Montana's 'Smithsonian Of The West' Is A Massive Collection Of America's Quirky Relics

On the east coast of the U.S., you'll find the Smithsonian Institution, with exhibits from the history of America and beyond. Along with being a national treasure, it's one of the best things to do in Washington, D.C. However, you can find some incredible, more relatable, and quirky artifacts on the other side of the country at the Miracle of America Museum in Polson, Montana — a place that visitors often deem "The Smithsonian of the West." Covering 5 acres, it has some wonderful bits of Americana relics, like exhibits on sports, pop culture, education, transportation, and logging.

Founded by Gil and Joanne Mangels in 1981, this museum has over 40 buildings that don't just highlight America's military achievements or big news events. Here, you'll find what it was like to actually live through different parts of our history. There are over 300,000 artifacts in the museum, from vintage cars to a one-room schoolhouse and a gas station from 1939. It showcases the history of the country from the late 19th century through the 1960s, and you could spend days just walking around and imagining what it would have been like to live in the past. 

This gem surprisingly gets up to 18,000 visitors each year. One reviewer on Tripadvisor said of the museum, "This is a place you can return to time and time again and each time you will find something new to see and learn about." The museum is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and it's only around $10 for adults at the time of this writing.

The Miracle of America Museum is enormous, and some of the buildings could be museums of their own, like the collection of village businesses, which includes an old dentist, a doctor's office, a shoe shop, a dairy, and a barn. There is a general store with Coca-Cola and Pepsi memorabilia and even a diorama of a buffalo hunt, or you could also see a Native American exhibit, vintage motorcycles and cars, and even Snoopy's yellow biplane. 

It's very kid-friendly, with interactive items like an Army Jeep and a Huey helicopter they can climb into. Gil Mangels tells Roadside America that he was always a collector, but he was inspired to create the establishment after visiting both sides of the Berlin Wall in 1963. He says, "Compare what we've done in America with other countries that didn't have a free enterprise system. It was like night and day." You can get a real sense of the museum from their official YouTube channel, featuring videos of Mangels showing you around. 

If you plan to visit, your best bet is to fly into the Missoula, Montana airport, which is just over 60 miles from the museum in Polson. After your stop, you can visit Glacier National Park, with a variety of year-round activities — it's only about a 1.5-hour drive from Polson. Depending on the time of year, you could also try whitewater rafting on the beautiful nearby Flathead River. If you're making a winter visit to Missoula, the snow-capped beauty of the area is perfect for some skiing.