Conrad Mansion Museum

The Conrad Mansion is the house that Charles E. Conrad, the founder of Kalispell, built for his family in the 1890s, and it is now a house museum a few blocks east of Main Street. Designed by the Spokane architect Kirtland Cutter in a shingle-style take on the Norman farmhouse, it was begun in 1892 and finished in 1895. What makes it worth the visit is how complete it is: the youngest daughter kept the family's furniture, clothing and belongings together, and a large share of what you see is original to the house.

Conrad and his brother settled in Fort Benton on the Missouri River, where they clerked for a St. Louis mercantile company; Charles later bought the business and moved into banking, making a fortune in trading, shipping and finance. In 1891 Charles formed the Kalispell Townsite Company with Great Northern Railway directors and laid out the new town. He also played a part in saving the American bison: in 1896 he bought half of the Pablo-Allard herd, and in 1909 the American Bison Society bought the first 34 animals for the new National Bison Range from the Conrad herd. Alicia Conrad added two more of the family's best animals.

His youngest daughter, Alicia Conrad Campbell, lived in the house until 1974 and gave it to the City of Kalispell in the mid-1970s. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the house has had no major additions.

In 2026 the summer season ran from May 1 to October 15, seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with self-guided tours all day and docent-guided tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Self-guided admission was $15 for adults and $5 for ages 5 to 17; docent tours were $20 and $10. Outside the season tours are by arrangement, so call 406-755-2166. The gardens are open free all year. The special Lettie Conrad tour is on hiatus for 2026, and road construction on Woodland Avenue may block front parking; there is free parking on the other sides of the building.

Practical tip: book a docent tour if you can. The guides tell the family's story room by room, and the tour takes about an hour and a quarter. There is no elevator; a wheelchair lift reaches the first floor, and a video shows the upper floors.