The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Building

The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Building

The Brinton Museum’s 24,000-square-foot, eco-conscious building houses one of the most significant and extensive Western and American Indian Art collections in the Rocky Mountain West. Five times the size of the former museum, The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Building now includes three floors featuring five galleries, a museum store, and the Brinton Bistro, which offers indoor and outdoor dining with picturesque, 180-degree views of the Bighorn Mountains.

Expansive climate-controlled spaces and new and improved storage are allowing The Brinton Museum to better preserve and exhibit new works and collections by iconic artists, including Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, Thomas Moran, Karl Bodmer, John Mix Stanley, Edward Borein, Frank Tenney Johnson as well as works by John James Audubon and Winold Reiss, along with the world’s largest Hans Kleiber collection.

The new Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Building design aligns with the natural geography of the Quarter Circle A Ranch. Nestled into the hillside, it is anchored by a two-foot thick, 51-foot high, 209-foot long arced Rammed Earth Wall, the tallest in North America. The design symbolically defines the space, bringing together the geological and spiritual nature of its Western and American Indian Art collections.