Great Falls, MT Road Trips

There is no waterfall to see in Great Falls. This refers to other definition of "falls" meaning "rapids." That said, there is a waterfall in Big Falls, about a 20 minute drive to the northeast. There are two military installations in the city - Malmstrom Air Force Base and Montana Air National Guard. Malmstrom is the city's largest employer. The Missouri River bisects the town. Crossing the bridge at 15th St takes you to the suburb of Black Eagle.

1 Children's Museum of Montana, 22 Railroad Sq, ☏ +1 406 452-6661. M-Sa 9:30AM-5PM, closed Su. Hands-on exhibits designed for children 12 and under. $10, Seniors/military $7, under 2 free. (updated Aug 2023) 2 C. M. Russell Museum, 400 13th St N, ☏ +1 406 727-8787. May-Sep daily 10AM-5PM, Oct-Apr Th-M 10AM-5PM. Works by Charles Marion Russell. Western culture, landscape, and wildlife. Adults $16, Seniors (60+) and Veterans $13, Students $5, Age 5 and under free, Active Military and their family members free. (updated Aug 2023) 3 Great Falls Voyagers, 1015 25th St N, ☏ +1 406 771-1265. See website for home game schedule. Enjoy a minor league baseball game at Centene Stadium. (updated Aug 2023) 4 Lewis and Clark National Interpretive Center, 4201 Giant Springs Rd, ☏ +1 406 727-8733. Jun-Aug daily 9AM-5PM; Sep-May Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM, closed M. Exhibits focused on the Lewis and Clark Trail. The explorers had unexpected difficulty portaging the falls here. $8 for 16 and older. (updated Aug 2023) 5 Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, 1400 1st Ave N, ☏ +1 406 727-8255. T 10AM-9PM, W TH F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-3PM, closed Su. Housed in the city's first high school from 1896. Mostly has contemporary art from regional artists. Free. (updated Aug 2023) 6 Ryan Dam, 160 Ryan Dam Rd, ☏ +1 406 268-2324, [email protected]. May-Sep, open during daylight. Visit Ryan Dam and witness the spectacle of a hydro-electric dam. Hike the trails for alternating beautiful views. Lounge in the shady park and enjoy a picnic with the family.

Disc Golf - Great Falls has 3 disc golf courses. CMR is on 17th Ave NW. Warden Park, at 101 13th Ave S, has 18 holes and is on the highest hill in town. West Bank, at 1600 4th St NE, has 9 holes and runs along the river. 1 Electric City Water Park, 100 River Dr S, ☏ +1 406 771-1265. Daily Jun-Aug noon-6PM. Waterslide, lazy river, large heated pool, squirt zone. (updated Aug 2023) 2 Giant Springs State Park, 4803 Giant Springs Rd., ☏ +1 406 727-1212. Daily 8AM-sunset. One of the largest naturally occurring springs in the world. Located on the banks of the Missouri River adjacent to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Giant Springs State Park is a popular local destination, especially in the hot summer months. Walk the river paths along the shore of the Missouri to a superb view of Rainbow Dam. Visit the fish hatchery and feed the trout and watch the feeding frenzy that ensues as soon as the food hits the water. While you're there, don't forget to slake that thirst with a bottle of the spring water. $8/vehicle, free for Montana residents. (updated Aug 2023) 3 Gibson Park, 400 Park Dr N, ☏ +1 406 771-1265. Daily sunrise-sunset. Large city park with walking trails, playground, duck park, summer concerts. Ice skating in winter. Adjacent to Riverside Park, Gibson Flower Gardens, and dog park. Free. (updated Aug 2023) 4 Great Falls Americans, 4001 29th St SW, ☏ +1 406 252-4930. See website for current season schedule. Enjoy an ice-hockey game at the Great Falls Ice Plex. The Americans play in the North American Tier III hockey league.

You can find pretty much any fast food places/chains (McDonald's, Burger King, Applebees, etc.) you're looking either for on 10th Ave South, the Northwest Bypass, or Smelter Ave. The exit signs on I-15 will indicate which exit you should take if that's what you're looking for. For those looking for something different than the same old fare here are a few local restaurant suggestions: Bar S, 5100 North Star Blvd, ☏ +1 406 761-9550. Simple decor, mind-blowing prime rib. If you're lucky, the waitress will show you a picture of the 6'6" gentleman who orders the "Double Bar-S cut," Which if the picture tells the story, stands about four full inches tall. $20-50. Taco Treat/Amigo Lounge, 1200 7th Street S. A good Mexican place if you're looking for that option in Great Falls. Keep in mind you're in Montana, so if you're looking for fully authentic Mexican food, you might want to wait until you get home. What you will get is outsanding American syle Mexican food with a local twist. The food is satisfying, the portions large, and the prices good. What more could you ask for? The MacKenzie River Pizza Company. A franchise restaurant with locations all around Montana. The Great Falls location is next to the Missouri River, and it's very child-friendly. Specializes in gourmet pizzas, but does have more conventional options for those with unadventrous pallets or small children. Be wanrned, this restaurant is extremely popular and gets crowded quickly most every night. So if it looks packed, it is, but there's a reason for that.

As is common with most cities in Montana, Montanans love to whet their whistles after a long hard day of work; if you're not within walking distance of a bar in Great Falls you're probably not within the city limits. If you're looking to get your drink on you have pretty wide assortment of options. From dance clubs to hole-in-the-wall dive bars there is something to suit almost anyone's taste, heck most of the gas stations in Great Falls have casinos attached to them for your drinking/gambling pleasure while you fill 'er up. Great Falls is not that populous, but it is fairly spread out, so depending on which part of the city you're in you're probably close to one of the main drags and its plethora of drinking venues. 10th Ave South has the most bars by a long shot; it is the main street in the city and stretches on for about 8 miles with dry stretches few and far between. You'll also find plenty of bars on Central Avenue and its surrounding streets in the downtown area of Great Falls. Smelter Avenue/The Northwest Bypass possesses many options for those visiting the Northern portion of Great Falls. For those located out towards Malmstrom Air Force Base 57th St, River Road, and the Eastern End of 10th Avenue South provide your best options to find some libations with friends. Suffice it to say, no matter where you are in Great Falls a frosty cold one is never far away. The Beacon Ice House, 1349 13th Avenue Southwest, ☏ +1 406 727-1449. Out of the way, but worth the trouble of finding.

Heritage Inn, 1700 Fox Farm Rd, ☏ +1 406 761-1900, toll-free: +1-800-548-8256, fax: +1 406 761-0136. Wingate by Wyndham Great Falls, 1000 9th Avenue South, ☏ +1 406 454-3000, fax: +1 406 454-3000. Holiday Inn, 1100 5th St S, ☏ +1 406 727-7200. Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 1625 Market Pl Dr, ☏ +1 406-453-4000. Best Western Plus Riverfront Hotel And Suites, 600 River Drive South, ☏ +1 406 761-2600, fax: +1 406 761-2267. The hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub, both open 24 hours. There's a small "business center" with high-speed Internet, available for free. It's a very short walk to the MacKenzie River Pizza Company, Applebee's, and the Children's Museum of Montana. There are riverside rooms available for about $10 more. The city's well-managed riverside paths run right behind the hotel. Very friendly management! Motel 6, 2 Treasure State Dr, ☏ +1 406 453-1602, fax: +1 406 727-3234.

1 Great Falls International Airport (GTF IATA). Has non-stop service on Alaska Airlines from Helena and Seattle, Allegiant Air from Las Vegas and Phoenix, Delta from Minneapolis and Salt Lake City, and United to Denver. Frontier Airlines has seasonal service from Denver. Interstate 15 goes through the outskirts of Great Falls. Either the Central Ave. exit or the 10th Ave. S exit will go to the center of the city. The road from Helena to Great Falls, hugging the long curves of the Missouri river, is one of the finest stretches of interstate in the country. There is an Amtrak station about 90 miles north of Great Falls in the small town of Shelby. The Empire Builder, which runs from Seattle to Chicago makes stops daily. There are rental cars available near the station. Salt Lake Express and Greyhound provide intercity bus service. Northern Transit Interlocal. Bus service from Shelby. (updated Dec 2021)

Montana is huge: most residents think nothing of driving in what most of the world consider long distances, so with that in mind like most of Montana, you're going to need a car. Although Great Falls does have a bus system, it's limited to the city proper. Another option for seeing the area is by bicycle. In an area with so many sparsely traveled roads, there is plenty to be seen on a road bike. The Historic Trolley runs during community and themed events. Tours discontinued in 2022 but the owner is hopeful to resume. Airport Shuttle Express of Calgary Canada offers year-round charter van service between Great Falls and Calgary, Banff & Lake Louise. Great Falls Transit (☏ +1 406-727-0382) operates bus service in Great Falls. Fare is $1.00. Buy a day pass for $4 for unlimited rides. A pass good for 11 rides is $10. Buy passes from the bus driver or the transit office at https://cmrussell.org/3905 North Star Blvd.

Great Falls has one of the highest crime rates in America, compared to its size. That doesn't mean it's unsafe for visitors, but lockup your valuables, and keep them out of sight. Winter snow can come in quickly. Keep a snow brush in the car.