Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Today Deer Lodge is best known for being home to the state penitentiary. But that fact
aside, it also proclaims itself the museum capital of Montana, and it does have more mu-
seums per capita than any other city in the state. Old West aficionados and collectors will
definitely find Deer Lodge worth a stop.
Sights
GRANT KOHRS RANCH
The
Grant Kohrs Ranch
(266 Warren Ln., 406/846-2070,
www.nps.gov/grko
,
9am-5:30pm daily summer, 9am-4:30pm daily fall-spring, free) is a National Historic Site
and a wonderful piece of Montana history. Originally, cattle were grazed in these lush grass-
lands on the open range. Canadian Richard Grant and his sons Johnny and James were able
to build up their herd trading with pioneers who moved west along the Oregon Trail. They
offered travelers a nicely fattened cow for two of their travel-worn brutes.
In 1862 Johnny established a base ranch on the grounds, and as fortune would have it,
the area soon flooded with hungry beef-eating gold prospectors. In 1866, Grant sold the
ranch to Conrad Kohrs, who went on to become the King of Cattle, making the ranch the
headquarters of a 10-million-acre cattle empire that stretched over three states. Although it
was reduced in size over time, the ranch stayed in the Kohrs family until 1972, when it was
bought by the National Park Service to preserve its historical significance.
Today it is a 1,600-acre small-scale working cattle ranch with 80 historic buildings,
walking trails, guided tours, and ranger-led talks. You can take a tour of the 23-room main
house, built in 1862 and later expanded by Kohrs. Sign up for the tours at the visitors cen-
ter; tour size is limited to 12 people, and they do fill up quickly in the summer. There are
also ranger talks available in summer that cover topics such as the life of a cowboy on the
open range, the importance of the chuck wagon to cowboys on the trail, and the role of the
blacksmith.
Wagon tours
(Thurs.-Mon. mid-June-Labor Day, $5 pp, $15 family) are a fun
way to see a good portion of the park with a ranger as your guide.
POWELL COUNTY MUSEUM COMPLEX
The real highlight of a trip to Deer Lodge is the
Old Prison Museum
(1106 Main St., 406/
846-3111, 8am-6pm daily summer, 10am-4pm Wed.-Sun. fall-spring), which is part of the
larger
Powell County Museum Complex
(
www.pcmaf.org
; $10 adults, $6 children 10-15,
free for children under 10). Tickets are a two-day pass that grants visitors admission to all
the museums.
