Columbia Falls visitor center gets a facelift

One of the busiest visitor centers in Montana recently got a facelift, including new paint and new flooring.

The Columbia Falls Visitor Center has been operating in the little red wood building at the east end of Marantette Park for more than 25 years.

The Forest Service maintained a uniformed employee at the center for 16 years after the Glacier View Ranger Station moved from Columbia Falls to Hungry Horse. But that ended three years ago, Carol Pike said.

Pike is the executive director of the Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, which took over operating the visitor center when the Forest Service said they ran out of funding for the service.

The Glacier Country regional tourism bureau has provided the Chamber with $3,500 a year over the past three years to supplement the 20 hours a week Pike spends manning the center.

“They wanted the center manned at least 50 hours a week,” she said. “So we needed to turn to volunteers.”

Pike nearly lined up an $8,000 grant from the Montana Office of Tourism. The grant ran into trouble when they found out the visitor center didn’t have a full-time employee working at least 40 hours per week.

“Later, they found out many other visitor centers in Montana are in the same boat,” Pike explained, noting that the grant is still pending.

The visitor center is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., although Cal Grise, who is paid to man the center by himself from 2 to 6 p.m., often stays later in the evenings.

“He often spends extra time helping people find a motel room,” Pike said.

The Chamber also has a dozen volunteers, with most logging four hours a week.

Clearly visible from U.S. 2 and boasting ample parking space for RVs, camper trailers and boat trailers, the visitor center is the third largest distributor of tourist literature in the state.

It also recently received “a new do.” Exterior painting was arranged by Chamber board member Jim Thompson. While the Chamber bought the paint, Thompson hired Eric Morgan out of pocket to do the painting and helped with the work. Steve Melby donated floor materials and labor, and Chamber volunteer Don Torgerson dressed up the interior with wood work and painting.

For more information, call the Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce at 892-2072, visit them online at www.columbiafallschamber.org or visit them on Facebook.