Free showing of Dante's Peak in Cd'A

COEUR d’ALENE — Bring a lawn chair, blanket, and some comfy clothes this Friday at the lawn of the Fort Sherman Chapel, for an explosive viewing of the film "Dante’s Peak."

The event is part of “Movies on the Lawn,” a special attraction hosted by the Museum of North Idaho and is free and open to the public.

The museum's mission is to preserve and illuminate North Idaho’s history and traditions through exhibits, programs and events.

Britt Thurman, executive director for the museum, explained that the purpose is to feature films in North Idaho, have actors from the area, or like Dante’s Peak, were filmed locally.

“We always want to make sure that any of the activities that we do are mission-related, and the outdoor movies can be a fun way for people to get involved with the museum,” Thurman said.

Dante’s Peak was filmed in Wallace in the mid-1990s, starring actors Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton, and features several locations throughout Wallace, as well as the rest of Shoshone County and Washington.

Brosnan was at the pinnacle of Hollywood fame when he filmed Dante’s Peak, which came in the midst of his run of four different installments as the super suave spy James Bond in the 007 Film Franchise.

Dante’s Peak was part of the '90s boom in the historically popular disaster film genre and centers on a volcanologist who is sent to study seismic activity in the small town of Dante’s Peak — Wallace, with a slightly different coat of paint. Upon arrival, he meets the single mother mayor of the town and through the trauma bonding nature of surviving a volcanic eruption they forge a relationship.

The movie received mixed critical reviews, but that didn’t stop it from being a massive hit and a financial success, raking in $178.1 million at the box office in 1997.

“We just want people to go to Wallace and ask where the volcano is,” Thurman said jokingly.

The free event will continue throughout the following months as a chance to learn about the museum and local history or to simply enjoy a free film.

“We are trying to show the community that we are here, and that history is cool and interesting. We are so excited that we are able to do this as a free community event,” Thurman said.

Dante’s Peak will be shown this Friday, July 15, at 8:45 p.m.

If you enjoy Dante’s Peak, the museum would like to invite you to view its other showings, including "Super 8," starring the actor Joel Courtney who grew up, and went to school in Moscow, Idaho. Super 8 is a film from 2011, and is about several youngsters making a zombie movie with an old Super-8 camera. Super-8 will be shown Friday, Aug. 12. Next up is "Smoke Signals," which was set on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation and was filmed in North Idaho, Spokane and Eastern Washington which will be shown on Sept. 9.

All movies will be free to view on the lawn of the Fort Sherman Chapel located at 332 Hubbard St. in Coeur d’Alene. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. For more information on this event and more that the Museum of North Idaho puts on, visit https://museumni.org/events/.