Billings Montana – Fun Things To Do in Montana’s Trailhead City

In September of 2019 we finally made it to our 40th state and took a 10-day road trip to the Big Sky Country state, Montana. We were heading that way to spend a few days while I attended the TBEX North American Travel Conference in Billings.  Since we were driving all that way, we decided to take a couple of extra days and check out the beautiful state.

We left the Denver area and drove through part of Wyoming all the way to Helena for a couple of days. We are looking forward to touring their state capitol (29^th I think), and seeing what else the capital has to share. Once we left there, we are headed to Great Falls for a few days to see my niece. She had just moved there a couple of months earlier, so it was nice to see how she is settling into life in Montana.  Eventually, we headed over to Billings where we spent most of our time. On the way home, we are stopping at Little Big Horn Battlefield and maybe staying the night in Casper, Wyoming. Happily, once we hit Montana, we have officially been to all states west of the Mississippi except Arkansas. (Update, we have now been to AR too)

Anyway, since we were planning on spending a few days in Billings before the convention, I decided to look up a few things to do while in the area. Hope you find these helpful if you are planning your own trip there one day.

Billings Brew Trail

This is what Gene was looking forward to the most, lol. According to the visit Billings website, Montana’s only walkable brewery trail is located in the heart of downtown Billings. This self-guided Billings Brew Trail tour is made up of six breweries, two distilleries, and one cider house, all within easy walking distance. Take this 1.5-mile brewery route and enjoy historic sites along the way. Sounds like a lot of fun. I hope I can check out some of these while I am there. As each business has different hours, I would suggest looking them up if you are interested in a specific place. I have included a map below. We visited a few and really liked Thirsty Street Brewing Company and Angry Hanks Microbrewery.  We visited the Last Chance Pub and Cider Mill with my nephew a couple of times because we all really liked it.

Parking

Parking is located at 2651 1^st Ave N with the following rates:

1st hour: FREE
2nd hour: $1.00
3rd hour: $2.00
4th hour: $3.00
5th hour: $4.00
6th hour: $5.00
7th hour: $6.00
8th + hours: $7.00
Daily Maximum Charge: $7

Dehler Park Stadium

I love baseball, thus this park jumped out at me. Dehler Park is the home of the Billings Mustangs in the Pioneer League. It is also the home field of the Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets. The stadium was named by Billings businessman Jon Dehler, who purchased the naming rights in 2007 to honor his father, Billy Joe Dehler. The ballpark opened on June 29, 2008, and has a capacity of 3,071 people (6,000 including standing room only). It replaced Cobb Field which was a fixture in Billings since the 1930s. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on March 22, 2007.  While the stadium is mostly used for baseball, there have been quite a few concerts. Some notable performers included Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp. Thought that was an interesting note I wanted to share. We probably won’t catch any games while there, but it is still interesting.

Visitor Information

Address:
2611 9th Ave N, Billings

Phone:
406-252-1241

Hours:
Varies

Pricing:
Varies

Parking:
Free

The Rimrocks

The Rimrocks are geological rimrock sandstone formations that continue to cut into the valley floor. This can be witnessed at the base of the Sacrifice Cliff and the Northern Edge of Briarwood Mountain in the South Hills. They have a beautiful overlook of the city. Plenty of places to park and the views are breathtaking. We went several times while visiting the area. It’s nice to check it out at different times of the day. Very romantic at night 🙂

Visitor Information

Address:
Rimrock Road, Billings, Montana 59303 USA

Phone:
None Listed

Hours:
24 Hours

Pricing:
Free

Parking:
Free

Moss Mansion

Located at 914 Division St, Moss Mansion is a red-stoned mansion built in 1903 by Preston Boyd Moss (P.B. Moss) and his wife, Martha Ursula Woodson Moss, (Mattie). It is a three-story single-family dwelling with a basement and an attached solarium, it has 28 rooms, is 60 feet square, and rises 45 feet into the air. Today the Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and visitors can view the residence during self-guided tours or one-hour guided tours of the lower three floors. Sounds like it might be interesting to take a tour while we are there.

Visitor Information

Address:
914 Division St.

Phone:
406-256-5100

Hours:

Self-Guided Tours
Tue – Sat 10 am to 4 pm
Sun 12 pm to 3 pm
Mon – closed

Guided Tours
Tue – Sat 10 am and 1 pm
Mon – closed

Pricing:

• All Visitors: $12
• Student: $8
• Seniors: $10
• Children (5 and under): FREE
• Military (with ID): $10

Parking:
Free street parking, first come first serve.

Pictograph Cave State Park

Pictograph Cave State Park is a National Historic Landmark known for its importance to Northern Plains Archaeology. Visitors will learn about the rock art and artifacts found here which date thousands of years old. This 23-acre park features walking trails, stunning scenery, a green-design visitor’s center, picnic grounds, museum displays, everything you need for a fun and educational visit!  We spent some time here on our most recent trip and it is amazing. Make sure to take time to visit when in the area.

Visitor Information

Address:
3401 Coburn Rd

Phone:
406-254-7342

Hours:
Off-Peak Season Daily 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Off-Peak Season Daily 9:00 am to 7:00 pm

Pricing:
Daily Entrance Fee per Vehicle Resident – Free
Daily Entrance Fee per Vehicle Resident – $6

ZooMontana

The ZooMontana sounds like an amazing place to visit while in Billings. Apparently, it’s the only true zoological and botanical park within a 500-mile radius of Billings. It is a 70-acre complex situated immediately off Interstate 90 at Zoo Drive on the west side of Billings.  ZooMontana is a zoological/botanical garden, accredited arboretum, and educational facility dedicated to the conservation of wildlife throughout Montana. The state that they care for over 80 animals of 56 different species, including Amur Tigers, Grizzly Bear, Wolverine, River Otters, Takin, and Canada Lynx, among others, most of which are rescues. Definitely would love to see many of these, including the River Otters, they are my favorite. Visitors get a unique opportunity to learn about Yellowstone ecosystem fauna through direct observation, interpretive displays, and experiential educational programs.

Visitor Information

Address:
2100 S. Shiloh Rd.

Phone:
406-652-8100

Hours:
Daily 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Pricing:

• Adults (ages 16 and over): $9
• Children (ages 3-16): $6
• Seniors (55 and over): $7
• Children (2 and under): FREE
• Military (with ID): $7

Parking:
Free

We had a great time on our road trip exploring the Big Sky state. We have been a couple of times and I look forward to our next visit (hopefully soon). If you have been to Billings and want to share something for me to add to this post, please send me an email. We are always looking for fun and unique things to do. Happy travels.