Helena
A place to have fun with roots in the west
With its location between Glacier and Yellowstone national parks, Montana’s main city is a friendly place that’s perfect for outdoor activities. The town used to be a mining town, and now it’s full of old buildings and interesting things to see, like breweries and great trail systems. Get lost in downtown and enjoy the building for a day, or hit the trails for hours of exciting hiking and biking. Events, trips, and other fun things to do can be found in Helena all year long.
Historic Sites in Helena
Helena began as a mining camp during the Montana gold rush. It became a real town in 1864. Gold traders flocked to the town very quickly, and people from all walks of life lived along the gulch, from millionaires to dreamers. The city’s architecture shows how its early settlers lived, from the simple miners’ quarters in Reeder’s Alley to the grand mansion area in the foothills of Mount Helena.
The Cathedral of St. Helena, the Montana State Capitol Building, and Helena’s Old Fire Tower, also known as the “Guardian of the Gulch,” are all interesting places to visit. In the late 1800s, after fires destroyed many of Helena’s wooden buildings, the official city symbol was built to watch over the town. Historic sites all over the area offer both guided and self-guided walks. If you want to see the sights from an open-air train car, take the Last Chance Tour Train.
Adventures outside
Helena is a great place to enjoy the outdoors all year, with four seasons and a wide range of landscapes. In the winter, you can go sledding, and in the summer, you can go stand-up paddleboarding. Great hiking and biking can be done on Helena’s old prospector roads. There are more than 129 kilometers of multi-use trails that start in the city and connect to another 644 kilometers of trails in the area.
Helena has a silver-level rating from the International Mountain Bicycling Association because it has a lot of different terrain and beautiful views. Ride your bike through the South Hills Trail System for an unforgettable mountain riding adventure. The network covers more than 120 kilometers of cross-country terrain and can be reached from a number of streets on Helena’s south side. The Waterline Trail Loop in Mount Helena City Park is a nice, easy hike. A lot of people like to jog, mountain bike, and watch birds on the 4-kilometer path with beautiful views. You should go in June to see the plants in Montana bloom.
Culture and the arts
Helena’s historic streets connect the city’s busy downtown, where small companies offer real experiences of the area. The Walking Mall in the city is a cute spot to eat, shop, and enjoy music and art outside. Along the walkway, a man-made creek is a tribute to the gold rush that started it all.
Places to visit like the State Museum of Montana and the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts are full of art. The Bray, as it’s called in the area, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is used for education and as a meeting place for ceramic artists. Fine art can be seen there for free, and it’s only a few kilometers from downtown. There are concerts and events planned all year long, so there is always something fun to do. The yearly Symphony Under the Stars in Helena brings together the community and classical music in July. The Last Chance Stampede & Fair honors Montana’s Western culture.