Fallon County museum pursues $2.76 million tourism grant as visitor numbers rise; staffing hours flagged for review

Sean, a museum staff member, told the Fallon County Commission the museum had “a really good month” with steady daily visits and several successful weekend events. He said recent programs — including a community theater “high tea” that drew 68 people and a presentation that drew 32 — helped push weekend attendance to about 90 visitors. Sean said the museum also welcomed out‑of‑town visitors, noting 14 visitors on one weekend and 18 members of a homeschool bus from Glendive on another Tuesday.

Sean said county staff and regional partners are preparing to apply for a new state tourism grant that would total $2,760,000. He described a draft plan that would use some of the funds for museum expansion and classroom space, and for related investments such as wayfinding signs and lake amenities that could benefit visitors across Fallon County. “It would be nice having EPDC involved because they're gonna know what the reporting is,” Sean said of the Eastern Plains Development Corporation.

Why it matters: A successful state tourism grant could fund capital improvements and marketing intended to increase visitor spending and support tourism‑related businesses countywide. Sean and other local officials said the state is shifting more tourism funds toward Eastern Montana and urged forming a steering committee of stakeholders — museum staff, the chamber, EPDC, a county commissioner and a city council representative — to shape an application and priorities for spending if the grant is awarded.

Details and next steps: Sean said EPDC staff had suggested the county put together a steering committee and identify shovel‑ready projects before applying. He said SDI had already completed a Preliminary Architectural Report for a phased museum expansion, which could lower the barrier to proposing construction work in the grant. Sean told commissioners the museum would likely ask that some portion of the grant be used for building a classroom and other expansion phases rather than requesting the entire sum for a single phase.

Sean also raised an operational issue: he asked the commission to consider more hours for a seasonal employee, Tracy. He described confusion over the employee hour limits the museum had been given (discussing a 130‑hour figure and a separate 306‑hour number) and said that, after recent scheduling, Tracy had about 46.25 hours remaining as of April 24. “I desperately need Tracy for more hours the remainder of this year,” Sean said. Commissioners said they understood the circumstances but directed that the museum staffing question be carried into the commissioners’ work session for further discussion and decision.

No final decisions were made at the meeting on the tourism grant application or on adding hours for the seasonal employee. Commissioners agreed with staff that a steering committee should be convened before a final application is submitted, and that the commission should consider staffing and budget implications for the remainder of the fiscal year at an upcoming work session.

Background: The county has been tracking museum attendance and saw spikes tied to scheduled events (preschool playtime, heritage programming). Sean credited outreach and social media with boosting visits and tours. He said EPDC and other regional partners have experience with the tourism grant program in neighboring towns and have offered to help with the application.

What’s next: Museum and county staff will organize a steering committee of local stakeholders, outline spending priorities and bring staffing requests to the commissioners’ work session. The museum and partners plan to refine a grant application if the steering committee endorses a proposed scope.