Things to do in Helena
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Helena
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months overall, with long days and full season in June and quieter trails, light and fishing in September.
Warmest months with Symphony and Stampede in July, but late July and August carry heat and wildfire smoke risk.
Vigilante Day Parade in early May and the bird festival at Montana WILD, with changeable weather and muddy trails.
Quiet golden shoulder turning cold, good fishing into October, but most summer tours stop by mid September or October.
Serious winter cold with short days, skiing at Great Divide, ice fishing and Christmas in the Cathedral in December.
What's on
- Vigilante Day Parade First Friday in May
Student built history floats roll down Last Chance Gulch at noon, a Helena tradition since 1924.
- World Migratory Bird Day Festival First Saturday in May
Free family festival at Montana WILD by Spring Meadow Lake, with raptors, bird walks and kids activities.
- Symphony Under the Stars Mid July
Free Helena Symphony outdoor concert on the Carroll College lawn drawing over 16,000 people.
- Last Chance Stampede & Fair Late July
PRCA rodeo, concerts, carnival and fair at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds.
- Christmas in the Cathedral December
Helena Symphony holiday concert in the Cathedral of Saint Helena, a long running local tradition.
Best things to do in Helena
Cathedral of Saint Helena
Helena's defining Neo-Gothic cathedral, with twin spires and stained glass that rival far larger cities.
Montana State Capitol
Montana's working capitol, free to tour, with a copper dome, grand rotunda and famous Russell mural.
Montana Heritage Center
Montana's flagship free history museum by the Capitol, covering Indigenous, mining and Russell art stories.
Last Chance Gulch
The 1864 gold strike gulch turned pedestrian mall, Helena's historic main street and essential first walk.
Reeder's Alley
Helena's oldest intact block, a brick lane of 1870s miners housing at the south end of the Gulch.
Holter Museum of Art
Free contemporary art museum downtown, with rotating exhibitions anchored in Montana and regional artists.
Archie Bray Foundation
A world known ceramics residency on a historic brickyard, with sculpture grounds and artists at work, free to walk.
ExplorationWorks
Hands on science centre built for young children, the best indoor family hour in Helena on a bad weather day.
Where to stay in Helena
Downtown / Last Chance Gulch
first trip, walkable base
Walk to the Gulch, Reeder's Alley, the Holter, breweries and most dinners, with the Capitol a short drive away.
Mansion District / Cathedral area
couples, historic streets
Helena's prettiest residential streets by the Governor's Mansion and Cathedral, downtown a short walk downhill.
Great Northern Town Center
families, full service comfort
Modern district with the Carousel, ExplorationWorks and Helena's top rated hotel, a short walk north of downtown.
Prospect Avenue / East side
families, long stays, value chains
Newer and larger chain suites for the money with easy highway access, but you will drive to every sight and dinner.
Think twice about
- Prospect Avenue motel corridor as a walking base
Not a safety problem, but wide, fast and car dominated with nothing to walk to for dinner. Choose it for price or points only.
- Airport strip as a visitor base
Practical for a flight or road stop but isolated from downtown, the Gulch and every restaurant.
Best restaurants in Helena
Lucca's
Helena's special occasion Italian room, a small Gulch dining room to book about a week ahead by phone.
Silver Star Steak Company
Helena's steakhouse in Great Northern, known for sirloin, a huckleberry bison burger and live music.
On Broadway
Downtown's most loved dinner, house made pasta and live music in a brick room that takes no reservations.
Benny's Bistro
Seasonal farm to table bistro cooking what the land provides, with a famous rosemary tomato soup.
Mediterranean Grill
Generous Greek and Mediterranean plates that suit mixed groups, Helena's reliable high volume mid tier room.
Windbag Saloon
Historic Gulch pub with a serious kitchen, local beers, a patio and the latest casual hours downtown.
Park Avenue Bakery
European style bakery off the Gulch, loved for sourdough, lunch pizzas and its Earl Grey chocolate cake.
Steve's Cafe
Helena's favourite breakfast and lunch diner, big portions and fast service before a hike or boat day.
Best bars in Helena
Blackfoot River Brewing Co
Downtown craft fixture just off the Gulch, with rotating IPAs, free popcorn and a patio toward Mount Ascension.
Lewis & Clark Brewing Company
Large taproom in an 1885 industrial complex, with live music, a big patio, pizza and Tumbleweed IPA.
Outdoor things to do in Helena
Mount Helena City Park
A 620 acre mountain park behind downtown, where the 1906 Trail climbs to a full circle summit view.
Gates of the Mountains
Two hour Missouri River boat tour through limestone canyon cliffs named by Lewis and Clark in 1805.
Steinmetz Fishing Charters
Guided Missouri River and Canyon Ferry fishing for trout and walleye, for anglers of all skill levels.
Canyon Ferry Lake
Huge Missouri River reservoir east of Helena for boating, swimming, camping and walleye and rainbow fishing.
Broadwater Hot Springs & Fitness
Locals first geothermal hot pools ten minutes west of downtown, best after a hike or in falling snow.
Spring Meadow Lake State Park
Clear spring fed lake with swimming, an accessible fishing dock and a flat loop trail for an easy family hour.
Bill Roberts Golf Course
Helena's in town municipal round since 1925, mature walkable parkland golf at the lowest green fee in town.
Fox Ridge Golf Course
Open regulation course plus a separate par 3 course, the sterner public test and the best mixed ability option.
Best hotels in Helena
Best Western Premier Helena Great Northern Hotel
Helena's top rated hotel, with an indoor pool, strong service and the steakhouse on site in Great Northern.
Sanders - Helena's Bed and Breakfast
Perfect scored mansion district B and B, loved for its hosts, antique rooms and famous breakfasts.
DoubleTree by Hilton Helena Downtown
The best walk everywhere address in Helena, a full service hotel directly on Last Chance Gulch.
The Carolina Bed & Breakfast
Victorian mansion district B and B walkable to Cathedral and Capitol, praised for warmth and breakfasts.
Residence Inn by Marriott Helena
Suite hotel with kitchens for families and long stays, the strongest conventional chain option in Helena.
Budget Inn Express Helena
Helena's cheapest central stay, a basic motel at the north end of the Gulch that you can still walk from.
Lamplighter Cabins & Suites
Simple cabins with kitchens near Mount Helena trails, a good self catering base for hikers and anglers.
Is Helena expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $95 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $175 a person |
| Splurge | $320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Last Chance Tour Train: a few days ahead
- Montana Blue Jewel Mine: a few days ahead
- Gates of the Mountains: a few days ahead
- Steinmetz Fishing Charters: weeks ahead
- Bill Roberts Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Fox Ridge Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Green Meadow Country Club: a few days ahead
- Best Western Premier Helena Great Northern Hotel: weeks ahead
- Book Gates boat tours online for summer weekends, Lucca's about a week ahead by phone, and fishing guides weeks ahead for June.
- Book Great Northern, Sanders and Carolina rooms early for legislative session, Symphony weekend and Stampede week.
- On Broadway takes no reservations, so arrive before 5:30pm or after 8pm to avoid the longest waits.
Is Helena safe?
- Carry water and watch for rattlesnakes on warm rock on Mount Helena, and carry bear spray on outer forest trails.
- In winter expect ice, extreme cold and valley inversions, and check road reports before driving MacDonald Pass.
- In late summer check air quality daily, as wildfire smoke can pool in the Helena Valley and cancel view hikes.
Helena travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Visit Last Chance Gulch for history and buildings, not shopping, as many shops keep limited hours and Sundays are quiet.
- Treat Broadwater as a community hot springs, not a luxury spa, and you will enjoy it as locals do.
- Do not do Helena as a one night drive through, as the boat, summit and Heritage Center all need daylight hours.
Getting around Helena: public transport and more
- Walk the downtown core, Gulch, mansion district and Great Northern, and drive to trailheads, golf, Canyon Ferry and Gates.
- Rent a car at Helena Regional Airport for any trip beyond downtown, as buses are infrequent and rideshare is thin late.
- Canyon Ferry is about 25 minutes east, Gates marina 20 to 30 minutes north, Great Divide 23 miles and Craig about 40 minutes.
Who Helena suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Helena your trip
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