Best of Billings, MT Attractions

Billings, Montana, is rich in heritage and culture. The city is bursting with cultural centers and museums celebrating life in the Old West. You can even visit the Crow Indian Reservation and learn about Native American culture. Here are the other best of Billings MT attractions!

Pictograph Cave State Park

At Pictograph Cave State Park, You can view real-life caveman drawings on the walls of three caves found within the park’s limits. It’s estimated that the rock art, called pictographs, could be 2,000 years old. There are over 100 pictographs featured in Pictograph Cave—the biggest of the three caves. These drawings were discovered in 1936, and they became National Historic Landmarks in 1964. The short, quarter-mile hiking trail that loops around the three caves has various displays that explain more about the drawings and prehistoric life.

Montana residents can visit the park for free, while visitors pay a small fee to enter the park. It’s recommended to bring binoculars to view the ancient rock paintings up close. You should expect to spend one to two hours exploring this park. The park is open daily in the summer from 9 am to 7 pm, and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm in the winter.

ZooMontana

This botanical garden, zoological center, and arboretum is home to 80 animals (most rescues) and 56 different wildlife species. Explore animal habitats in three distinct regions of the park: North America, Asia, The Barn, and the indoor Discovery Center. There, you’ll find animal exhibits and meet alpacas, grizzly bears, Amur tigers, Bald Eagles, wolverines, red pandas, and more! Explore several gardens within the zoo which feature native and imported flora and fauna. There is also a gift shop where you can take home Montana-themed souvenirs. All profits from the gift shop go to help fund animal care. There is also a self-guided scavenger hunt that’s sure to be a hit with the kids!

Tickets are $11 for adults and $8 for children ages three through fifteen. The zoo is open year-round. They are open daily in the winter from 10 am to 2 pm, but the weather may affect these hours.

Moss Mansion Museum

Moss Mansion was built in 1903 and was the residential home of influencers and entrepreneurs P.B. Moss and his family. New York architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh designed the mansion on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the home’s original furniture and fixtures remain in the museum. Take a self-guided tour of the home and the grounds around it, where you can explore other historical places in the area. You can also arrange for a private tour with museum curators to look at the artifacts in this historic home. Moss Mansion hosts several events, including nightly haunted ghost tours in the fall and Christmas tree tours that run November through January.

Tour times vary monthly, so check the mansion’s website for the most up to date information. In October, the mansion is open on Sunday from 12 pm to 3 pm and on Thursdays from 7 pm to 9 pm. Also, several private events happen on weekend evenings in the fall. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and active military members, and $8 for children ages six to eighteen. The mansion is located in the heart of downtown Billings.

Experience Billings at Dude Rancher Lodge

Stay close to the best of Billings MT attractions when you stay at the Dude Rancher Lodge in Billings, Montana. There’s so much to explore in the area! Please reserve your room today and check out our blog for other fun things to do in the area.