12 Best Sights in Helena, Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana

Modeled after the cathedral in Vienna, Austria, this Gothic Revival building has stained-glass windows from Bavaria and 230-foot-tall twin spires that are visible from most places in the city. Construction began in 1908 and was completed six years later. Note the white-marble altars, statues of Carrara marble, and gold leaf decorating the sanctuary. Free guided tours are given between 1 and 3 pm Tuesday–Thursday in the summer (Memorial Day–Labor Day). Call for guided tours for 10 or more during other months of the year.

Rotating exhibits and interactive permanent displays—which include "Waterways to the Future" and "Montana Outdoors"—are the main attractions at Helena's beloved children's science museum.

Hand-carved grizzly bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and river otters gallop through the center of town on this carousel, which usually operates most afternoons (except on major holidays). You can also buy locally made premium ice cream and fudge here.

Displays at this 17,000-square-foot museum include folk art, crafts, photography, painting, and sculpture, with an emphasis on homegrown Montana artists.

Four down-and-out prospectors designated this spot their "last chance" after they'd followed played-out gold strikes across the West. Their perseverance paid off when they discovered the first of several gold deposits here, which propelled Helena to the ranks of Montana's leading gold producers. Many of the mansions and businesses that resulted from the discovery of gold still stand on this historic route, also known as Main Street.

Out in front of the Historical Society Museum, catch the Last Chance Train Tour for an hour-long tour through historic neighborhoods of miners' mansions on the west side to the site where four miners made their first gold discovery on the gulch. Train tours cost $8 and take place Monday–Saturday at 11, 1, 3, and 5:30 in July and August; at 11, 1, and 3 Memorial Day weekend–June 30; and at 11 and 3 September 1–15. New one- or two-hour Segway tours are also available.

Governors lived in this Victorian mansion between 1913 and 1959. You can take a scheduled guided tour, but call ahead, because some tours are unexpectedly canceled.

Highlights here include the MacKay Gallery, which displays one of the most important collections of Western artist Charlie Russell's work, and a Native American collection of 6,000 artifacts from Montana tribes. The expansive Montana Homeland exhibit, which contains nearly 2,000 historical artifacts, documents, and photographs, takes a thorough look at Montana from the time of the first settlers to the present. The venue also hosts special events and family days in summer, including programs on folk music, Native American culture, and cowboys. Call ahead for information on upcoming events.

Highlights here include the MacKay Gallery, which displays one of the most important collections of Western artist Charlie Russell's work, and a Native American collection of 6,000 artifacts from Montana tribes. The expansive Montana Homeland exhibit, which contains nearly 2,000 historical artifacts, documents, and photographs, takes a thorough look at Montana from the time of the first settlers to the present. The venue also hosts special events and family days in summer, including programs on folk music, Native American culture, and cowboys. Call ahead for information on upcoming events.

The Greek Renaissance Capitol is topped by a dome of Montana copper and holds Charlie Russell's largest painting, a 12-by-25-foot depiction of Lewis and Clark. Self-guided-tour booklets are available. This building was thought to be so beautiful that South Dakota modeled its capitol in Pierre on the same design.

Miners' houses and distinctive shops built in the 1870s line this carefully restored area of Old Helena along with restaurants and a visitor's center. Note the stone pillars and wooden stringers of the Morelli Bridge, spanning a walking trail that leads to the Mount Helena Trail System. You can visit an 1864 hand-hewn log pioneer cabin that now houses a museum of the gold-rush days of the 1860s; this is Helena's oldest surviving home.

Built in 1905 by architect Cass Gilbert, who also designed the United States Supreme Court Building, the Montana Club was once the tallest building in the state. It's notable for its stone archways and contemporary I-beam construction underneath its classical facade. Founded in 1885, the Montana Club is the oldest continuously operating club between Minneapolis and Seattle. Once private, it's now open to the public for dinner and Sunday brunch.