Montana Natural History Center

miniNaturalist Pre-K Program
2025-10-21 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Denver) | Montana Natural History Center
The miniNaturalist pre-K program encourages curiosity for the natural world.
Dates: Every Tuesday, September – May
Time: 10:00-11:00 am
Location: Montana Natural History Center, 120 Hickory Street.
The miniNaturalist program encourages curiosity for the natural world through exploration and play. We sing songs, read books, play games, and develop skills with art and science tools. Each program begins with songs, movement, and stories. We then provide materials for learner directed discovery in our garden. We look for bugs and birds, color on rocks, build with branches, experiment with science tools and play with a variety of art materials.
Please bring clothes for outdoor play! We have some snow clothes to borrow.
Best for ages 2-4, though any age is welcome!
Cost: FREE!

MNHC's 2025 Fall Banquet and Auction
2025-10-24 17:00 - 21:00 | University Center Ballroom, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, United States
Date: Friday, October 24th, 2025
Time: 5:00-9:00 p.m.
Location: University Center Ballroom
PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS! Click here.
Join the Montana Natural History Center for a fun and nature-filled evening at our Fall Banquet and Auction on October 24th, at the University Center Ballroom!
Gather with us for an evening of food, drinks, and fun to support MNHC’s science and nature educational programming for our community, and support MNHC’s mission of connecting people of all ages to nature.
This fun and rewarding evening starts with a large silent auction, filled with great items donated by local businesses, artists, and friends of MNHC. Grab a drink and mingle as you peruse this diverse array and engage in some fun and fierce bidding all while raising funds for a good cause! Once we have all had a chance to bid (more than once!) we will shift to our main event: the live auction! As always, MNHC’s live auction is full of amazing experiences, adventures, and gear—you won’t want to miss it!
Our emcee for the night is MNHC Teaching Naturalist Kevin Niehaus who will guide us through the evening. And auctioneer, Reed Tobol with Rivers West Auction, will keep the bidding hopping!
And because this is MNHC, we can’t hold an event without offering opportunities for some nature-learning, trivia, and a few surprises!!
This year we’re making it even easier for patrons to participate in bidding: You’ll have the opportunity to bid & buy early on featured online items, as well as participate in-person at our exciting silent and live auctions on the night of the event! You can start preview live and silent auction items now! CLICK HERE!
Bring your best bids and a little friendly competition to this rewarding and exciting event!
PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS! Click here.
We’re using the platform GiveSmart to manage our ticket sales and auction items this year. This platform allows early check-in, streamlines bidding, and makes check-out a breeze.
Stay tuned for updates as they come in. MNHC staff, Board, and auction committee are working tirelessly to put together the greatest fundraiser yet!
Sponsorship Opportunities
Are you a business interested in being a sponsor for MNHC’s Fall Banquet and Auction? Please contact our Development Director, Kellen Beck, at kbeck@montananaturalist.org.
THANK YOU TO OUR GROWING LIST OF AUCTION SPONSORS

CLOSED for post-auction recovery
2025-10-25 | Montana Natural History Center
We will be CLOSED on Saturday, October 25th, to give our staff a post-auction rest!
