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Commerce Department Awards Tourism Grants to 26 Communities Across Montana

MONTANA – The Montana Department of Commerce today announced $750,000 in Tourism Grant Award funding to strengthen local economies in 26 communities by enhancing tourism and recreation assets.

The awards will serve 35 tourism and recreation projects across Montana, including unincorporated small towns, rural communities and areas of known attractions to non-resident visitors.

“Montana boasts world-class tourism and recreation destinations in every corner of our state,” Commerce Director Scott Osterman said. “These funds will facilitate development of tourism and recreation assets, supporting good-paying jobs in communities across Montana.”

The Tourism Grant Program at the Montana Department of Commerce awards funding annually to projects that strengthen Montana’s economy through the development and enhancement of the state’s tourism and recreation industry. Eligible entities based in Montana that may apply for a tourism grant include city and county entities, non-profit organizations and tribal entities.

The following projects will be awarded funds:

  • The Big Sky Community Organization will receive $20,000 to develop trail wayfinding in Big Sky
  • Billings Depot, Inc. will receive $23,000 to create a historic Billings Depot virtual reality campus tour
  • ZooMontana in Billings will receive $50,409 to build aesthetic components for the new ZooMontana waterfowl refuge
  • The Powder River Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture will receive $13,650 for “Welcome to Broadus” signage
  • The City-County of Butte-Silver Bow will receive $14,933 to make Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements to the Basin Creek Caretaker's House visitor center
  • Our Lady of the Rockies Inc. in Butte will receive $6,700 for Our Lady of the Rockies wayfinding signage
  • The World Museum of Mining in Butte will receive $8,000 for enhancements to the Mining Heritage Center Pavilion
  • The Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana in Charlo will receive $15,300 to develop an online museum catalog collection
  • McCone County will receive $6,000 for McCone County Museum building repairs
  • Colter Pass, Silver Gate, Cooke City Chamber of Commerce will receive $1,818 to purchase and install a tourist and visitor information board near Yellowstone Park’s Northeast Entrance
  • Glacier County Historical Society will receive $31,400 to re-create the historic local Point Drive-In diner through an exhibit and program
  • The City of Deer Lodge will receive $17,900 for wayfinding signage in and around Deer Lodge
  • Southwest Montana and Central Montana Tourism Regions will receive $40,000 to develop a Montana tasting tourism video series
  • The Fort Benton Chamber of Commerce will receive $16,570 to upgrade and remodel the visitor center public restroom
  • The City of Glasgow will receive $16,833 for phase 3 of Glasgow’s wayfinding project
  • The Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will receive $6,000 to create a safe use Missouri River map for the city of Great Falls
  • The Great Falls Business Improvement District will receive $84,184 for a comprehensive Great Falls wayfinding system
  • The City of Hamilton will receive $65,000 for phase 1A of Hamilton’s wayfinding project
  • Havre Beneath the Streets, Inc. will receive $9,405 for website development of the Havre Beneath the Streets historical underground attraction
  • The Montana Dude Ranchers Association will receive $5,035 to develop web assets for the Western Heritage Trail
  • The Montana Learning Center will receive $67,178 to support a component of the new world-class observatory and develop astro-tourism at Canyon Ferry Lake
  • The Conrad Mansion Museum in Kalispell will receive $1,966 for security system upgrades to enhance self-guided tours of the mansion
  • Kalico Art Center will receive $7,200 for a project to beautify electrical boxes in Kalispell
  • Northwest Montana Historical Society, Inc. will receive $12,873 to create the “Kalispell: Montana's Eden” new railroad exhibit
  • The Peoples Partners for Community Development is awarded $16,703 for components of the Northern Cheyenne Commerce Center
  • The Montana State Parks Foundation will receive $22,500 to develop a virtual showcase of state parks in eastern Montana
  • The Philipsburg Arts Fund will receive $24,000 to produce “Philipsburg 2.0,” a documentary
  • Beartooth Recreational Trails Association will receive $5,700 for improvements to Coal Miner's Memorial Park and the Rock Creek trail corridor
  • The Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust in Red Lodge will receive $36,000 for exterior preservation of the historic Whitcomb Garage which houses the buses of Yellowstone
  • The Saco Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture will receive $32,410 to develop the Saco Chamber rodeo grounds and arena
  • The City of Shelby will receive $4,500 for welcome signage near the west entrance to Shelby
  • American Legion Prairie Post 32 will receive $7,000 to enlarge the John E. Schwarz World War II Nose Art Photography Collection
  • Sanders County Community Development Corporation will receive $5,000 for Highway 200 tour rebranding and website development
  • The City of Troy will receive $26,000 to develop a city cycling and recreation campground
  • Stumptown Art Studio (SAS), Whitefish Legacy Partners (WLP) and the city of Whitefish will receive $28,833 for a project to enhance outdoor recreation experiences in Whitefish

For more information about the Tourism Grant Program, visit MARKETMT.COM.