SEELEY LAKE - After being open daily from Memorial Day, the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor Center closed for the season on Labor Day. Visitors often commented that the little visitor center provides an impressive amount of information about the area, region and state. Many are impressed with collections in the museum featuring Norman Maclean, The Big Burn, Wilderness Epicenter, Earliest Logging, Seeley Business, and personal utility and leisure items.
2016 visitation to the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor Center by U.S. citizens was about the same as than last year attracting around 1,100 visitors to the museum. The Bob Marshall Festival in July attracted many competitive runners and bicycle riders but not many stopped at the visitor center.
Visitor Origin
Montanans (33 percent) continue to dominate but less so than last year (47 percent). California and Washington provide the most visitors. Folks where pretty evenly distributed from 40 other states made up the remaining visitors.
Visitors from foreign counties increased slightly (9 percent of total). There were a few more foreign visitors this year (101) with people from Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and Switzerland.
Length of Stay
The pattern of use was very similar to last year with day use at 24 percent, overnight stays at 11 percent, 2-5 days 44 percent, 6-30 days 13 percent and 8 percent were full time/part time residents.
We have many repeat visitors related to part-time residents and traditional camping trips. The local time-share condos provide a small steady stream of visitors from far away.
People coming in the visitor center were mostly first timers (44 percent) with about one-third having visited three or more times.
Traffic
Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) traffic count data for Highway 83 indicates about 70 percent of the traffic from Highway 200 is destined for Seeley Lake. About 10 percent is commercial through traffic.
The average annual daily traffic in Seeley Lake is about 2,000 vehicles per day, with periods of up to 8,000.
Visitors’ Purpose
The purpose of visitors stopping was about evenly split between visiting the museum and inquiring for information. Maps were the greatest need.
Hiking information was of most interest. Biking seems to be increasing. Long distance riders are increasingly wary of the narrow passage of Salmon Lake on Highway 83 but riders of the Great Divide Route are unaffected. Sightseeing and camping attracted many to the area.
The number of the travelers who visited the visitor center enroute park-to-park was substantially less this year but Highway 83 seems popular for pre-planned routes. Many visitors continue to come for family events (reunions, weddings, traditional gatherings.) Boating is another major local attraction.
The Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce received a grant from the proceeds of the nine percent State Tourism Bureau “bed tax” toward staffing the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor.
Off-Season Hours
During the off-season the museum will be open by appointment by calling 677-2990 or emailing slhistory@blackfoot.net.
People wanting to rent the “Hayloft” conference room may call the Citizens Alliance Bank at 677-2464 and ask for Gary Miller.
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