BIG SKY — Big Sky Resort is saying goodbye to a piece of its history.

After over five decades in operation, the Explorer 2 chairlift is being decommissioned to make way for a new gondola. But before it’s gone for good, skiers and snowboarders got the chance to take home a piece of the past.

Explorer 2 opened in 1973 as one of Big Sky Resort’s original chairlifts. Now, those same chairs are being retired and were made available for purchase starting Thursday, March 20. The historic lift chairs were sold for $1,200 each, with all proceeds benefiting three local non-profits.

David O'Connor, executive director of the Big Sky Housing Trust, says it’s meaningful that proceeds from the chair sales will go toward organizations that directly support the Big Sky community.

“So many families that have been coming to Big Sky for generations learned to ski on the Explorer chair. For so many people, it was their first exposure to a mountain that's now become a lifetime love affair. And so people are excited to be a part of that history. And I think having the addition of a connection to local organizations, the housing trust and Wellness in Action, and the Gallatin River task force, it just really added to the excitement and the wish to be a part of that, that huge piece of Big Sky's history,” O’Connor says.

The new 10-person Explorer gondola is expected to open in December 2025.

As for the Explorer 2 chairs? Within an hour of the sale going live, they completely sold out.