Ski Heritage Center holds open house

For anyone interested in learning more about the Ski Heritage Center, please join us for a Holiday Open House on Friday, Dec. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Light hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine will be served, and music will be provided by Whitefish native Dr. J and his band, the Botanicals.

Throughout the evening we will be announcing new exhibits planned for 2020 and some exciting news about a grant from the Tenth Mountain Division Foundation. We will also be kicking off a fund-raising campaign for new exhibits and launching the Ski Heritage Center Membership campaign.

As a nonprofit organization relying solely on volunteers, we are always seeking new members interested in helping document and disseminate this important chapter in the history of our region. We are also seeking old chairs from Big Mountain chair lifts of the past, including Original Chair 1, Chair 3 and Chair 4.

The Ski Heritage Center is located at 725 Wisconsin Avenue, right in front of the Stumptown Ice Den. Our winter hours are Wednesdays to Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment for group outings. For more information contact Tim Hinderman at 406-885-2730, or visit fvsef.org/ski-heritage-museum/. To view the Whitefish Pilot story about Dr. J, there is a link at link at fvsef.org/ski-heritage-museum/.

This column is brought to you by the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation and the Ski Heritage Center Museum of Skiing. Throughout the winter we will be sharing fascinating stories about the rich and colorful history of skiing in Whitefish and on the Big Mountain.