Things to Do in Billings

But while you're visiting the area's sights, you won't want to miss the historic and natural attractions right within the city limits. You’ll soon see why this Montana city is known as the “Star of the Big Sky Country.”

Step Back in Time

The red sandstone Moss Mansion Historic House Museum allows you to see how life was lived here in the early 1900s. You can see the original furnishings, rugs and draperies carefully maintained for more than a century on a guided one-hour tour. During the summer, the mansion museum holds a special tour called Trunks and Treasures, which delves into areas and items not showcased on the daily tours. You can visit another historic sandstone home from the 1900s at the Western Heritage Museum, which is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. You'll see exhibits on loan from Washington, traveling exhibits and permanent displays about the area's history.

Explore the River

The Yellowstone River flowing alongside Billings provides ample opportunity for river recreation. A host of local river guides can take you for an adventurous day of whitewater rafting or trout fishing, or you can explore the river on your own. View the river and the city from the yellow bluffs at Swords Rimrock Park. A 2-mile hike or bike ride stops bring you to points of historic interest along the way. Visit Skeleton Hill, a Native American graveyard, and, just below that, Boot Hill, where the 1800s residents of a nearby town lie at rest. You'll see panoramic views of five mountain ranges before you descend to the river.

See Historic Sites

See hundreds of rock art figures dating back 2,000 years at Pictograph Cave State Park on the southeast edge of the city. Trek 30 miles east and see physical evidence of Lewis and Clark's famous journey along the Yellowstone at Pompey's Pillar National Monument. A sandstone butte at the site bears Captain William Clark's insignia from his 1806 trip. An interpretive river walk bears quotes from Clark's diary made while he camped along the Yellowstone River. An hour's drive southeast of Billings, you can visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield, where General Custer's troops got decimated in less than an hour by Lakota and Cheyenne warriors.

Grab a Bite

When you're in the mood for a burger, head over to the Burger Dive where you'll find more than a dozen delicious options to savor. Enjoy a succulent Juicy Lucy—the cheese is melted inside the patty—or take the Thunderbolt Burger Challenge. The 1/3-pound cheeseburger comes loaded with fiery ingredients like ghost chilies, Sriracha sauce and pepper jack cheese, and you'll win a T-shirt if you can finish it in 10 minutes or less! For a change of pace, head to Crazy Mary's Fish N Chips. In addition to the namesake dish, you'll find fish tacos, fried shrimp, crab salad and clam strips.

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