BUTTE, HELENA, AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA - Montana and Wyoming - page 356

Original Governor's Mansion
Built in 1888 by a wealthy businessman, this Queen Anne-style mansion was owned by
a number of important Helena residents before it was acquired by the State of Montana
in 1913 as the Original Governor's Mansion (304 N. Ewing St., 406/444-4789,
www.montanahistoricalsociety.org , guided tours hourly noon-4pm Tues.-Sat. summer,
noon-4pm Sat. fall-spring, $4 adults, $1 children, combination tickets for museum and tour
$8 adults, $1.50 children). Since 1959, the mansion has been owned, meticulously restored,
and maintained by the Montana Historical Society.
MM Last Chance Gulch and Reeder's Alley
Rarely in the West have important gold or other mineral discovery sites gone on to become
the center of big modern cities. Helena is an exception. Four prospectors (known as “the
four Georgians”) discovered gold in a small tributary of Ten Mile Creek. A mining camp
quickly grew up around them, and the discovery site became the camp's main drag. Busi-
nesses sprouted up around the creek and never left.
Nearly 150 years after that first discovery, Last Chance Gulch (between W. 6th Ave.
and Pioneer Park) is still at the heart of the city. But rather than a dusty collection of saloons
and brothels, the area has been transformed into a marvelous three-block pedestrian mall
that includes dozens of great eateries, a few museums and galleries, wonderful shopping,
and one of the most popular candy shops in the state. The area is even home to the Last
Chance Splash Waterpark and Pool (1203 N. Last Chance Gulch, 406/447-1559), a wel-
come stop on a hot day, only about a mile from the mall. If your time in Helena is limited,
Last Chance Gulch should be your first stop.
Nearby, Reeder's Alley (between S. Park Ave. and S. Benton Ave., across from Pioneer
Park, 406/449-6688, www.reedersalley.com ) is a unique little corner of downtown that re-
flects its more humble origins. The area has remained authentic visually while some of the
small miners' shacks, tenements, stables, and other buildings have been transformed into
upscale shops and eateries. The buildings have been designated a historic district in the Na-
tional Register of Historic Places. Both areas are worth spending an afternoon or evening,
enjoying a meal and some shopping.
Montana WILD
On the west side of Helena, near Spring Meadow Lake State Park, Montana WILD (2668
Broadwater Ave., 406/444-9944, www.fwp.mt.gov , 8am-5pm Mon.-Fri.) is the state's flag-
ship education and conservation center, dedicated to all things wild. The 7,000-square-foot