Discover Helena

Helena combines outdoor trails with a diverse cultural history: you can hike Mount Helena, enjoy nature at Spring Meadow Lake, and discover other sides of the city in museums, historic buildings, or the theater. To plan your trip, it’s worth deciding first whether outdoor activities or exploring art and history should be the main focus.

Hiking Trails and Nature in Helena

The 1906 Trail begins at the Mount Helena Trailhead and takes about two hours to reach the summit of Mount Helena. This moderately challenging hike offers a practical point of reference for planning your day. Helena’s park and open-space system includes more than 2,140 acres of developed and undeveloped parkland, as well as 30 parks with bike and walking trails.

Spring Meadow Lake State Park lies on the western edge of Helena and is an urban park for day visits. A self-guided nature trail there runs 0.8 miles around the lake. Montana WILD, a conservation education center on the west side of the city, adjoins the park. Those especially interested in wildlife can find interactive educational activities at Montana WILD, including a scavenger hunt, as well as an aquarium with live fish from Montana.

The season can also influence your choice of activities: in winter, visitors can stroll along the path at Spring Meadow Lake. When it’s cold enough, ice fishing and ice skating are also possible on the lake. If you’d like to plan outdoor experiences into your days, you can make these activities separate highlights alongside a hike on Mount Helena.

Art, History, and Architecture

Helena offers several distinct ways to explore art and history. The Homeland Gallery at the Montana Heritage Center traces Montana’s history from 13,000 years ago to the present day. The center also houses the largest collection of works by Charlie M. Russell in the United States. The Holter Museum of Art in downtown Helena presents visual art in all media through its exhibition program, while also providing a forum for local and regional artists.

Historic architecture defines other places in the city. Reeder’s Alley, the oldest surviving part of early Helena, was built in the 1870s by Louis Reeder, a mason and stonemason from Pennsylvania. The Cathedral of St. Helena is a striking example of geometric Gothic Revival architecture, modeled after Vienna’s Votive Church of the Sacred Heart. The sanctuary features stained-glass windows, white marble altars, statues carved from pure Carrara marble, and genuine gold-leaf ornamentation. Groups of fewer than ten people can visit the cathedral during opening hours, provided no Mass or other event is taking place.

The Montana State Capitol is the seat of Montana’s state government and combines classical architecture with richly detailed art and significant history. Self-guided tours are available year-round, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; brochures are available at the information desk on the first floor. Another unusual cultural venue is the Myrna Loy: the arts center is housed in a historic granite jail. Built in 1894, the Lewis and Clark County Jail was converted into an arts center after it closed, with support from the Helena community. The Myrna Loy presents films and performing arts for people in and around Helena.

Experiences for Different Interests

Those interested in theater can catch eight main-stage productions each year at the Grandstreet Theatre. Performances take place in a 200-seat Romanesque granite church dating from the turn of the century. Since 1976, the theater has been home to Montana’s oldest continuously operating community theater; it also offers a theater education program for more than 350 students each year. The Great Northern Carousel at the Great Northern Town Center is a family-friendly attraction. The animals depicted include bison, bighorn sheep, otters, bobcats, and grizzly bears—all native to Montana or associated with the state.

The Great Northern Town Center is also home to a permanent outdoor exhibit featuring 19 historic sites along Montana’s Lewis and Clark Trail. The Last Chance Gulch Walking Mall combines Helena’s history with shopping; you’ll find art galleries, specialty clothing stores, gift shops, sporting goods stores, and entertainment, among other options. If you’d like to combine outings with creative activities, you can explore the historic grounds of the Archie Bray Foundation or take a ceramics class there. At Montana WILD, visitors can see birds of prey from the ambassador program daily, approximately from noon to 1 p.m., while volunteers guide them through the education center.

When looking for a vacation rental or vacation home in Helena, the activities you prefer can help determine your choice: hiking, nature, museums, or theater offer different focuses. Compare the specific location of an accommodation with the experiences that interest you most during your trip.

For the broader travel overview: Lewis And Clark.