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All United States Montana

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Montana

57 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Montana

Updated April 10, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
Berkeley Pit
Butte
Guardian of the Gulch and two curious visitors.
Helena
Ptarmigan Tunnel
West Glacier
Bleu Horses
Three Forks
On the way to the mine area
Red Lodge
The Sip 'n Dip Lounge.
Great Falls
All Cities
  1. Anaconda
  2. Butte
  3. Drummond
  4. Glendive
  5. Great Falls
  6. Helena
  7. Red Lodge
  8. Three Forks
  9. West Glacier
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories

Unusual Attractions in Montana

Garnet ghost town.

Drummond, Montana

Garnet, Montana

This amazingly preserved Gold Rush town is a historian's dream.
Ptarmigan Tunnel

West Glacier, Montana

Ptarmigan Tunnel

This angular Dwarven tunnel cuts through a mountainside in Glacier National Park.

Whitehall, Montana

Ringing Rocks of Montana

The rocks of a certain area of Butte, Montana give off a musical ring when hit.
Berkeley Pit

Butte, Montana

The Berkeley Pit

New fungal and bacterial species call this deadly lake home.
Town Hall

Boulder, Montana

Elkhorn Ghost Town

This off-the-beaten-path abandoned town is a relic of Montana's silver mining boom.

Meagher, Montana

Castle Town Ghost Town

Mining town from the late 1890s, once home to Calamity Jane.
Some of the 1000 Buddhas.

Arlee, Montana

Garden of One Thousand Buddhas

This giant meditative chakra sits peacefully in the Flathead Valley of western Montana.

West Glacier, Montana

Going-to-the-Sun Road

The only road through the heart of Glacier National Park.
See All 57 Things To Do in Montana

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Montana

Butte, Montana

Pekin Noodle Parlor

The oldest continuously-operating Chinese restaurant in the United States has been in business since 1911.
The Sip 'n Dip Lounge.

Great Falls, Montana

Sip 'n Dip Lounge

"Polynesia on the Plains."
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

7 of Montana's Spellbinding Stone Structures

The Continental Divide runs through Montana, separating the mountains and glaciers on the west from rolling plains to the east. Much of the state is built on a bed of rock that dates back more than a billion years, to the Precambrian, or the earliest era in Earth’s history. The geology of Montana has shaped the state, from the mountain ranges to that draw hikers to Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks to mineral deposits that drew prospectors during the Gold Rush to the vast plains that have long supported hunting and agriculture. As the pandemic continues, we hope this virtual trip helps you explore America’s wonders. If you do choose to venture out, please follow all guidelines, maintain social distance, and wear a mask.

View Itinerary

Explore Montana

Animals 8
Geology 6
Nature 6
Statues 5
Mines 4
Museums And Collections 4
Native Americans 4
History 4
Abandoned 4
Mining 4
Ghost Towns 4
Collections 4

Montana Leaderboard

Places Added

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Places Edited

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Places Visited

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Recent Montana Activity

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    minoupoulpe

    wants to go to Madison Buffalo Jump State Park

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    minoupoulpe

    wants to go to Ohrmann Museum & Gallery

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    minoupoulpe

    wants to go to Great Plains Dinosaur Museum

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    wants to go to Asbestos Town — Libby, Montana

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    minoupoulpe

    wants to go to Socialist Hall

Stories About Montana

Snow geese fly away from Montana's Berkeley Pit after a sunrise hazing in 2021.

At Montana's Infamous Berkeley Pit, Saving Lives Means Hazing Birds

Engineers and ecologists have considered everything from lasers to cannons to keep waterfowl out of the toxic water.
by Sarah Trent
April 10, 2023
A baled Christmas tree is loaded at the Omni Farm in West Jefferson, North Carolina.

What’s the Real Christmas Tree Capital of the World?

At least a half dozen communities in North America have claimed the title. 
by Justin Franz
December 7, 2022
Whether you call it shunka warak'in, the Rocky Mountain hyena or simply the beast, a mysterious canid preyed upon livestock in Montana in the late 1880s.

Beware Montana’s Shunka Warak’in, the 'Rocky Mountain Hyena'

Is one of these crafty cryptids on display in a small museum?
by J.W. Ocker
October 19, 2022
Harvested herbs, ready to be made into tea.

How Traditional Teas Are Taking Root in the Blackfeet Nation

Activists and gardeners are growing medicinal plants for healthy brews.
by Emilie Filou
May 19, 2022
Wildlife biologist Serra Hoagland has studied the Mexican spotted owl throughout her career.

The Wildlife Scientist Finding Innovation in Ancient Ideas

Biologist Serra Hoagland bridges Indigenous traditions and modern methods.
by Gemma Tarlach
March 22, 2022

Podcast: Grasshopper Glacier

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
April 8, 2021
In Montana, researchers are trying to keep skiers, snowboarders, and others safer on backcountry slopes.

On the Slopes With Montana's Avalanche Detectives

They're actually scientists. And in Bozeman, they're trying to keep people safe.
by Bay Stephens
February 18, 2021
Webb Mountain Lookout in the Kootenai National Forest in far northwest Montana.

In Montana, Remote Fire Lookouts Keep a Century-Old Tradition Alive

As wildfires rage across the West, an old job feels more critical than ever.
by Justin Franz
October 1, 2020

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