Sunday Sampler museum tours

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GREAT FALLS, Mont. --  The Great Falls Museum Consortium will hold its 8th Annual Sunday Sampler Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission to all 10 museums in Great Falls is free, and most of the museums have special activities planned for families.

"Sunday Sampler is designed to encourage families to revisit their favorite local museum or try a new museum in the community," said Helen Flaherty, a member of the Consortium.

With 10 museums, the choices can be difficult, depending on individual interest and the unique treasures each has to offer.

The Montana Museum of Railroad History will have its trains running all afternoon. The museum is located at Expo Park and features unique model trains whose tracks trace through unique geographic features and small towns of the west.

At the First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, visitors can create a talking stick. Wade from a willow and decorated with paint, cloth and feathers, talking sticks are part of the Blackfeet tradition. When an assembly is gathered, the person holding the talking stick is the speaker and all others listen. Blackfeet native Don Fish will talk about the history of Montana's tribes and the meaning behind the traditional names at 11:30 a.m. 12:30 and 2 p.m.

Galerie Trinitas, adjacent to the chapel on the University of Great Falls campus, will conduct special tours of the chapel and the Galerie where many pieces created by Sister Mary Trinitas Morin are on display. She joined the Sisters of Providence and applied her artistic talents as an instructor at the College of Great Falls, now UGF, in many different media.

Visitors to the C.M. Russell Museum can make a tabletop covered wagon model using sticks for axles and paper to simulate the canvass cover. Explore the museum to enjoy original paintings by Charles M. Russell and other notable Western artists.

Paris Gibson Square Muesum of Art will offer a sculpture workshop mimicking the whimsical creations of Montana artist, Lee Steen.

Malmstrom Air Force Base Museum will be open for visitors to browse the exhibits. Enjoy the outside aircraft on display and view one of the largest military model aircraft displays in the northwest inside the museum, along with displays of a World War II era barracks room, a SAGE computer, uniforms and more.

At the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center they will be focusing on trading, trapping and transportation. Dogsled musher Terry Adkins will have several of his dogs on hand to demonstrate dog sledding techniques. Others will talk about the beaver skin trade and for pet lovers, two very large Newfoundland dogs, Ty and Gus, will be at the center to make new friends.

The History Museum is all about making history fun. See the winning entrants in the annual History Fair on display and view the entries in this year's contest. Awards will be presented to the winners in the mid-afternoon.

Carnival games are planned at the Children's Museum of Montana. Children can toss ping pong balls into fish bowls to win a goldfish, join the cakewalk and win prizes, or play mini golf.

The historic Ursuline Center building will be open for public tours. Built in 1912, the remodeled landmark on Central Avenue opened its doors to 151 boys and girls in grades K-8. Today, the Academy serves as a memorial to the Ursuline Sisters teaching order.

For more information, call Helen Flahert at 452-9606.