For 65 years, Montana House has served as a craft market, art gallery and community gathering place. Its storied history spans two generations of the Jungster family, and now Pursuit’s Glacier Park Collection is honored to carry on that legacy. By fostering local connections and creating space for new voices, Montana House continues to bridge stories of the past with opportunities for the future.
In the heart of Apgar Village, Montana House has quietly held a space for stories for decades. Through busy summers, quiet winters and generations of visitors, it remains a steady presence. While much around it has changed, Montana House has remained true: a place where connection, craft, and community continue to thrive.
Montana House first opened in 1960 by Hans and Antoinette “Toni” Jungster. Hans, a German immigrant and WWII veteran in the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, and Toni, a Washington native, met at the University of Washington in 1947. There they fell in love with botany, forestry and each other, and they set a course for exploration and reverence of the natural world. After a brief stint in Bigfork, Montana, Hans and Toni moved to Apgar Village in 1959 and built the Swiss Chalet-inspired building that stands to this day.
Since its beginning, Montana House has stayed true to this original mission: “To celebrate and promote the creativity of Montana and Native American artists and craftsmen for our mutual benefit.” Since then, more than 500 local and Indigenous artisans have shared their work within its walls — alongside historians, ecologists and storytellers. It's always been about more than art: Montana House is a place where local economy, cultural pride and community connection intersect.
Hans and Toni's daughter Monica Jungster led Montana House from 1990 through the next 35 years, navigating decades of commercial expansion inside and outside Glacier Park. She continued to champion Montana artisans and established Kintla Camp, a community gathering space dedicated to education, science and Native American culture and history.
Kintla Camp is a vital part of Montana House's identity and will continue to play a central role in its path forward. “We are honored to host Kintla Camp events where West Glacier citizens put on meetings, speaker series and historical presentations,” says Jennifer Martin, Glacier Park Collection's VP of Retail. “Events held here are not about generating revenue, they're aimed at enlightening residents and tourists about the area. The more people learn about a place, the more they care and that's beneficial to everyone,” Jennifer adds. Events held in the Kintla Camp are wide-ranging, including events sponsored by Glacier Institute, Crown of the Continent, and Firewise USA.
Today, Montana House is led by a team of local women deeply rooted in this community. Jess (Sturm) Cassida, Megan Ellis and Melodie Hext bring fresh energy and long-standing ties to the community. Their relationships with artists — both emerging and established — are helping Montana House grow while staying true to its roots.
“Our goal is to support the next generation of Montana makers — people who are launching brands with purpose and helping sustain their families through craft,” says Jennifer. “There's a strong throughline here: heritage, resilience, pride. That spirit has always lived at Montana House, and now it's growing in new ways.”
Just like it was in its early days, Montana House is more than just a shop — It's an experience. One where history, art and community connection are the shared currency of all who pass through its doors.
