Missoula’s Annual ‘Fourth at the Fort’ Celebration Cancelled
According to the CDC, Montana is just one of two states that reported less than 1000 deaths due to COVID-19. However, that doesn't mean our state isn't still being affected by the worldwide pandemic. We recently reported that the People's Market is cancelled for 2020, the Montana State Fair has been cancelled, and there are, of course, the dozens of concerts we aren't going to see this summer. Unfortunately, here's one more annual event to pile on to the list.
For over four decades Montanans have attended the Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration at Fort Missoula, and the Historical Museum has recently expressed their gratitude to have been able to celebrate our community and country each Independence Day. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the leadership of the Historical Museum has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s celebration for the safety of our community, and their volunteers, and staff. The Historical Museum is abiding by local social distancing guidelines by limiting all groups to a maximum of 50 people, which makes a large community celebration like the Annual 4th at the Fort impossible.
We want to thank our community and each of you for your support and working together to protect our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just like in 1918, when the flu ravaged our world, nation, and state, these tough decisions are what we each need to do to protect those we hold dear and our communities. On behalf of the staff and Boards of the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, we wish you all continued good health, and we look forward to the day when we can gather again to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day.
There is a bit of good news though. The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula will reopen to the public on June 1st with reduced summer hours. Outside exhibits and buildings on the grounds will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Here are the guidelines they asked us to share with you before you visit Fort Missoula.
- We ask all visitors to wear a mask while in the main museum building
- Please respect physical distancing practices
- Please sign in with your contact information
- HMFM will limit the number of visitors in the main museum building to 10
- Please take advantage of free hand sanitizer
- Please respect traffic patterns in our galleries