What Can YOU Do In Downtown Helena, Montana?
When you think of Montana, you may think of big sky country, the Rockies (simply amazing), rugged country, handsome and equally rugged cowboys, campfires and an endless sky. And honestly that is what I thought too. But it is definitely civilized, full of hard working people, lots of gorgeous land, ranches and maybe a cowboy or 2 (not sure about the handsome part). Downtown Helena is a quant place, with eateries, a fantastic capital building to visit (should be on your bucket list), LOTS of breweries and can take you to Highway 12, McDonald Pass (another bucket list item). If you have a few days to visit, or even a week, here are some ideas what to do in downtown Helena:
Visit the capital building! It is so beautiful inside with plenty of history and lots of colors. There are a few levels to check out with both stairs and elevators. Very clean and worth the visit. :)
Eateries. Who does not like to eat? A small amount of eateries, but you will have some delicious choices to make!
Historical buildings. Take a walk downtown and look up at the years the buildings were erected. There was a fire in the past so some buildings have been redone. Still, it is a nice, short walk and check out the ice cream store, The Big Dipper!
Check out the events. One time we were there we saw a band and a barbeque. Yum! They have events throughout the summer so take a look at their events!
Walking. I LOVE to walk, and if you want to get plenty of steps on your FITBIT device, downtown Helena is the place to do it. You can walk up and down some hills, visit different types of services, Farmers Market anyone, or even just to enjoy the views.
Mount Helena. This place is so AWESOME! There are several trails to hike Mount Helena and they are STEEP! One of the trails we hiked, 1906, was 1000 feet in elevation, and believe me, you will get your heart pumping. But the views on top are stunning, so well worth the climb!
Big Dipper Ice Cream. Alright, you have found my weakness! I love ice cream even it sometimes does not love me! Check out this busy place and grab some ice cream in different flavors and sit outside along one of the benches and enjoy the scenery!
Weather. Whether or not, Helena has plenty of weather, and you can see it really well in downtown Helena! The clouds are simply amazing as they pass over, getting ready to downpour and believe me, it really rains! Just bring an umbrella and enjoy the coolness of the water pouring down, with a nice earthy smell!
Chess anyone?
As I think about downtown Helena, I am reminded of what a wonderful place it was to visit. Not too busy, but a place to put on your bucket list for downtown areas to visit, especially the capital building. You can probably tell I REALLY liked the capital building of Montana, and did you know parts of the tv series, Yellowstone, was filmed in the capital building? Its claim to fame.
A Catholic church reminiscent of Gothic style of building.
So, the next time you are traveling through Montana, why don’t you make a pit stop in Helena? It is a cute capital city, not too big, with plenty to see and do!
One of many historical downtown buildings.