5-day Visit Southwest Montana Museum Tour
Day 1: Deer Lodge
Begin your journey by exploring the Old Montana Prison Complex in Deer Lodge, which houses five distinct museums within its historic prison walls. Highlights include the Montana Auto Museum, featuring a collection of 200 vintage cars and vehicles; the Old Montana Prison, with its inmate exercise courtyard, cell blocks, and maximum-security cells; and the Frontier Montana Museum, showcasing life in the Wild West. Next, visit the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, which honors the role of cowboys and cattlemen in American history through historic buildings, guided tours, and a ranger program.
Afterward, drive to Butte for a craft beverage and a meal. Spend the night at the historic Copper King Mansion B&B, built between 1884 and 1888 for Copper Baron William A. Clark.
Day 2: Butte
Start your day with a tour of the luxurious Copper King Mansion, where you can imagine 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. With over 4,000 historic structures spread across "The Richest Hill on Earth," you'll find some of the country’s earliest tall buildings, stately mansions, vintage Victorian homes, boarding houses, hotels, and miner’s cottages. Enhance your experience with the Story of Butte app, or opt for a narrated trolley tour to explore Butte's historic streets and landmarks. You can also join an Underground City Tour or participate in themed seasonal tours, such as "Spooks and Spirits," a walking tour exploring Butte’s verified hauntings.
Spend another night at the Copper King Mansion B&B.
Day 3: Butte
Continue your exploration of historic Uptown Butte with a Butte Mule Tour (a 6-passenger side-by-side vehicle), where you’ll see the iconic 100’-200’ headframes that dot the landscape, serving as reminders of Butte's rich mining history. Visit the World Museum of Mining to delve deeper into this heritage with interactive exhibits, historical artifacts, and a guided Underground Mine Tour. Marvel at over 1,300 mineral specimens, including a 27.49-ounce gold nugget, at the Mineral Museum, which highlights the region's geological wealth. 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, learning about the lives and experiences of Chinese immigrants in the Rocky Mountain West.
End your day with dinner in Butte before heading to Helena for the night. Stay overnight at The Sanders or The Carolina.
Day 4: Helena
Explore Montana’s capital city, Helena, starting with a visit to Montana WILD, a conservation education center adjacent to Spring Meadow Lake State Park. Enjoy interactive exhibits, a live Montana fish aquarium, and meet the “ambassador raptors,” birds of prey that are walked around the center each morning between 9 and 10 a.m. These raptors are housed at the center to educate the public about their species, as they cannot be released back into the wild. Continue your day with a Last Chance Train or Trolley Tour, a fun way to explore historic Helena; visit the Holter Museum of Art to see innovative contemporary artworks; explore Exploration Works for an interactive learning experience perfect for families with children; and admire the Cathedral of St. Helena, a stunning example of Geometric Gothic architecture, inspired by the Votive Church of the Sacred Heart in Vienna, Austria. You can also choose from one of the Foundation for Montana History’s four tours of the Queen City: “History on the Ambrose,” “Breweries & Brothels,” “Miners to Millionaires,” or “Pedaling through the Past.”
The Montana History Museum in Helena is set to reopen in late 2025, showcasing the state’s rich history, including Native American heritage, the Lewis and Clark expedition, frontier life, mining, and original C.M. Russell artwork.
Relax and enjoy another night at The Sanders or The Carolina.
Day 5: Townsend
Explore the historic town of Townsend, starting at the Broadwater County Museum, which showcases the region's rich history. Visit the Goose Bay Handblown Glass Studio and Gift Shop, browse the Reading Leaves Bookstore—complete with an outdoor piano—and explore the Canton Church, a historic landmark in the heart of town. Then, take a scenic drive south on U.S. Highway 287 to Three Forks, where you can see the 39 Bleu Horses metal sculptures by local artist Jim Dolan, located on the right side of the highway before the Interstate 90 junction. Afterward, treat yourself to a visit to Bridger Brewing, one of the newest breweries in the region, and enjoy a farm-to-table sandwich from Wheat Montana, located just across the street from the brewery. This local Montana mill and bakery is known for producing top-quality wheat, and their cinnamon rolls are legendary.
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