Western Heritage Center

The Western Heritage Center is a regional museum located in the Historic District in downtown Billings, Montana This museum used to be the old Parmly Billings Library. Built in 1901, the library turned museum houses a collection of artifacts and history of the Yellowstone River Valley.

The Western Heritage Center is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.

The Western Heritage Center (WHC) of Billings, Montana is an American Association of Museums (AAM) accredited history museum providing nationally-recognized outreach programs, long-term exhibits with interactive components and climate-controlled archival storage. The museum is housed in the Parmly Billings Memorial Library Building, a Richardsonian Romanesque building built in 1901 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The WHC’s mission is to promote an appreciation of the history of the Northern High Plains by collecting, sharing, and preserving stories and artifacts of Yellowstone River Valley life.

Since opening in 1971, the WHC has offered regional outreach programming, quality changing exhibits, and has incorporated the latest technologies for interpretive purposes. In 2001, the WHC received the Montana Governor's Humanities Award, being only the second organization to receive the honor reserved for individual contributions to the Humanities. In 2002, the WHC became the first Smithsonian Institution affiliate museum in the Northern Plains. Beginning in 2004, and presently running through 2008, WHC received federal appropriations from the U. S. Interior Department for the American Indian Tribal Histories Project, a program contributing to the preservation of Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Chippewa-Cree tribal histories. The WHC earned American Association of Museum’s re-accreditation in 2008. In spring of 2008, Ford Bell, president of AAM, stated, “the Western Heritage Center has re-confirmed itself as one of the nation's premier museums."

The Western Heritage Center is committed to providing public programs at minimal or no cost. Programs include the monthly High Noon lecture and video series, teacher workshops, school traveling trunks, eight traveling exhibits, partnerships with regional museums, and active participation in local events. The WHC coordinates five to seven changing exhibits each year. The current feature exhibit, We’re Making History: Billings First 125 Years, launched the city’s anniversary commemoration in 2007. The Western Heritage publishes books, video materials, and education kits relating to regional history. The museum cares for 17,000 artifacts that illustrate and document Yellowstone River Valley history.

Julie Dial has been the Executive Director for five years. The museum’s web site will provide more information www.ywhc.org