An open house to showcase the renovated Flathead County Courthouse is scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, at the courthouse in Kalispell.

The open house, sponsored by the Daily Inter Lake, Glacier Bank and CTA Architects Engineers, includes refreshments, an official rededication ceremony, group tours and music by the Big Sky Fiddlers.

The rededication ceremony is set for 5:30 p.m. in the commissioners’ chambers on the third floor of the building. Commissioners, county officials and representatives of CTA Architects Engineers and Martel Construction are expected to speak briefly during the ceremony. CTA designed the project and Martel was the general contractor.

Guided tours are scheduled for 3:15, 4, 4:45 and 6 p.m. People should meet in the foyer on the first floor of the courthouse to begin the tours. People may tour on their own any time during the open house, County Administrator Mike Pence said. People who can’t get to the courthouse for the open house also may tour the building during normal business hours any day, he said.

The courthouse was closed for most of 2011 as a $2.7 million restoration effort took place. County offices and employees moved back in during November and December. The building now houses the commissioners and their staff on the third floor. The grant writer’s office is also on the third floor.

The second floor offices include human resources, finance, GIS and the clerk and recorder.

Located on the first floor are the election office, more clerk and recorder employees and the plat room. The public research library is also on the first floor.

Pence and CTA Architects Engineers Project Manager Corey Johnson are optimistic all parts of the courthouse that sustained water damage when a heating malfunction set off a fire sprinkler on Dec. 20 will be repaired before the open house.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or by email at sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.