Helena Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Helena, Montana - MT, USA)



Tourists who are intending to visit Helena will be able to choose between a real mixture of attractions, a number of which are of a recreational basis. These include an impressive choice of self-guided walking routes, hiking trails, fishing spots and even the possibility of skiing when the winter months arrive.

For guided sightseeing trips around Helena, the Last Chance Tours company certainly provides an easy and enjoyable way to learn about the main tourist attractions. You can either hop aboard the land train (fashioned to look like an early steam train from cowboy days) or join the air-conditioned trolley bus.

July and August are reliably hot months in Montana and tourists spending time in the state capital often choose to cool down at the Last Chance Splash Waterpark - a favorite with families. Alternatively, you can take a trip back to the past at the Last Chance Ranch, try your luck at finding valuable precious stones at the Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine, or enjoy a ride on the spectacular Great Northern Carousel.


Downtown Helena Walking Mall

Address: Last Chance Gulch, Helena, Montana (MT), 59601, USA
Tel: +1 406 447 1535
Many tourists visiting Montana's capital city choose to investigate the Walking Mall, and rightly so. This lengthy pedestrianized stretch was completed at the beginning of the 1980s, following a major urban renewal program and initiative. However, the scheme was somewhat controversial, since some historic downtown buildings needed to be demolished in order for this trendy shopping district to be created. The whole area was subsequently renovated and a stream was added, which replicates the route of the underground springs that once flowed along the Gulch.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Last Chance Splash Waterpark and Pool

Address: Memorial Park, 1203 North Last Chance Gulch, Helena, Montana (MT), 59601, USA
Tel: +1 406 447 1559
Memorial Park is where you will find the Last Chance Splash Waterpark complex, which opens during the summer months and offers the perfect way to cool yourself down on a hot sunny day. A 50-meter / 164-foot open-air swimming pool with a diving board is accompanied by twisting water tube slides, a shallow lazy river, a splash deck and a diving tank. Swimming lessons take place here on a regular basis, as well as water polo games, aqua fitness classes and coached lap swims.
Open hours: June, Monday to Friday - 12:15 to 19:00, Saturday - 13:00 to 17:00; July and August, Monday to Friday - 12:15 to 19:00, Saturday and Sunday - 13:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for children, children three years old and under are free

Last Chance Tours

Address: 225 North Roberts, Helena, Montana (MT), 59601, USA
Tel: +1 406 442 1023
By climbing aboard either the tourist land train or trolley bus, Last Chance Tours makes exploring the city and its varied attractions really very simple. Along the route you will see the towering spires of the Cathedral of St. Helena, the Greek Renaissance-style facade of the Montana State Capitol, the historic Old Fire Tower, the unique buildings lining the Last Chance Gulch, the restored miners' village of Reeder's Alley and the affluent Mansion District, where the Governor's homes (past and present) and many other grand Victorian properties live.
Open hours: early June and early-September, Monday to Saturday - 11:00 and 15:00; late June, Monday to Saturday - 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00; July and August, Monday to Saturday - 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:30
Admission: charge, discounts available for children, children three years old and under are free

Last Chance Ranch - Wagon Ride Dinners

Address: 2884 Grizzly Gulch Drive, Helena, Montana (MT), 59601, USA
Tel: +1 406 442 2884
Offering a real taster of the bygone days of pioneers, the Last Chance Ranch sits roughly 25 minutes to the southwest of the city center. Horse-drawn wagon rides travel through the elevated mountain forest, stopping off at the Moose Mountain Cabin for a gourmet meal in a genuine cow-hide teepee. And after your dinner, head outside to the rustic benches and listen to some live Country and Western signing - expect to join in!
Open hours: June to September- by reservation
Admission: charge, discounts available for children

Theaters and Entertainment

For a spot of after-dinner culture, the Grandstreet Theater makes for a good choice, with its family shows, dramas, concerts and musicals. This historic building began its life in 1901, when it served the local community as a Unitarian Church, managing to survive a number of significant earthquakes. It became a theater in 1976 and is now Montana's most historic community theater in continuous use. Of note, past musical productions performed here include Annie Get Your Gun, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, High School Musical, the Rocky Horror Show, the Sound of Music and the Wizard of Oz.

Established in the mid-1970s as the Helena Film Society, the Myrna Loy Center (MLC) stages various events throughout the course of the year, such as folk music, jazz concerts, plays, dance shows and movie screenings. Alternatively, check out the calendar of events at the larger Helena Civic Center.

Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine

Address: 5360 Castles Road, Helena, Montana (MT), 59602, USA
Tel: +1 406 227 8989
Lying close to the Hauser Lake, this unusual seasonal attraction offers the chance for visitors to leave a little richer than when they arrive, by digging in the ground for sapphires and other gems, or by purchasing ready dug ground by the bucket. You can then sieve and wash the soil to see if you have struck it rich. The ground around the Spokane Bar Mine has long been known for its high concentration of sapphires, as has the nearby El Dorado Monster Mine, which awaits diggers roughly 8 miles / 13 km down the Missouri River. Some lucky visitors even find gold nuggets, garnets, rubies, jade stones and fossils in their soil, while others prefer to pay a visit to the gift shop and purchase ready cut faceted sapphires there. Do bear in mind that frozen soil is difficult to dig and therefore, even though the mine opens in early April, the soil may still be icy.
Open hours: April to October, Monday to Sunday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: free, charge for digging, soil and gravel

Hiking

Address: Helena National Forest, 2880 Skyway Drive, Helena, Montana (MT), 59601, USA
Tel: +1 406 449 5490
Recreational attractions abound in the great Montana outdoors and around Helena there are a series of tempting hiking trails available. These take in the beautiful natural scenery of the Beartooth Mountain (Sleeping Giant), the Big Belt Mountains, Canyon Ferry Lake, the Continental Divide, the Edith Basin, Elkhorn Peak and the McClellan Creek. Some trails pass through valleys of towering Douglas fir trees, gorges with limestone cliffs, and basic campsites. As you hike, you will often encounter native Montana wildlife, so be sure to be on the look out for bald eagles, beavers, elk, goats, osprey, otters, pelicans, peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures. Come the winter months, periods of heavy snowfall means that cross-country skiing becomes a possibility in many parts of the countryside.

Fishing

If you are an angler on vacation in Helena, then you may like to consider booking up a fishing trip and heading out on the Big Hole River, the Blackfoot River, the Clark Fork River, the Cokahlaishkit River and the Missouri River. It is even possible to inject a little history into your outing, by retracing some of the steps of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition whilst fly fishing for native trout. Along the route, boats sometimes stop off at historic Native American campsites, where ancient Indian artifacts can often be spotted. To the north of Helena, large trout are known to be in plentiful supply between the neighboring town of Cascade and the nearby Holter Dam, where you can cast out your line all year round.

Great Northern Carousel

Address: 989 Carousel Way, Helena, Montana (MT), 59601, USA
Tel: +1 406 457 5353
Located on the western side of Helena and next to the campus of Carroll College, the Great Northern Carousel is a relatively modern recreation of a traditional vintage carousel ride, appearing almost as if it had been made in the early 1900s. In total there are almost 40 different handcarved animals, including indigenous Montana wildlife such as a buffalo and a grizzly bear. Stained-glass art works, carved wooden boards and a gift shop provide additional attractions, along with the Great Northern Ice Cream Company, where delicious homemade ice cream and a selection of tasty fudge awaits.
Open hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday - 11:00 to 19:00, Friday - 11:00 to 20:00, Saturday - 11:00 to 20:30, Sunday - 11:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge