C. M. Russell Museum Complex

A museum complex in Great Falls, Montana dedicated to the life and works of hometown western artist Charles M. Russell. The first museum was opened in 1953 after Josephine Trigg left a large family collection to the people of Great Falls with the stipulation that a public museum be built to display them.

The present museum complex includes a large museum, a home built by Russell in 1900, and a log cabin studio, built in 1903. The museum owns the largest collection of Russell work in the world, with over 2,000 pieces of art, personal objects, and artifacts. The museum displays not only C.M. Russell's works, but also works of other well known western artists, with a total collection to approximately 12,000 objects. The museum recently unveiled a new collection of 50 bronzes by the late Montana artist Robert Scriver. Also housed in the museum is the Frederic G. Renner Library. The library is a non-circulating, research library dedicated the study of Russell, as well as, other western art and artists.

The complex has five galleries dedicated to Russell's work, including one housing letter he wrote to friends during his lifetime. What makes these letter interesting is that Russell would draw pictures on the stationary, thus making every letter a piece of art.