As a trading post, military fort and head of steamboat navigation, this Missouri River town was the world's innermost port and 'toughest town in the West' from 1860 to 1887. Today it is a gateway for exploration of the Upper Missouri Wild and Scenic River. Visit the Museum of the Northern Great Plains, Montana's Agricultural Museum, and the Museum of the Upper Missouri for area history (both seasonal), and walk along the steamboat levee to relive Fort Benton's colorful river port history. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, built in 1880, is one of Montana's oldest masonry buildings. Ferry crossings at nearby Carter and Virgelle operate March through October.