Photo by DaleSteinhauser, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
About Upper Musselshell Museum
Exploring the two Upper Musselshell Museum buildings is like prowling around in someone's attic or barn. Be careful, though. You may run into a full-size replica of a dinosaur skeleton found in nearby Shawmut or a horse drawn hearse with a special passenger!
At a Glance
Verified daily- Type
- Railroad museum
- Location
- MT
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ 23 Google reviews
Upcoming Events
No ticketed events are currently listed for Upper Musselshell Museum. Many heritage operators publish schedules seasonally or run on regular open hours instead of dated events.
Check the operator’s website for current hours and special runs, or subscribe to event alerts and we’ll email you when something is scheduled.
Plan Your Visit
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance · accessible restroom · accessible parking
- Hours
- Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMTuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMWednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMThursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMFriday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMSaturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: Closed
Find the Depot
History
See full history
The Upper Musselshell Museum was founded in 1984 by the Victor Fischer family in Harlowton, the seat of Wheatland County, Montana. Spread through two historic buildings, it presents rotating displays on the history and paleontology of the Upper Musselshell country — an experience its own description likens to prowling through someone's attic or barn, where a horse-drawn hearse waits with a special passenger aboard. The museum's centerpiece is a full-size cast of Avaceratops lammersi, the first dinosaur of its kind ever found: Eddie and Ava Cole discovered the fossil remains in 1981 on the Lammers family's Careless Creek Ranch northeast of town, and University of Pennsylvania paleontologist Dr. Peter Dodson joined the excavation before the specimen went to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. The museum is a stop on Montana's Dinosaur Trail and opens seasonally from May until September.
Around the Depot
Harlowton, a Wheatland County ranching town of fewer than a thousand people, was where the Milwaukee Road swapped steam and diesel power for electric locomotives — the eastern terminus of its electrified Rocky Mountain crossing from 1914 until 1974. Rail visitors can add the Harlowton Milwaukee Depot Museum in the restored 1908 station, walk the Smoking Boomer trail laid over the old trackbed, and see the 1909 Graves Hotel. The Musselshell River, Deadman's Basin, and the Lewis and Clark National Forest offer fishing and camping nearby.
Getting There & Staying Nearby
Optional trip extras from our travel partners.
Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
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Tours & Activities Nearby
Tours
Guided tours, day trips, and things to do around the area, bookable in advance through Viator.
Browse nearby tours →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.