The Treasure State has, rightfully, been dubbed the Last Best Place. More accurately, though, Montana is not just one place but many—places large and small, natural and human-made, urban and rural, old and not-so-old.

Montana historian and author Kirby Lambert helped capture the stories behind some of Montana’s best-and least-known landmarks in the newly released book “A History of Montana in 101 Places: Sites and Stories from the Montana Historical Society.”

Lambert is taking the popular new book on tour this spring and summer, stopping at destinations in every corner of the Treasure State. Lambert will visit The History Museum & Research Center, 422 2nd St S Great Falls, MT on Thursday, May 14 at 6:00pm.

Lambert will give a free admission 45-minute presentation followed by time for questions and book signing.

While he won’t be able to make tour stops at every place featured in the book, Lambert—who co-authored “101 Places” with fellow historians Christine Brown, Martha Kohl, and the late Ellen Baumler—will visit more than a dozen communities to talk about local history and the research, writing, and photography found in the beautiful, one-of-a-kind publication.

“Behind each of these places are unique stories that, when woven together, tell the colorful history of this place we call home,” Lambert said.

“101 Places” features diverse locations that embody major cultural, economic, and political developments in the history of the state. Battlefields and government buildings appear alongside homes, schools, and taverns. Indigenous cultural sites share space with farms and mines as these places come together to tell Montana’s story.

The book features stunning photography by Tom Ferris, who worked as the archival photographer at the Montana Historical Society from 1995 to 2024. Ferris’ photographs have appeared in numerous magazines and books, and his work is in many private collections in the United States and overseas.

Now retired, Lambert worked for more than 36 years at the Montana Historical Society where he served in a variety of capacities—as museum registrar, curator of collections, curator of art, and director of outreach and education.

Among numerous other duties, he curated nearly three dozen exhibits on a wide variety of topics relating to Montana art and history and, for a number of years, organized the Society's annual Montana History Conference.

Lambert has co-authored several publications, including Montana’s Charlie Russell: Art in the Collection of the Montana Historical Society. He is also a regular contributor to Montana The Magazine of Western History. Kirby received the Museums Association of Montana’s Peter Yegen, Jr., Award in 2014 and the Governor’s Humanities Award in 2015.