Historic Paradise Center opens to visitors

Happenings at the old Paradise Elementary School building have kept it as busy as it once was before the school closed for education and reopened for visitors and events.

Now known as the Paradise Center, the Paradise Elementary School Preservation Committee has been hard at work to make improvements to the property while hosting musicians, art galleries, meetings and instructional workshops. The ball is really rolling, and the committee has announced that the establishment will be open regularly as a visitor center and a side-stop for those passing through along Highway 200.

The Paradise Center will be open to the public to tour the classroom building and see the various displays that are complete, view the projects still in development and walk the halls to imagine what student life would have been like in the days when Paradise was a bustling railroad town. Staring from the classroom windows, one can see why it would be easy for a learning pupil to be distracted, daydreaming their class time away.

For now, the center will be staffed by volunteers, at least until Labor Day weekend, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. The friendly faces of knowledgeable volunteers pass along information about the building’s history and upcoming developments, while giving an optional tour of the facility. Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted.

Tours will include a look at the current art gallery featuring local artists, an interactive Glacial Lake Missoula display, images of many scenic attractions in northwest Montana, a visual timeline dating from 1650 to present, that tracks important events in Paradise and surrounding area, the elementary school’s historic trophy room, and soon a special model railroad display of the old town of historical Paradise called, “When the Whistle Blew.”

Other big news for the committee and its commitment to the old building is the acceptance of application and award of a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grantors awarded the committee $22,500 to commission a Preliminary Architectural Report (PAR) to guide future capital improvements and a business plan to assist the enterprise. According to the committee, the grant, under the USDA’s Rural Business Development Block Grant Program, will advance the center’s long-term mission of repurposing the old Paradise School for community development.

The money awarded can only be used for specific purposes, so the committee will continue their fundraising efforts. Those wishing to donate can view their fundraising programs online at paradisecentermt.org or send donations to: The Paradise Center, Paradise School Preservation Committee, 2 School House Hill Road, Paradise, MT 59856.