UPDATE: Lower Northside Residential Tour Cancelled, Two Railroad & Machinery Row Tours Offered
The Lower Northside Residential Tour has been cancelled, and The History Museum will instead run the Railroad & Machinery Row Walking Tour with Ashleigh McCann at both 1:30pm and 3:30pm. Admission to the tours is free but registration is required. Please call The History Museum at 406-452-3462. Each tour will be limited to 25 sign-ups - do not delay!
The History Museum will offer two walking tours of Great Falls for Second Saturday, July 8. These tours will give attendees a glimpse into Great Falls’ unique past.
The History Museum board member and local historian Carol Bradley will lead the walking tour of the Lower Northside residential areas and Museum Curator Ashleigh McCann will lead the walking tour of Machinery Row. Both tours will meet at Margaret Park, 20 Park Drive N., before they depart at 1:30 p.m. The tours are each scheduled to last approximately one hour.
The History Museum has set a limit of 20 people per tour due to the popularity of last year’s tours.
People interested in attending either tour are encouraged to either call or stop by The History Museum, 422 2nd St. S., before July 8 to reserve a spot. Priority will be given to museum members.
The Lower Northside residential Historic District is the original townsite of Great Falls. It is located on the north side of the central business district and features 257 buildings that contribute to the history of our city. Queen Annes, Colonial Revivals, Tudor, and Arts and Crafts are just some of the architectural designs featured in this stately district. The neighborhood harkens back to the early days when Great Falls was bursting with promise and rapidly expanding at the turn of the century.
“Machinery Row” is the nickname for 2nd Street South, named for its history of agricultural implement dealers. The parks, warehouses, and freight buildings of the Railroad Historic District reflect the community’s development into central Montana’s trade, service, and cultural center. The Railroad and Machinery Row Tour will explore the architecture and history of the buildings, which date as early as 1890 to the 1930s.
