Western Montana’s Glacier Country
Begin your park-to-park Montana arts and culture tour in the quintessential mountain town of Whitefish. Explore community and railroad history and artifacts at the Stumptown Historical Society and Whitefish Museum. Then, explore the town’s storied skiing legacy at the Ski Heritage Center and Ski Museum, where exhibits showcase the evolution of local ski culture, vintage gear and the history of Whitefish Mountain Resort. It's a must-visit for winter sports enthusiasts and anyone curious about the roots of recreation in the region.
From Whitefish, make your way to Kalispell for a tour of the architecturally impressive Conrad Mansion Museum and gardens—home of Charles E. Conrad, Kalispell founder and pivotal figure in the settlement of the Northwest. This beautifully preserved 13,000-square-foot Norman-style mansion offers a glimpse into turn-of-the-century life, complete with original furnishings, detailed woodwork and stories that bring the Gilded Age of Montana to life. Docent-led tours provide rich context about the Conrad family and their lasting impact on the region.
Next stop, the Glacier Art Museum, which is housed in a historic Carnegie Library and holds the works of important and influential Montana artists as well as a Glacier National Park gallery dedicated to the painters, sculptors, photographers and writers, past and present whose work has been inspired by this part of the Crown of the Continent.
Finally, take a Historic Walking Tour of downtown Kalispell, offered by the Northwest Montana History Museum. This guided tour explores the town’s railroad roots and historic architecture, with stops at significant buildings and stories from Kalispell’s past. Don't miss downtown's boutiques, coffee shops and eateries along the way. After the tour, step inside the museum—housed in Kalispell’s original Central School—to explore engaging exhibits and artifacts that share the story of the Flathead Valley, Indigenous cultures, the vanished town of Demersville, and pioneer Frank Bird Linderman.
Overnight in Kalispell at the historic Kalispell Grand Hotel.
For more information about museum tours, seasons and hours of operation, and admission fees, contact each museum separately.
For more on Western Montana arts and culture, and where to eat, drink and stay in the region:
Western Montana’s Glacier Country
Fuel up on continental breakfast at the hotel or grab a bite in downtown Kalispell before the hour-long drive to Polson, at the southern end of Flathead Lake on the Flathead Reservation, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Make your way to the Polson Flathead Lake Museum, and meet the Flathead Lake Monster, Nessie. Also learn about what life was like as an early homesteader in the region.
If time permits, stretch your legs on the Polson Interpretive Trail, which connects Polson's Salish, Sacajawea and Riverside parks. View interpretive signs along the way, depicting tribal and city history in Kootenai, Salish and English.
The one-of-a-kind Miracle of America Museum is an eclectic Montana gem, and your next stop. Pore over an astoundingly large collection of American history, drawing visitors from the world over. You’ll find vintage planes and helicopters, old farm equipment and frontier homes, an Area 51 exhibit, and lot—lots—more.
For a lesson in the rich history and culture of the Salish, Pend d'Oreille and Kootenai tribes, visit Three Chiefs Cultural Center in Pablo. This thoughtfully curated center offers exhibits that highlight the tribes’ deep connection to the land, traditional lifeways and the enduring strength of their communities. Beyond the exhibits, the center hosts hands-on workshops and demonstrations, including traditional crafts, dance regalia making and seasonal powwows.
In Charlo, across from the scenic Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge—the Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana celebrates the history and culture of the Tribal Nations in the region with artifacts, historical photographs, traditional beadwork, weaponry, mounted wildlife and an American Indian camp. Take a stroll on the short nature trail for spectacular views.
End your day with a scenic drive to Missoula—Western Montana’s arts and culture hub. Stay at the Residence Inn by Marriott Missoula Downtown, with a rich history of its own as the former Missoula Mercantile.
For more information about museum tours, seasons and hours of operation, and admission fees, contact each museum separately.
For more on Western Montana arts and culture, and where to eat, drink and stay in the region:
Western Montana’s Glacier Country
Head to the heart of the downtown Missoula arts scene—the Missoula Art Museum. View diverse and thought-provoking work in the Contemporary American Indian Art Collection and rotating exhibits of contemporary art relevant to the community, state and region.
Next, make your way to the University of Montana campus to visit the internationally renowned Montana Museum of Art & Culture. Home to nearly 12,000 pieces, it houses the state’s largest and most comprehensive collection. The museum spans centuries and cultures, with an eclectic mix of artworks, from Indigenous art that honors the region’s heritage to contemporary pieces that challenge and inspire.
From there, stroll through the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, a 32-acre site with more than 20 preserved structures. See one of the few remaining teepee burners—a wood waste burner named for its shape—and explore exhibits on Fort Missoula’s history, including its role as a WWII internment camp, the all-Black 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, and the ancient Glacial Lake Missoula. Don’t miss the fully restored urban streetcar in the Trolley Barn, or the climb the Sliderock Lookout. While you're there, visit the Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History for an in-depth look at U.S. war history from the Revolutionary War to the present.
For a glimpse into the life of a smokejumper—a firefighter trained to parachute into remote wildland fires), visit the Missoula Smokejumper Visitor Center, a working training center and popular visitor attraction. A 45-minute tour takes you through the working smokejumper facility, including a reconstructed fire lookout tower.
Then head to the Museum of Mountain Flying—located on the Missoula Airport grounds—for a fascinating look at aviation history in the northern Rockies. Explore vintage aircraft, memorabilia and artifacts, and learn about the daring pilots who navigated Montana’s challenging terrain and unpredictable flying conditions. The museum’s centerpiece is Miss Montana, a beautifully restored C-47 that flew smokejumpers and cargo during WWII and participated in the 2019 D-Day commemoration in Normandy.
Test your wildlife knowledge at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Visitor Center. The interactive displays allow you to hear an elk bugle, handle antlers, watch conservation films and view world-record elk mounts. There's also a walking trail on the grounds.
Grab dinner in downtown Missoula where you’ll find no shortage of breweries, distilleries and places to eat, no matter your taste.
For more information about museum tours, seasons and hours of operation, and admission fees, contact each museum separately.
For more on Western Montana arts and culture, and where to eat, drink and stay in the region:
Southwest Montana
Begin your day with a scenic drive from Missoula to Deer Lodge. Spend the day exploring the Old Montana Prison Complex, housing five unique museums inside its historic prison walls, including Montana Auto Museum, a collection of 200 vintage cars and vehicles; Old Montana Prison, inmate exercise courtyard, cell blocks, and maximum-security cells; and Frontier Montana Museum, depicting life in the Wild West. Also visit Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, commemorating the role of cowboys and cattlemen in American history with historic buildings, guided tours and a ranger program.
Drive to Butte for a craft beverage and a bite to eat. Overnight at the historic Copper King Mansion B&B, built for Copper Barron William A. Clark between 1884 and 1888.
For more on Visit Southwest Montana arts and culture, and where to eat, drink and stay in the region:
Southwest Montana
Wake up and enjoy a tour of the opulent Copper King Mansion, imagining yourself living the lifestyle of one of America’s wealthiest families. Next, take a self-guided tour of historic Uptown Butte, the nation’s largest National Historic Landmark District. Butte features more than 4,000 historic structures scattered across the Hill, aka “The Richest Hill on Earth.” These buildings are some of the country’s first tall buildings, stately mansions, vintage Victorian homes, boarding houses, hotels and miner’s cottages. Download the Story of Butte app to complement your tour, or take a trolley tour for a narrated journey through Butte's historic streets and landmarks. You’ll also find an Underground City Tour and themed seasonal tours also, such as Spooks and Spirits, a walking tour of Butte’s verified hauntings.
Spend a second overnight at the Copper King Mansion B&B.
For more on Visit Southwest Montana arts and culture, and where to eat, drink and stay in the region:
Southwest Montana
Continue your tour through historic Uptown Butte, on a Butte Mule Tour (6 passenger side-by-side) noting the iconic 100’-200’ headframes dotting the landscape, serving as poignant reminders of Butte's storied mining legacy. Visit the World Museum of Mining and delve deeper into Butte's mining heritage through interactive exhibits, historic artifacts and a guided Underground Mine Tour. Pore over 1,300 mineral specimens including a 27.49-ounce gold nugget, at the Mineral Museum, showcasing the geological wealth of the region. At the Mai Wah Museum—the last remaining building from Butte’s Chinatown—immerse yourself in the rich cultural heritage of Butte's Asian community with insights into the lives and experiences of Chinese immigrants in the Rocky Mountain West.
End your day with dinner in Butte before the drive to Three Forks. Overnight in downtown Three Forks at the Sacajawea Hotel, a Historic Hotels of America destination and favorite lodging place of history buffs.
For more on Visit Southwest Montana arts and culture, and where to eat, drink and stay in the region:
Montana's Yellowstone Country
Start your day in Three Forks at the Headwaters Heritage Museum and discover the history and culture of the area surrounding the Headwaters of the Missouri River, including American Indian art and artifacts, Lewis and Clark memorabilia, and artifacts related to fur trade, railroad, mining and agriculture. Don’t miss the museum’s barbed wire collection!
Trace the footsteps of Lewis and Clark at the Missouri Headwaters State Park situated at the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin rivers—where they merge to form the Missouri River. This scenic park is a National Historic Landmark offering foot trails to points of interest and interpretive displays of the area's cultural and natural history.
At Madison Buffalo Jump State Park, experience incredible views of the Madison River Valley and witness a limestone cliff once used by American Indians as a buffalo jump site. Interpretive displays explain how buffalo were stampeded over the cliff for nearly 2,000 years, and used for food, and to make clothing and supplies. Buffalo bones still lie buried at the base of the cliff.
Head back to downtown Three Forks for another night at the Sacajawea Hotel and make sure to enjoy a cocktail on their expansive front porch.
For more information about museum tours, seasons and hours of operation, and admission fees, contact each museum separately.
For more on Yellowstone Country arts and culture, and where to eat, drink and stay in the region:
Montana's Yellowstone Country
From Three Forks, drive through the idyllic town of Livingston and on to the Natural Bridge Falls Scenic & Picnic Area in the Custer Gallatin National Forest by way of Interstate Highway 90 and Big Timber. Less than three miles south of the scenic falls area you’ll find the Historic Main Boulder Ranger Station, which is likely the oldest facility in the U.S. Forest Service System, now restored into a house museum, including interpretive staff, depicting the living and working conditions at a once-remote ranger station.
Make your way back to Livingston via the West Boulder Backcountry Drive from McLeod. In Livingston you’ll find turn-of-the-century charm along the Yellowstone River. Visit the historic Livingston Depot Museum—known as the “architectural anchor of downtown Livingston.” Serving as the Northern Pacific Railroad's original launching point for travel into Yellowstone National Park, the Depot features permanent and rotating exhibits ranging from Rails Across the Rockies to Film in Montana.
Next stop, the Yellowstone Gateway Museum of Park County is a treasure trove of Yellowstone area American Indian history and culture, as well as exhibits on pioneer life, travel into the park, Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery and the regions’ military history, plus a one-room schoolhouse and a blacksmith shop.
From there, visit Fort Parker, the first Crow Indian Agency and now an important historic site just east of Livingston. In fact, it is one of the first sites of the early reservation period of the Plains Tribes to be nationally recognized.
End your day with a stay The Murray Hotel, a downtown Livingston icon offering authentic western charm and modern amenities.
For more information about museum tours, seasons and hours of operation, and admission fees, contact each museum separately.
For more on Yellowstone Country arts and culture, and where to eat, drink and stay in the region:
Montana's Yellowstone Country
From Livingston, drive an hour south to Gardiner the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Begin the final day of your tour at the Jardine Ghost Town. Jardine is an old western mining town northeast of Gardiner that once supported a gold mine up until World War II. Explore remnants of the mine including old bunkers.
From there, visit the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center (passing the iconic Roosevelt Arch on the way) where more than 720,000 items display the cultural, geological and natural history of the world’s first national park. Learn about the park from pre-history to modern day.
Optional: If you’re venturing into the park, make your way back to the Roosevelt Arch and down to the Fort Yellowstone-Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District. Dozens of late 19th and early 20th century structures remain from when the U.S. Army administered the park.
Overnight at the Yellowstone Suites Bed & Breakfast or Park Hotel Yellowstone, both of which make excellent base camps for further park exploration.
For more on Yellowstone Country arts and culture, and where to eat, drink and stay in the region:
Always check road reports and weather conditions when traveling through Montana in the wintertime.
If you’re flying in:
Glacier Country Airports
Yellowstone Country Airports
If you’re renting a car:
Glacier Country Car Rentals
Yellowstone Country Car Rentals
Plan ahead and be prepared, ensuring safer, more enjoyable travels and less impact.
Pack the right gear, take precautions, know your limits, and engage in activities that match your skill level.
Take care of our trails and waterways by riding responsibly specific to your motorized activity.
Help prevent aquatic invasive species by following Clean.Drain.Dry. principles and watercraft inspections requirements.
Recognize and acknowledge when you enter tribal lands, know tribal guidelines, and secure a tribal conservation permits for recreation.
Help prevent wildland fires. Attend to and extinguish campfires properly, and know current fire restrictions.
View wildlife from a safe distance. Never approach, touch or feed wildlife. Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
Respect all public lands, waters, tribal lands and local communities. Pack it in, pack it out.
Be thoughtful about and aware of your impact, embrace inclusivity, and respect communities and fellow adventurers.
