Ekalaka, Montana’s Carter County Museum to Triple Size and Double Economic Impact

The Carter County Museum in Ekalaka plans to triple its size, aiming to double economic impact to $2 million.

The museum is undertaking a major expansion funded by a tourism development grant from the Montana Department of Commerce. This structural shift is designed to attract more visitors and preserve a vast local history collection, strengthening regional tourism.

Currently, the museum draws about 5,000 visitors annually to a town of roughly 400 residents, generating around $1 million in economic impact. Executive director Sabre Moore estimates the new facility will boost visitation to 10,000 people each year by showcasing artifacts spanning 100 million years from a 100-mile radius—90 percent of which are not currently on display. Construction starts this September and is expected to finish by July 2028. The museum also hosts an annual Dinosaur Shindig every July and offers dinosaur digs from June through October.

Montana’s remote, small-town character could make the museum’s expansion a significant draw for travelers seeking unique cultural and historical experiences. The project may set a precedent for how rural institutions leverage state support to amplify economic activity and preserve expansive regional heritage.

Small town museum to undergo big-time expansion
By Jody Kerzman, KFYR