The award-winning C.M. Russell Museum contains more than 3,000 pieces of Western art in a complex that covers an entire city block and encompasses 16 exhibition galleries, educational programming spaces, a dedicated research center, and an impressive outdoor sculpture garden. With nearly 1,000 Charles M. Russell creations in our collection, the museum presents Russell’s comprehensive, very personal, and authentic reflection on Western history. Also showcased are Russell contemporaries who have captured the traditions of North Plains Indian life, Montana wildlife and landscapes, and cowboy culture. You will discover important work by O.C. Seltzer, Winold Reiss, Joseph H. Sharp, E. E. Heikka, Maynard Dixon, E. I. Couse, Olaf Wieghorst, Henry Farny, Frank Tenney Johnson, and more. We welcome you and the over 30,000 annual visitors who come to Great Falls to immerse themselves in Russell’s West at the museum and our onsite crown jewel of the Russell legacy, the original Russell House and Studio, a National Historic Landmark.
Who We Are
It’s not just a name. It’s a statement to what we treasure. The C.M. Russell Museum is the beloved home of Charlie Russell. He created his life and art in the Great Falls house and famous log cabin studio that are a meticulously preserved National Historic Landmark onsite. The museum holds a large collection of Russell’s art and memorabilia that spans an entire lifetime. No where else can visitors immerse themselves so completely in the magic of Russell’s West.
Our museum has humbly been the stewards of Russell’s legacy for over 70 years. We take seriously our leadership role as one of the first recognized Western art museums in the world. With the dedicated support of the 27 Trigg-C.M. Russell Foundation Board of Directors, our staff, sponsors, 239 active volunteers, and over 1,000 members the museum presents the authenticity and truth of Charlie’s art and life in engaging ways that help build important connections and provide a sense of place and cultural awareness now and for future generations.
We are funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana’s cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund.