Bringing World-Class Exhibitions to Montana Begins with You

Saturday, September 19 at 6 p.m.
 

Museum of the Rockies (MOR) proudly invites you to join us for the 7th Annual Evening at the Museum, our premier benefit event of the year.

Your evening will feature a chef-curated dinner, live music, curated beverages, gourmet hors d’oeuvres, and an exciting live auction featuring unique experiences and one-of-a-kind items. Read on to learn about the evening's VIP speakers and signature live auction items.

Step inside Museum of the Rockies for a truly unforgettable evening where elegance meets exploration. Experience the museum like never before as you enjoy a night filled with exceptional food, inspiring surroundings, and meaningful connections - all in support of the traveling exhibits that make MOR a destination for discovery. 

Whether you are joining friends, celebrating a special occasion, or simply looking for a memorable night out, Evening at the Museum offers an experience unlike any other.

Gather your friends, dress for an elegant evening, and join us for a celebration of curiosity, community, and the stories that connect us all. We invite you to be part of this signature Museum of the Rockies tradition and experience an evening you won’t soon forget.

Please use this link to purchase tickets.

Sarah "Cooper" Gillis served as a Mission Specialist on Polaris Dawn. She previously spent 11 years as a Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX, ultimately overseeing astronaut training for NASA and commercial crews flying on the Dragon spacecraft. She has trained more than 60 astronauts, including the first NASA astronauts on Demo-2 and Crew-1, as well as the first all-civilian crew, Inspiration4.

An experienced mission control operator, Sarah has supported Dragon resupply missions to the International Space Station as a navigation officer and human spaceflight missions as a crew communicator. She currently serves at NASA as a Senior Advisor to the Administrator.

During Polaris Dawn, she became the youngest person to perform a spacewalk, and alongside Anna Menon, set the record for the farthest distance any woman has traveled from Earth. She also played violin from space, leading the Harmony of Resilience, a global music moment enabled by Starlink technology.

Dr. James (Jim) Rice is an astrogeologist and an assistant research scientist in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and a member of ASU's Space Technology and Science Initiative. He has more than 30 years of research experience specializing in the exploration of the Solar System, especially the Moon and Mars. Rice was a co-investigator and Geology Team Leader on the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Project (Spirit and Opportunity).

He was a project scientist on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Project and also has mission experience working on the THEMIS instrument onboard the Mars Odyssey Orbiter. Rice has been involved in Mars landing site selection and certification activities for every NASA Mars mission since Mars Pathfinder in 1995.

Additionally, Rice has extensive geological field experience in Antarctica, the High Arctic, Iceland, Hawaii, and various other deserts studying a wide variety of Mars and Moon analog environments.

Bid on a reserved evening at Order 66 Cantina, Bozeman’s Imperial stronghold. This is not a Rebel hangout. Star Wars décor, Sith-red lighting, and a soundtrack that answers to the Emperor. Drinks named after the iconic movie series. The Empire runs the house.

This auction item secures your party a night under Imperial rule: reserved space, the full cantina atmosphere, and a Bozeman evening that feels like the Order has already been given. Perfect for fans who prefer the winning side.

The Empire does not negotiate. The highest bidder does.

What’s included: 

• Party for up to 50 people
• Full dinner buffet / Catering and beverages
• Winner has up to one year to book the event, certain dates may be restricted as date must be submitted 45 days in advance for mutual confirmation. 

Climb into the back seat of a high-performance fighter jet and experience Montana from a perspective few ever will. After a thorough pre-flight briefing covering safety procedures and mission profile, you’ll suit up and launch from the Bozeman area for a 30-minute Fighter Jet flight.

Your pilot will take you on a custom tour of the Gallatin Valley and Ennis area, with low-level flying through canyons, over mountains, and across the varied terrain of southwest Montana. The flight profile can be tailored from a scenic tour to a more dynamic ride - you decide how much adrenaline you want.

What’s Included

• Pre-flight briefing and Ejection Seat Training
• Flight suit & helmet provided
• 30 minutes of flight time
• Post-flight debrief and photos
• Certificate of flight

Restrictions & Notes

• Must be age 18+ (or 16+ with parental consent).
• Weight & body size restrictions (to be within limits of Ejection Seat requirements).
• Waiver to be signed on day of flight.
• Flight is weather, maintenance, and pilot-availability dependent; must be scheduled mutually in advance; must be redeemed by Sep. 30, 2027.