Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
authenticity and vitality that makes a visit worthwhile. It is also an excellent place to launch
explorations of eastern and central Montana.
Driving in this region, and throughout Montana and Wyoming, can eat up entire days,
but the journey itself can be incredibly worthwhile. In 2010, the state introduced a tongue-
in-cheek, in-state marketing campaign with the slogan “Get Lost.” In eastern Montana get-
ting lost—in wide-open spaces, vast wilderness refuges, and friendly little towns—is an ab-
solutely enchanting experience.
Though not a tourist attraction per se, Billings (population 105,636, elevation 3,124 feet) is
the largest city in the state and the hub for much of eastern Montana. The city is a center
for industry, including oil refineries and stockyards, and serves much of eastern and cent-
ral Montana with two major hospitals, three colleges, and significant shopping options.
Billings used to be
the
place to buy a car, see a specialist doctor, or stock up at Costco. That
has changed with growth across the state, but Billings still attracts a good number of visit-
ors from around the state for both practical and decidedly more entertaining purposes.
The MetraPark is popular as a venue for concerts, trade shows, and rodeos and serves
as the fairgrounds and horse racing track. The Alberta Bair Theater for the Performing Arts
is the largest of its kind between Minneapolis and Spokane. The Yellowstone Art Museum
boasts an impressive collection of contemporary Montana art, in addition to past masters,
and is well worth a visit. The rimrocks around the city offer wonderful perspectives—you
can see five mountain ranges—and there is a great network of hiking and biking trails.
Guided Tours
Billings is not as easily navigated on foot as Montana's significantly smaller cities, but a
number of tour companies offer opportunities to see the city's high points. The
Fun Ex-
press Bus
(406/254-7180,
www.montanafunadventures.com
, 11:30am and 7pm Mon.-Fri.
and 2pm Sat.-Sun. June-Labor Day, 2pm Sat.-Sun. Labor Day-May, $25 adults, $22 mil-
itary, $15 children 7-15, free for children 6 and under) offers 90-minute historical tours
that feature underground tunnels, creepy cemeteries, haunted hotels, and the venerable
Moss Mansion. The
Billings Trolley and Bus Company
(406/252-1778 or 800/698-1778,
