, Board Member Through a diligent, 14-month site selection process, focusing on immediate viability and long-term sustainability for our institution, the city of Big Timber in Sweet Grass County was chosen as the new home for MONTANA the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center. Big Timber Located midway along the I-90 corridor between Bozeman and Billings, this location benefits from excellent highway visibility and a strong potential for international tourism thanks to its proximity to Yellowstone National Park. The 30-acre site presents wide-open views of the Crazy Mountains, and offers existing infrastructure that will facilitate a faster realization of our project vision, and allow a lower total project cost. Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 4

5 A Campus for Cultural Education The fully realized vision for our institution comprises an extensive campus made up of a variety of different buildings and outdoor areas, with a range of functions that both honor and embody the living spirit of Montana. Like a Montana ranch or farm, a campus approach ensures a tightly integrated relationship between the built environment and the great outdoors, while still providing the ability to host guests and events This approach also facilitates strategic stages of carefully planned, controlled growth, and provides seasonal flexibility and sustainable design opportunities. Our development and funding approach is geared toward long-term viability. We have carefully taken a build as resources allow approach to this project that will allow us to grow our future campus over time in a series of development phases. throughout the changing seasons. Exhibition Hall Corral Open-Air Theater Gift Shop Heritage Museum Event Center Native Gardens Hall of Fame Outdoor Arena Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 5

Raising the Barn PHASE 1.0 Farmers and ranchers know that you start a homestead with the barn. For our homestead, the first building has two main parts: the Gateway Pavilion and the Event Center.

6 Raising the Barn PHASE 1.0 Farmers and ranchers know that you start a homestead with the barn. For our homestead, the first building has two main parts: the Gateway Pavilion and the Event Center. Event Center Gateway Pavilion Central Garden Between these two functions, our administrative offices are situated, along with a home base for the museum s touring interpretive trailer. The first phase of construction also includes the west entry drive and an initial parking area, as Interstate 90 Phase 1 Site Plan well as a large native garden, exhibiting Montana s wide variety of indigenous plant life. This outdoor interpretive landscape will ultimately become the central connection hub that links the entire campus together. Gateway Pavilion and Event Center Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 6

This Gateway Pavilion features a welcome center, a gift shop, and an interactive exhibition and film about the cultural heritage of Montana, along with informative

7 PHASE 1.0 GATEWAY PAVILION The eastern half of the building is a comfortable and inviting lodge-like gallery with soaring ceilings and natural finishes of stone and timber. This Gateway Pavilion features a welcome center, a gift shop, and an interactive exhibition and film about the cultural heritage of Montana, along with informative exhibits to honor our Hall of Fame inductees. Together these elements comprise a first phase realization of the core components of the Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, to be relocated within a larger adjacent museum building once its design and construction is complete. Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 7

8 PHASE 1.0 EVENT CENTER The opposite side of our first-phase building is an indoor event center a comfortable multi-purpose space equipped with a moveable stage, cuttingedge audio-visual technology, and flexible seating to serve a wide variety of events. Programs held at the Event Center may include the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony, donor recognition banquets, and cultural programs such as concerts or film screenings. In addition, the space can be made available as appropriate for private event rentals such as wedding receptions and corporate meetings. Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 8

PHASE 1.0 MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS The real treasure of our initial start-up effort will be a touring exhibition trailer, dubbed the Museum Without Walls.

9 PHASE 1.0 MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS The real treasure of our initial start-up effort will be a touring exhibition trailer, dubbed the Museum Without Walls. Its interior will be outfitted with a stateof-the-art audio recording studio, so that people across Montana can come record family stories, interview their elders, and preserve their memories for future generations. The museum trailer will serve as a mobile interactive branch of the Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, visiting rodeos, fairs, and schools to bring hands-on cultural education programs directly to every county in the state. Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 9

Growing Our Homestead PHASE 2.1 Our second phase of development begins with the Main Entry Water Features construction of a completely new building, expanding our campus around the central garden.

10 Growing Our Homestead PHASE 2.1 Our second phase of development begins with the Main Entry Water Features construction of a completely new building, expanding our campus around the central garden. Gift Shop This new point of entry will become the permanent home of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame, along with the first group of interpretive galleries in the Western Heritage Center. The existing gift shop will be relocated and expanded into this new facility, making space for additional administrative offices in the Gateway Pavilion to accommodate our growing staff. Plaza Montana Big Sky Other areas of the campus to be developed in this phase include the main entry drive and Trading Post Hall of Fame traffic roundabout, the central parking areas, landscaping and water control features, and a pedestrian plaza in front of the new building. Interstate 90 Phase 2.1 Site Plan Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 10

11 PHASE 2.1 HALL OF FAME Our main hall presents the legends, the inspirations, the Montanans whose stories live on as icons of our heritage. The natural light that fills the hall dances across a long row of elegant frosted-glass columns. Etched onto the face of each column is a dedication in honor of a member of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. In salute, a wrought-iron brand is mounted in front of each column, its face set with a jewel-like crystal medallion. At the center of the hall, digital images of the honorees move smoothly across the face of a tall, glowing touchscreen. By touching the glass surface, we can browse through a rich digital database to discover the colorful story of each inductee. On the mezzanine level upstairs is an art gallery named The Good, the Bad, and the Darn Ugly. This playful venue offers the chance to take full advantage of the wide variety of photos and graphic ephemera available, allowing museum staff and guest curators the opportunity to present a constantly changing montage of the unvarnished Montana. Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 11

PHASE 2.1 MONTANA BIG SKY THE TRADING POST The first exhibition gallery in the new building provides an overview and introduction to the cultural heritage of the state of Montana.

provide visitors an overview of the many qualities that make Montana such a unique place. The younger visitors among us will enjoy playing and exploring inside The Trading Post discovery room.

12 PHASE 2.1 MONTANA BIG SKY THE TRADING POST The first exhibition gallery in the new building provides an overview and introduction to the cultural heritage of the state of Montana. Montana Big Sky offers a 360- degree big sky panoramic orientation to the Montana story: interesting factoids, small objects and interactives, and a large-scale mural of the state s history will provide visitors an overview of the many qualities that make Montana such a unique place. The younger visitors among us will enjoy playing and exploring inside The Trading Post discovery room. This gallery presents the Montana frontier story at a children s level, offering hands-on activities and roleplaying to enable younger visitors to put themselves into Montana history. Since it stands apart from the main exhibition galleries, families can reserve the Trading Post for private birthday parties and other events. Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 12

13 Expanding the Ranch PHASE 2.2 The conclusion of Phase 2 involves the construction of three interconnected program venues: Exhibition Hall: A year-round indoor space for large festivals, expositions, Farm & Ranch and other trade shows, sports tournaments, car shows, and more. Round Corral Corral: A small livestock area for hands-on Exhibition Hall demonstrations and learning with real animals, such as educational petting zoos, equestrian clinics, livestock judging, or 4-H and FFA County Fair sales. Amphitheater: A small tiered seating circle for seasonal outdoor talks and programs. In conjunction with our Event Center (Phase 1) and Arena (Phase 3), this combination of facilities provides a Amphitheater unified indoor-outdoor venue for a range of multifaceted programs a place for people to both learn about and experience our authentic western heritage. Phase 2.2 Site Plan Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 13

Completing Our Home PHASE 3.0 The third phase of construction brings to bear the final components of our interpretive program: the Heritage Center Galleries.

14 Completing Our Home PHASE 3.0 The third phase of construction brings to bear the final components of our interpretive program: the Heritage Center Galleries. These galleries are where the full story of the Montana spirit and way of life can be told. This phase also brings to completion our exterior suite of event facilities, seasonal attractions, and landscaping features that will make the full site accessible to our visitors and the entire community of Montanans: Outdoor Arena: In conjunction with the Exhibition Hall and Event Center, our Outdoor Arena Outdoor Arena will host western sport competitions and other state and regional events. Interpretive Trail & Seasonal Attractions Seasonal Attractions: These outdoor sites such as a cowboy chuckwagon, American Indian village, or a blacksmith shop will offer skills demonstrations, talks, and living history interpretation. Heritage Center Galleries Interstate 90 Interpretive Trail: A walking path winds through the open areas of the site as an extension of the native plant garden. Upper: Seasonal Attractions Lower: Phase 3.0 Site Plan Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 14

15 PHASE 3.0 HERITAGE CENTER GALLERIES History museums are often linear and chronological in order to be academically comprehensive. For this museum, however, the question is not as much What happened, when, and to whom? What we want to know is: How did people live, work, and play? Although there will be a loose chronological overlay, our exhibition will be more of a conversation than a lecture. Where do you live? What is your job? What do you like to do in your free time? Thus our exhibits are firmly rooted in a sunup til sundown presentation of the everyday life of Montana s people. The permanent exhibition is grouped into three gallery spaces: Living, Working, and Playing. This allows us to closely juxtapose a tipi next to a sod house, or a miner s shack next to a city mansion. Our visitors will not only be able to directly compare different ways of life from times and places across the history of the state, but they will also quite naturally draw contrasts and comparisons with their own contemporary lives. Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 15

Here we travel back in time to discover how people met basic needs: food, shelter, family, community, faith, and more.

both the burden and the pride of Montana.

16 PHASE 3.0 LIVING: Home & Family WORKING: Earning a Living PLAYING: Recreation & Socializing All of Montana's native peoples, pioneers, and immigrants shared a love of the land. But life in a mining town like Butte was considerably different than growing up in a Crow village, or settling a ranch on the high plains. Here we travel back in time to discover how people met basic needs: food, shelter, family, community, faith, and more. Whether it's riding the range, going down the mines, building a boom town, or cooking for the ranch hands, hard and honest work has always been both the burden and the pride of Montana. In this area, we look back at a variety of historical communities to explore the many different ways that Montana spells work. Carving a living out of untamed plains and rugged mountains doesn t leave much time for relaxation. But every hard-working wrangler, hunter, or homesteader needs a break now and then, if just to sing a song around a campfire, or to tell a story to the children. In this area we find out how folks of the past spent their precious free time. Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center 16

MONTANA COWBOY HALL OF FAME AND WESTERN HERITAGE CENTER PHASE 1.0 D A. Event Center B. Gateway Pavilion E C. Central Garden PHASE 2.1 D. Main Entry E. Water Features F. Plaza G. Hall of Fame H.

17 MONTANA COWBOY HALL OF FAME AND WESTERN HERITAGE CENTER PHASE 1.0 D A. Event Center B. Gateway Pavilion E C. Central Garden PHASE 2.1 D. Main Entry E. Water Features F. Plaza G. Hall of Fame H. Montana Big Sky P I. Trading Post J. Gift Shop K L M I F G J H N P PHASE 2.2 K. Exhibition Hall L. Round Corral M. Amphitheater A B C Q E O PHASE 3.0 N. Outdoor Arena O. Interpretive Trail P. Seasonal Attractions Q. Heritage Galleries: Living, Working, Playing

Bill Endurance is still our most dependable crop.

MT 59011 Christy Stensland, Executive Director (406) 653-3800

18 Bill Endurance is still our most dependable crop. Endurance, and pride. Bevis, Professor Emeritus, University of Montana Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center PO Box 1569, Big Timber, MT Christy Stensland, Executive Director (406) Aaron Lyles, Director of Finance (406)

STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE OREGON SHORT LINE TERMINUS HISTORIC DISTRICT

STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE OREGON SHORT LINE TERMINUS HISTORIC DISTRICT & AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE HEART OF WEST YELLOWSTONE CONCEPTUAL PLANNING REPORT November 2004 PREPARED BY The Portico