Just south of the main buildings of the Museum of the Rockies lies an area that feels like it belongs to another century. The Living History Farm provides visitors with a glimpse into what life would have been like in late 19th-century Montana. The seasonal outdoor exhibit includes a fully restored 1890s farmhouse, cultivated gardens, period-specific outbuildings, and staffed demonstrations of traditional skills.

The main focus of the farm is the Tinsley House, a two-story home originally built in 1889 by William and Lucy Tinsley in Willow Creek, Montana. William, a native of Missouri, came to Montana Territory in search of a place to build a future. He eventually found work with the Wells Fargo Stage Company. It was during this time that he met Lucy Ann Nave, a seamstress living in Virginia City.

After their marriage, the couple moved to William’s homestead claim in Willow Creek and built a small one-room cabin in 1867. Over the next twenty years, the Tinsleys raised eight children in this cabin. In the same year that Montana became a state, the Tinsleys had established a farm successful enough to build the larger farmhouse that now stands as the heart of the Living History Farm exhibit. The family lived there until 1920.

The Tinsleys built their home during a major turning point in Montana’s history. With the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the establishment of statehood, Montana brought many families to the west in search of new opportunities. The story of the Tinsleys reflects the experience of many settlers who built their new lives from the ground up during this formative time.

The house was acquired by the museum in 1986 and relocated to where it currently stands. With historical accuracy and structural integrity in mind, the restoration process preserved the original layout and design of the 1889 farmhouse. It was officially opened to the public in 1989 as part of the state’s centennial celebration.

Today, thousands of visitors come to the historic Tinsley House each summer to watch history unfold right in front of them. MOR volunteers wear period-appropriate clothing and spend their days cooking, cleaning, gardening, and performing household duties in the same way early Montana settlers might have.

As guests begin to enter the exhibit, they are greeted with a native flower garden to the right. All of the plants, ranging from yarrow to blue flax to evening primrose, are indigenous to the Rocky Mountain region. These flowers would have been available to homesteaders in the 19th century. Many were used for their medicinal properties.

Another highlight of the property is the tended vegetable gardens and a small orchard grove. Rows of heirloom crops like beans, squash, cabbage, and potatoes grow alongside herbs and fruit-bearing bushes. Many of the varieties were carefully chosen to simulate what was available in the Gallatin Valley more than a century ago.

Surrounding the house are structures typical of a small homestead farm, including a milking barn, blacksmith shop, chicken coop, and a functioning outhouse with a water pump, which visitors can use. Each of these areas is staffed with interpreters who demonstrate daily tasks that would have taken place on a working farm in the 1890s.

Workshops hosted throughout the summer give guests a hands-on learning experience. These programs allow those who attend to step further into the past and try their hands at techniques or skills that were essential on the Montana frontier.

Offered three times during the summer is the “From Fleece to Fiber” workshop. This program provides information on various aspects of working with raw wool, such as turning it into yarn, skirting, scouring, carding, roving, spinning, and dyeing. With live sheep and interactive demonstrations, visitors have the opportunity to see how these traditional practices have shaped the story of agriculture in Montana.

A workshop provided near the end of June was “Planting the Past: Crafting Historic Seed Boxes.” Inspired by the various gardens around the Tinsley house, this workshop let participants make their own seed boxes. These seed boxes were designed in the style of those that were used in the late 1800s. Participants were given their own heirloom seeds, and gained a deeper understanding of agricultural practices that early Montana settlers would have used.

The last workshop held this summer was “Crafting with the Tinsleys.” With help from the Bozeman Weavers Guild, visitors learned about what decorative items would have been popular in the homes of 1890s homesteaders. Participants learned about weaving and sewing. They were also able to make their own crafts.

The Living History Farm distinguishes itself from traditional museum experiences by providing a more immersive educational approach. This physical interaction with history is what makes the exhibit a favorite among visitors looking for a deeper understanding of Montana’s past. Exhibits like this one not only offer visitors the opportunity to learn about history but also to actively participate in it.

As they walk through the property, guests are invited to slow down and imagine what daily life would have looked like a century ago. There is, without a doubt, a level of connection every guest will feel when visiting. Whether it’s your first time visiting or your fifth, something is refreshing about being in a place where the past is so enthusiastically preserved.

The exhibit is open to the public from May 19th to September 1st, and is included with museum admission or membership.