Places to Be Downtown In Town Outside Town Parks Hiking Breweries Wineries

Places to Be

Downtown
Feel like tasing a bit of Missoula's fresh air? All within walking distance of each other, these attractions show off some of Missoula's best.

Children’s Museum of Missoula
225 W. Front
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 541-PLAY (7529)
Monday-Staurday 10am-5pm
Sunday Noon-5pm
The Children’s Museum, Missoula offers fun, interactive learning opportunities that allow children to explore their interests and abilities through play. The Museum is a destination for area families, a place where kids can be kids and grownups can network with other parents and caregivers and feel like part of a community – a community of kids and grownups coming together for positive learning experiences, developmental growth and quality family time.

Farmer’s Market
Phone: 406-543-4238
Missoula Farmer's Market includes fresh local produce, baked goods and coffee provided by over 100 vendors in an outdoor setting. A cultural treat! Open from mid-May to mid-October every Saturday from 8:30am - 12:00pm and in July and August, Tuesday evenings from 5:45 to 7:15pm.

Missoula Art Museum
335 North Pattee
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 406-728-0447
Fax: 406-543 8691
The Missoula Art Museum is committed to educating the community through contemporary art and to developing and conserving the Art Museum Collection in order to preserve and make accessible our cultural heritage. With the ongoing dedication of artists, educators, community members and volunteers, MAM (Missoula Art Museum) has grown from a summer arts festival to a thriving institution serving the Northwest.

Missoula Children’s Theatre
200 North Adams Street
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 406-728-1911
The MCT Center for the Performing Arts has bustled with activity since its Grand Opening in October of 1998. It is home to the Internationally-renowned Missoula Children's Theatre, which takes original, musical theatre productions on the road to nearly 1,100 communities around the world every year!

Missoula Historic Tours
823 Waverly Street
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 406-728-2351
Allan J. Mathews, 'Preservationist of the Decade,' noted lecturer, and author of the National award winning book, 'A Guide to Historic Missoula,' leads walking tours of downtown Missoula and Historic Districts. The tours run from 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on your schedule, Allan also can be booked as a step-on guide for bus tours of Missoula, the Flathead Valley(including the National Bison Range, Flathead Lake and Glacier Park) and other areas of western Montana.

Missoula Saturday Market
Phone: 406-549-8608
At Missoula Saturday Market, each summer, the city of Missoula closes a downtown street for a Saturday craft and food market run by local artisans. Enjoy traffic-free socializing, morning coffee and treats, local crafts, and interesting imports in historic downtown Missoula (within walking distance of the river, the Missoula Museum of the Arts, and other downtown events).

Montana Museum of Art & Culture
The University of Montana
Main Hall Room 006
Missoula, Montana 59812
406.243.2020 phone
406.243.2797 fax
barbara.koostra@mso.umt.edu

Located on The University of Montana campus in Missoula, MMAC is one of the state's oldest and most prominent cultural reserves. The museum's Permanent Collection, begun in 1894, includes nearly 11,000 original works. MMAC exhibits/programs highlight historic and contemporary art from its Permanent Collection holdings and invitational and traveling exhibitions.

 

Public art tour/msla downtown
A plentiful supply of public art installations is one of the characteristics of a "creative community." Missoula is known for its diverse public art, especially in the downtown area and on the University of Montana campus.

 

In Town
All located within 10-12 minutes of downtown Missoula, these attractions bring history and adventure together.

Historical Museum at Fort Missoula
Building 322, Fort Missoula
Missoula, MT 59804
Phone: 406-728-3476
The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula was established by community effort in 1975 to save what remained of original Fort Missoula, and to interpret the area's history. The museum is located on 32 acres in the heart of historic Fort Missoula. Its collection includes 24,000 objects including 13 historic structures.

Missoula Outdoor Cinema
Missoula Outdoor Cinema is a celebration of community and film--under the stars. Movies are projected outside on a huge 12' X 25' movie screen.
Neighbors "walk in" to the playfield at the Headstart school (the old Whittier School) on the corner of Worden and Philips Aves.on Missoula's historic Northside. As the sun goes down, the smell of fresh popcorn fills the air.

Missoula Osprey Baseball
700 Cregg Lane
Missoula, MT 59802
Missoula Professional Baseball Team is the Pioneer League Affiliate of the 2001 World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks. 2007 will mark the Osprey’s ninth season in the Pioneer League. The Osprey won the league Championship in 1999. and have a new stadium.

Museum of Mountain Flying
Missoula International Airport
Missoula, MT 59801
Phone: 406-721-3644
Montana is the birthplace of mountain flying. This museum seeks to interpret and preserve the history of mountain flying in Montana and the northern Rockies. There are aircraft displays as well as interactive history displays.

Montana Natural History Center
120 Hickory Street
Missoula, MT 59804
Phone: 406-327-0405
The Natural History Center has great displays on the local and regional geology, flora and fauna, and provides guided tours of the Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum on the University Campus. The Center also produces the radio program ‘Field Notes' for Montana Public Radio.

Northern Rockies Heritage Center
Building 30 Fort Missoula Road
Missoula, MT 59806
Phone: 406-728-3662
The Northern Rockies Heritage Center is a growing museum, cultural and educational center. Organizations located at the center include the Montana Natural History Center, the Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History. Also at the Fort on adjacent property is the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula and the Fort Missoula Outdoor Amphitheater.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
5705 Grant Creek Road
Missoula, MT 59808
Phone: 406-523-4545
Toll Free: 800-CALL-ELK (225-5355)
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Elk Country Visitor Center is proud to be one of the newest and best conservation education facilities in the Northwest. The Elk Country Visitor Center features hands-on conservation and hunting heritage exhibits for all ages. The Center also includes a Lewis and Clark display, an impressive collection of world record elk mounts, a western wildlife diorama and a state of the art conservation theater.

Snowbowl Ski Hill
1700 Snowbowl Road
Missoula, MT 59807
Phone: 406-549-9777
Toll Free: 800-728-2695
It's Big. It's Bad. It's Calling YOUR name. Deep, powdery bowls and 2,600 feet of continuous vertical drop make Snowbowl an extremist's dream. There is plenty of skiing for all ability levels. Cruise three miles down Montana's longest run. Attack 900 acres of skiable terrain. Test yourself against Montana's best, Snowbowl.

Smokejumper Visitor Center
5765 West Broadway
Missoula, MT 59808
Phone: 406-329-4934
The Smokejumper Visitor Center is the largest active smokejumper base in the nation. The Smokejumper Visitor Center is a unique opportunity to learn about this unusual, demanding and dramatic occupation. A tour of the facility is also available.

Western Montana Fair
1101 South Avenue West
Missoula, MT 59801
Phone: 406-721-3247
Celebrate summer at Missoula's annual fair and rodeo which features horse racing, 4-H exhibits, Art Exhibits, cooking, and 4-H livestock sale, a Demolition Derby, free stage acts, commercial displays, antique engine displays, country western concert, fireworks and parade. There is a rodeo Wednesday through Friday with performances by the Charlie Russell Riders each night.

The University of Montana
32 Campus Drive
Missoula, MT 59812
(406) 243·0211
The University of Montana was founded in 1893 in the burgeoning pioneer town of Missoula, less than 90 years after Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery explored the area. Since then, the University has nurtured a tradition of cultural and scientific exploration. Today, “The Discovery Continues” at UM – from a local, regional and global perspective into the next frontier of space.

 

Outside Town

Garnet Ghost Town
The Garnet Ghost Town from the west, take I-90 east to Exit 109, the Bonner Exit. Continue on Highway 200 east for 23 miles. Shortly after the 22 mile marker turn south at the sign Garnet Ghost Town. The parking lot is 11 miles up the gravel road.
Garnet is a historic mining ghost town located in west central Montana and sits at an elevation of about 6,000 feet at the head of First Chance Creek. It was named after the brown garnet rock which was used as an abrasive and a semi-precious stone found in the area. The town dates back to 1895 and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Garnet Preservation Association, a non-profit citizens group. More than 30 buildings have been preserved. Visitors to the ghost town will find a Visitor Center, interpretive signs and self-guided trails, as well as books, cards and other memorabilia.

Wolf Keep Wildlife Sanctuary
23545 Highway 200 E
Bonner, MT 59823
Phone: 406-244-5207
The Wolf Keep Wildlife Sanctuary is a nonprofit facility located in Montana near the famous Blackfoot River (of ‘A River Runs Through It' fame). Beginning in 1996 with Carl Bock's purchase of twelve wooded acres, it has evolved into a scenic and secure home for a pack of gray and arctic wolves.

 

 

Parks
Missoula City Parks and Recreation 721-PARK

A Carousel for Missoula
101 Carousel Drive
Missoula, MT 59802
406-549-8382
Hours of Operation:
June through August - 11a.m. to 7p.m.
September through May - 11a.m. to 5:30p.m.
A Carousel for Missoula is one of the first fully hand-carved carousels to be built in the United States since the Great Depression. From little more than dreams, hard work and love, a carousel was created by hundreds of volunteers. The Carousel has 38 horses and two chariots. The chariots allow easy access for wheelchairs; people with disabilities are always welcome to ride free on the Carousel.

Currents at McCormick Park
600 Cregg Lane, in McCormick Park
721-7275
Currents is the new year-round INDOOR water park in McCormick
Park. Currents will also be home to Parks and Recreation headquarters
and "Headwaters,” a state-of-art community room available for
public use.

Dragon Hollow
1 Caras Park
Missoula, MT 59806
406-549-8382
Open to the public from dawn to dusk each day.
There is no charge to use the play area.
Dragon Hollow is a magical play land adjacent to A Carousel for Missoula in Missoula, Montana. The play land was the combined effort of artists and consultants from Leather's and Associates, Inc., a playground architectural in Ithaca, New York, and local play area experts--the students of many local grade schools.

Fort Missoula Canine Campus
Fort Missoula,
Missoula, MT 59804
Fenced area just west of the horseshoe pits to provide a secure place for dog obedience and agility training. 1/3-acre.

Glacier Ice Rink
1101 South Avenue West
Missoula, MT 59806
406-728-0316
info@glaciericerink.com
Indoor: September - May
Outdoor: November - March
Hours:
8:00am - 1:00am
Glacier Ice Rink is a non-profit full service Ice Skating Arena. We now have one outdoor rink and one indoor rink for ice skating all year. Our programs include youth hockey in-house, instructional and travel programs of all age levels. We also have both adult women’s and men’s recreational hockey leagues. Our public skating program includes open skating, stick and puck sessions and a special young skaters program for kindergarten and under children. Figure skating groups use the facility and we offer rental skates.

Greenough Park
100 Hickory Street
Missoula, MT 59801
406-721-7275
pfisher@ci.missoula.mt.us
6:00am - 11:00pm
This outstanding 42-acre city park runs along clean and beautiful Rattlesnake Creek for about 1 mile and is a diverse mix of cottonwood bottomlands and coniferous forest. A paved trail runs the length of the park and numerous unpaved paths go near the creek and toward more undisturbed places.

Jacobs Island Bark Park
Jacobs Island, just south and east of the Van Buren Street Footbridge, is a popular place to picnic or simply lounge. Warm, sunny spring and fall days draw University of Montana students to the grassy banks of this nine-acre city park. The east end of the island has the Bark Park, a designated area for dogs to play off-leash.

Memorial Rose Garden
Brooks Street
Missoula MT USA 59807
406 543-6623
Consisting of more than 2,500 rose bushes, the small Rose Garden city park is maintained in memory of Montana's World War II and Vietnam veterans. The park also boasts a 12-foot bronze statue.

Missoula Skate Park
MOBASH Skatepark
500 Cregg Lane
McCormick Park
(406) 207-7558
info@missoulaskatepark.org
The Missoula Skatepark Association (MSA) is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in 2000 in an effort to build a public skatepark in our town. The 100% volunteer-run MSA (in partnership with the City of Missoula, Missoula Parks & Recreation, and the Missoula Redevelopment Agency) completed its first skatepark project (MOBASH) in McCormick Park in the fall of 2006.

Spray Parks
Marylin Park: Linda Vista & Robert Creek
Franklin Park: 10th & Kemp
Bonner Park: Ronald & Evans
Westside Park: Scott & Sherwood
9 am - 9 pm
Open mid-May through Labor Day. 2007 Opening Date TBA.
Spraygrounds are aquatic play areas which incorporate water spray features on a surface designed for drainage. Each sprayground has an on/off sensor so kids activate can the sprayground on their own. State-of-the-art water treatment and filtration systems ensure safe water play and optimum water conservation.

Waterwise Garden
Between 4th Street and Clark Fork River
Contact: Montana Natural History Center
406-243-6642
The Water-Wise garden serves as a "living laboratory" of water conserving techniques.

 

Hiking

Blue Mountain Recreation Area

The 5,500-acre Blue Mountain Recreation Area, just two miles southwest of Missoula, is another close-to-town area to explore. The Lolo National Forest worked closely with Missoula-area recreation groups to establish this area's trail system and other recreational facilities.

MaClay Flat Interpretive Trail
Miles: 1.25 mile and 1.8 mile loops
Elevation gain: None
For an easygoing outing beyond the city limits, try the trail at Maclay Flat. The path is wide, level and surfaced to accommodate wheelchairs. It takes you along the Bitterroot River and through adjacent meadows, with some great views of mountains around Missoula.

Forest RDS 365 & 2137 (to Blue Mountain Lookout)
Miles: 11
Elevation gain: 3,260 feet (from 3,200 feet to 6,460 feet)
A drive on Forest Road No. 365 up Blue Mountain will give you some tremendous views of the Missoula Valley and, at the right time of the year, an opportunity to visit a working Forest Service lookout.

Blue Mountain Nature Trail
Miles: 1/4 loop
Elevation gain: 50 feet (from 3,650 feet to 3,700 feet)
This popular trail is a stopping-off point on your way up Forest Road No. 365 to the Blue Mountain lookout. One of the few Missoula-area trails with interpretive information on-site, it's also a popular destination for individuals, families, school classes and other groups interested in environmental education.

Blue Mountain National Recreational Trail
Miles: 1/4 loop
Elevation gain: 50 feet (from 3,650 feet to 3,700 feet)
There's opportunity for both day and overnight trips on this trail from the base of Blue Mountain to the lookout. You can start from the trailhead on Blue Mountain Road or go up Forest Road No. 365 to points where the road intersects or passes near the trail. Remember, this trail is closed to mountain bike use.

Motor Vehicle Trails
Miles: 12
Elevation gain: 2,460 feet (from 4,000 feet to 6,460 feet)
Blue Mountain is one of the few places near Missoula that has off-road motorcycle and four-wheeled ATV trails. The motorcycle/ATV trailhead is three miles up Forest Road No. 365 on the left (south) side of the road.

M Trail
Miles: 3/4 mile to "M;" 1 3/4 miles to top of Mount Sentinel
Elevation gain: 620 feet to "M" (from 3,200 feet to 3,820).
1,958 feet to top of Mount Sentinel (3,200 feet to 5,158)
The "M" on the west face of Mount Sentinel has been a Missoula landmark since 1908, when Forestry Club members forged a zigzag trail up the mountain and students carried up stones to shape the symbol of the University of Montana.

Clark Fork Riverfront Trails
Riverfront trails extend from west of downtown Missoula into Hellgate Canyon, east of town.

Southside Trail
McCormick Park to University of Montana
Miles: 1.5
Elevation gain: None
Thanks to combined efforts of the city of Missoula, the Missoula Redevelopment Agency, the University of Montana and the Missoulian newspaper, this stretch of riverfront has been transformed from a railroad and power line right of way to an attractive open-space corridor.

Northside Trail
Caras Park to the Van Buren Street Footbridge
Miles : 2
Elevation gain: None
Caras Park, a 15-acre city park downtown along the Clark Fork River, is considered the hub of the Missoula Trails network. Here, you'll find ample parking, restrooms, picnic tables, benches and an outdoor amphitheater for community events right – plus ready access to downtown shopping, restaurants and other points of interest.

Kim Williams Nature Trail
Miles: 2.5
Elevation gain: None
Feel like getting away from it all, but don't have time to leave town? Take a walk, run, bicycle ride or horseback ride down the Kim Williams Nature Trail, the eastern-most segment of the riverfront city park and trail system.

Hellgate Canyon Trail
Miles: 2.1
Elevation gain: 1,600 feet (from 3,200 to 4,800 feet)
This route on the north face of Mount Sentinel offers hiking opportunities on the periphery of Missoula. The trail links the Kim Williams Nature Trail, in Hellgate Canyon, with Crazy Canyon Trail, which extends from Pattee Canyon to the top of Mount Sentinel.

Patte Canyon Trail
Pattee Canyon has been a favorite Missoula recreation spot since the 1930s, when Civilian Conservation Corps members constructed the first picnic facilities. A downhill ski area was also in operation in the 1930s on adjacent private land now owned by Plum Creek Timber Corp, LP.

Snowbowl Summer Gondola
At Snowbowl Summer Chairlift Ride, if the views from our lift rides to 7,000 feet don't take your breath away, then give some of our summer activities a try. We've got hiking, mountain biking, wild berry picking and 18 holes of folf (disc folf). And, yes you can ride the lift back down, too.

Breweries

Bayern Brewing Company
1507 Montana Street
Missoula, MT 59801
406-721-8705
bayern@bayernbrewery.com
Our Current Tasting Room Hours are:
Monday - Friday 10:00 A.M.-8:00 P.M.
Saturday & Sunday - Noon - 8:00 P.M.
Experience a German masterbrew from the only German microbrewery in the Rockies!

Big Sky Brewing Company
5417 Trumpeter Way
P.O. Box 17170
Missoula, Montana 59808
1-800-559-2774
info@bigskybrew.com
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday: 11:00pm - 7:30pm
Saturday: 11:00pm - 6:00pm
Big Sky Brewing offers something a little different when it comes to great beers. We put out heart into it. Not our actual hearts, gross... No we care a lot that what you taste is what we taste.

Kettlehouse Brewing Company
602 Myrtle St.
Missoula MT 59801
406-728-1660
khbc@kettlehouse.com
Hours of Operation:
M-Sat Noon to 9PM
Owner Tim O'Leary (seated left in photo) started the Kettlehouse in 1995 as a brew on premise (BOP). We have since evolved into a small microbrewery and neighborhood taproom.

Wineries

Missoula Winery and Event Center
5646 West Harrier
Missoula, MT 59808
406-830-3296
info@missoulawinery.com
www.missoulawinery.com

Ten Spoon Winery
4175 Rattlesnake Drive
Missoula, MT 59802
406-549-8703
info@tenspoonvinyard.com
www.tenspoon.com

Trail Creek Winery
802 Highland Drive / PO Box 1364
Seeley Lake, MT 59868
406-677-8992
www.trailcreekwinery.com
map/directions