In Billings, the cowboy hats are real (and sometimes custom hand-made), and the history runs deep (we're talking 100,000 years). With a cultural theatre, a city zoo, cool trails, gallery strolls, good eateries, and a brewing trail, Billings gets it right without being too hip to don a 10-gallon.

True Historic Legends

Even 100,000 years ago, there was buzz around Billings, just check out the cave drawings at Pictograph Cave State Park. More recently, this is where General Custer stood his last at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and where Captain Clark (of Lewis and Clark) couldn't resist signing his name on Pompeys Pillar. Follow the Black Otter Trail on the Rimrocks to find the late-1800s Boothill Cemetery, and drop by the Moss Mansion for a lavish look into Billings' Victorian era.

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Nugget

Find Yellowstone Kelley's (a mountain man, explorer, and Army scout) grave along the Black Otter Trail of the Rimrocks.

Local Scoop

Tressa L. dares you find nearby Molt, Montana, and catch a farmer with a fiddle at the Prairie Winds Cafe.

Wild Animals, Wild West, and Civilized Shows

If you haven't caught enough wildlife while exploring around Billings, ZooMontana offers a guaranteed dose. And if you haven't taken to wearing cowboy boots yet, peruse the leather-scented aisles of Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters, Rand's Custom Hatters, and Al's Bootery. Where to wear such fine western duds? Um, everywhere. But for a good first stop, drop into the art-deco Alberta Bair Theater, for a play, concert, or production.

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Foodie Frenzy

Billings harbors unexpected foodie havens; fork up French-Asian-Italian fusion at Bistro Enzo, try Thai at Siam Thai, and join the local foods movement at Cafe deCamp. It's also home to Montana's only walkable microbrewery tour, the four-stop Billings Brewery Trail. Then sleep off your food coma at spots like the Dude Rancher Lodge or Josephine Bed & Breakfast in cowboy or Victorian surroundings.

EAT BILLINGS ›

If you're looking for a low-key vacation that mixes ranchy roots, history, and progressive eats and galleries, then Billings fits the bill. (Pun totally intended.)

PLAN YOUR BILLINGS ADVENTURE? ›