While at the museum, it is easy to delve into the area's rich railroad past in the McGee Room or take in the 1889 Northern Pacific caboose on the building's front lawn. Visitors can also relive home life from 100 years ago in the House Room, filled with everyday objects from years gone by. A complete blacksmith shop can also be seen, or, for firefighters of any age, it is fun to ring the bell of a 1935 La France fire engine. From sheepherder wagons to surreys to memorabilia connected with war veterans, miners and cowboys, there is something for just about everyone in the jam-packed museum. The Yellowstone Gateway Museum opens its doors May 26 with a Museum Day celebration, along with Founders Day demonstrations.
Admission is free on opening day.
The museum is part of the Yellowstone Trail and signs point the way from Park Street. For more information, please call 222-4184. Unique Displays Wandering around the International Fly Fishing Center at 215 E. Lewis St., visitors can marvel at a shovelnose sturgeon, thousands of flies and murals depicting a slice of underwater life. The IFFC features several rooms with different themes. It's open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 1 through Sept. 15.