Opening day and new exhibits at the Heritage Museum

Opening day at the Heritage Museum is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 3, and will feature gold panning, ham radio operations, speakers, food and more.

Presentations in the Beebe Room include “Montana Forest Workers in World War I,” presented by Jerry Akin (10:30 a.m.); “A Visit with an 1879 American Fur Company Trader,” presented by Greg Smith (11:30 a.m.); and “World War I and the Libby Home Front,” presented by Jeff Gruber (12:30 p.m.).

Music and dancing will fill the Swamp Creek Community Hall. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., enjoy the music of Lee Tonner, Mike Powell, Carol Cady, Patty Leonard and Tim Harcourt. From 11 a.m. to noon, the Spinning Squares will kick up their heels.

Lunch in the historic Sylvanite Cookhouse will include burgers, onions, hot dogs and home-baked desserts.

The museum’s four Model T Fords will be on display and a raffle held for their benefit. The three prizes are a large framed photo of two mountain sheep by Bob Stickney, a $75 gift certificate to NAPA and a $20 gift certificate to Quick Lube. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., stop by the Shay shed to visit with volunteers who have been working on the locomotive.

A new exhibit commemorates the 100th anniversary of United States’ entry into World War I, a war in which 12 men from Lincoln County lost their lives. The exhibit is one of three “companion exhibits” that relate to the war.

Another new exhibit features the three National Christmas Trees that have come from Montana in the past. Forest Service staffers will be at the Museum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and visitors will have the opportunity to make Christmas ornaments that will be sent to Washington, D.C. along with this year’s tree from the Kootenai National Forest.

Beginning opening day and continuing throughout June, the Kootenai Valley Quilt Guild will display its quilts in the Tower Gallery. The gallery will change exhibits throughout the summer with artwork from the Libby Fine Arts Group in July and photographs in August.

The Heritage Museum will be open through September 30, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is by donation.

The Heritage Museum is run completely by volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please call the museum at 406-293-7521.