By Jeff Burns
What is
there to do in Billings? There are actually a lot of great things to do for a
history buff. At about 160,000 in population, Billings is the largest city in
Montana and was founded as a railroad town in 1882. However, its history goes
back many years before that. Lewis and Clark passed through the area and even
named a nearby rock formation Pompey’s Rock, after Sacajawea’s son. The area has been occupied by Native Americans for thousands of
years, and there are sites near the city that preserve ancient petroglyphs,
evidence of their occupation.
During
its early days, Billings was a rough and tumble town of the old west, where
cowboys, miners, and railroaders blew off steam in saloons and brothels. The museums of Billings do a great job of
telling the story of those eras, prehistoric and bawdy, along with the stories
of the homesteaders and ranchers who eventually tamed the west.
We
started our visit at the Western Heritage Cultural Center, located in a turn of
the 20th century library building. It’s
a good introduction to the area. Its
rotating exhibits cover the natural history and cultural history of the
region. It also serves as the repository
of a great collection of Native American oral histories.
From
there, it’s a few blocks to the Moss Mansion, built in 1903 by P.V. Moss, a
businessman who basically owned Billings.
He had huge a range of money-making interests including mining,
railroads, agriculture, and electricity. The mansion now belongs to the city of
Billings, and it is preserved as the Moss family lived in it, furnished with
their belongings. It is one of the most elaborate and well-preserved house
museums I’ve ever visited. As far as
luxury goes, the Moss Mansion is much more luxurious than many would picture in
the Old West.
If you
fly into Billings, you don’t have to go far to see a great museum. The Yellowstone County Museum is on the
airport property. Don’t be fooled by the
small log cabin you see on the perimeter road.
There is much more to see below.
There are hundreds and hundreds of Indian artifacts as well as an
exhibit on one of Billings’ famous residents Calamity Jane, but don’t forget to
say hi to the two-headed calf.
In downtown Billings, there are a couple of great stores to
explore. One is Native American
Nations. There you will find a great
assortment of Native American crafts and artifacts, and the selection and
prices are both much better than any trading posts in the area. Be prepared to move into the Yesteryears
Antique Mall. It is huge, and there is
definitely something for you there. If
you’re really into vintage clothing, check out the Montana Vintage Clothing
store, practically next door to Yesteryear.
