Top Things to Do in Billings
20 must-see attractions and experiences
Billings sits at the edge where the Great Plains give way to the Rocky Mountain West, a city of 120,000 that is the commercial hub of a vast swath of Montana and northern Wyoming. The Rimrocks -- a 300-foot sandstone escarpment running along the city's northern boundary -- define Billings visually and geographically, providing dramatic overlooks above a city that spreads across the Yellowstone River valley below. This is ranching country first, and the culture reflects it: the rodeo is not a tourist attraction but a community institution, the steakhouses serve beef from animals raised within the county, and the landscape stretches to horizons that seem to recede the longer you look. For visitors, Billings rewards those who engage with its particular strengths: Native American history that predates European contact by millennia (the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations border the metro area), paleontological sites where dinosaur fossils emerge from exposed Cretaceous formations, and a trail system that winds through riverside cottonwood forests and up onto the Rimrocks. Billings is also the closest major city to the Little Bighorn Battlefield and the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park, making it a practical base for exploring Montana's most significant historic and natural sites.
Don't Miss These
Our top picks for visitors to Billings
ZooMontana
EntertainmentMontana's only accredited zoo occupies 70 acres of native habitat on the city's western edge, specializing in northern temperate species like Siberian tigers, grizzly bears, red pandas, and gray wolves in naturalistic enclosures designed around the region's climate. The botanical garden within the grounds shows drought-adapted plants suited to Montana's semi-arid conditions. The zoo's conservation programs focus on species native to the Northern Rockies, giving it an ecological specificity that larger, more generalist zoos lack.
2100 Shiloh Rd, Billings, MT 59106, USA ·View on Map
Pictograph Cave State Park
Museums & GalleriesThree sandstone caves on the southeastern edge of Billings contain over 100 Native American pictographs, some dating back more than 2,000 years, depicting warriors, animals, and geometric patterns that document millennia of human habitation in the Yellowstone Valley. The interpretive trail that leads to the cave mouths passes through sagebrush grassland with views across the valley, and wayside panels explain the archaeological significance of each panel. This is one of the most accessible and well-documented rock art sites in the Northern Plains.
3401 Coburn Rd, Billings, MT 59101, USA ·View on Map
Lake Elmo State Park
Natural WondersA 64-acre reservoir on the Billings Heights provides swimming, non-motorized boating, and a 1.5-mile shoreline trail that loops through grassland and cottonwood groves popular with migrating birds. The park's shallow warm water makes it the most comfortable swimming spot in the Billings area during the brief but intense Montana summer. In winter, the frozen lake draws ice fishers targeting rainbow trout and perch stocked by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
219 Rolling Hills Dr, Billings, MT 59105, USA ·View on Map
Riverfront Park
Natural WondersStretching along the Yellowstone River beneath the towering Rimrocks, Riverfront Park anchors Billings' trail system with paved paths, fishing access, and interpretive signs documenting the river's role in Billings' founding and the Lewis and Clark expedition's passage through the valley in 1806. The park connects via trails to several other green spaces along the river, making it possible to walk or bike for miles without leaving the waterway. Great blue herons, white pelicans, and bald eagles are regularly spotted from the riverbank.
7277-7337 State Secondary Hwy 416, Billings, MT 59101, USA ·View on Map
Oasis
EntertainmentThis family entertainment center on Billings' south side features waterslides, a wave pool, mini golf, go-karts, and laser tag under one complex, making it the go-to destination for families on hot summer days or rainy afternoons. The waterpark's outdoor slides operate from Memorial Day through Labor Day, while the indoor attractions run year-round. It is a straightforward, well-maintained facility that delivers exactly what families with children need.
543 Aronson Ave, Billings, MT 59105, USA ·View on Map
Two Moon Park
Natural WondersNamed for the Cheyenne chief Two Moon who participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, this 150-acre natural area along the Yellowstone River preserves bottomland cottonwood forest, wetlands, and grassland accessible via 2.5 miles of unpaved trails. The park supports nesting great horned owls, white-tailed deer, and a variety of songbirds that makes it Billings' most productive birding site. Its wild, unmaintained character stands in deliberate contrast to the city's manicured parks.
850 Two Moon Park Rd, Billings, MT 59105, USA ·View on Map
Zimmerman Park
Natural WondersSet atop the Rimrocks on the city's north side, Zimmerman Park provides the most dramatic overlook of the Billings skyline and the Yellowstone Valley stretching south toward the Beartooth Mountains. The park sits on exposed Cretaceous sandstone formations, and the interpretive trail identifies fossils embedded in the rock along the cliff edge. On clear days, the view extends over 50 miles to the Pryor Mountains and the Bighorn Range.
3314 MT-3, Billings, MT 59106, USA ·View on Map
Swords Park
Natural WondersAnother Rimrocks-edge park, Swords occupies the cliffs directly above the Billings Clinic medical campus and offers easy access to the rimrock trail system that extends for miles along the escarpment. The park includes picnic shelters, interpretive geology panels, and a paved trail suitable for wheelchairs and strollers that follows the cliff edge with continuous views over the city. It is the most accessible of the Rimrocks parks and the best starting point for first-time visitors wanting to explore the escarpment.
Swords Park, Swords Park Dr, Billings, MT 59105, USA ·View on Map
Wise Wonders Science and Discovery Museum
Museums & GalleriesThis hands-on children's science museum in downtown Billings occupies a renovated historic building and features interactive exhibits on water systems, engineering, agriculture, and Montana ecology designed for children ages 2 through 12. The museum's exhibits are designed with regional specificity, including a working miniature grain elevator and a Montana wildlife diorama where children can match animal tracks to species. It is small but thoughtfully curated and staffed by educators who engage children in directed activities.
3024 2nd Ave N, Billings, MT 59101, USA ·View on Map
Yellowstone Art Museum
Museums & GalleriesHoused in the former Yellowstone County Jail -- the original cell blocks are still visible in the building's architecture -- the YAM holds the largest public collection of contemporary art in the Northern Rockies, with particular strength in Montana and regional artists. The permanent collection includes works by Will James, Russell Chatham, and Deborah Butterfield, whose horse sculptures made from found metal are well-known of the Northern Plains aesthetic. Rotating exhibitions bring in national and international contemporary work.
401 N 27th St A, Billings, MT 59101, USA ·View on Map
Natural Wonders
Billings' natural attractions are defined by two geological features: the Rimrocks escarpment that runs along the city's northern edge, providing dramatic overlooks and fossil-bearing sandstone formations, and the Yellowstone River that flows through the valley below, supporting cottonwood forests, wetlands, and a trail network that connects parks for miles. The combination of high-desert plateau and riparian bottomland creates notable ecological variety within city limits.
DanWalt Botanical Gardens
Natural WondersThese community botanical gardens on Billings' south side demonstrate what is horticulturally possible in Montana's challenging Zone 4 climate, with themed beds showing drought-resistant perennials, native grasses, and heritage vegetable varieties suited to the Northern Plains growing season. The gardens are maintained by volunteers and supported by plant sales, giving them an authentically local character. Peak bloom occurs in late June through July when the perennial borders and rose collection are at their fullest.
720 Washington St, Billings, MT 59101, USA ·View on Map
Castle Rock Park
Natural WondersThis natural area on the eastern Rimrocks features distinctive sandstone formations eroded into turret and battlement shapes that give the park its name, accessible via a moderate trail that climbs through sagebrush grassland. The rock formations provide nesting habitat for raptors, and prairie falcons and red-tailed hawks are commonly observed from the trail. The park has a more rugged, less developed Rimrocks experience than Zimmerman or Swords.
W Wicks Ln & Nutter Blvd, Billings, MT 59105, USA ·View on Map
Four Dances Trailhead
Natural WondersNamed for a Crow warrior, Four Dances Natural Area includes 740 acres of Rimrock terrain on the city's eastern edge, with a trail system that descends from the cliff top to the Yellowstone River through native grassland and juniper-studded ravines. The main overlook provides what many consider the finest view of the Yellowstone River in the entire Billings area, with the river bending below sandstone cliffs in a scene that has changed little since the Crow people named this place. The trail is moderately strenuous with some steep sections.
1100 Coburn Rd, Billings, MT 59101, USA ·View on Map
Coulson Park
Natural WondersSituated at the site of Coulson, the original settlement that preceded Billings, this riverfront park preserves the community's founding location along the Yellowstone River with picnic areas, a boat launch, and a paved trail connecting to the broader Billings trail system. The park's historical significance is marked by interpretive panels explaining how the Northern Pacific Railroad's decision to bypass Coulson in favor of the present Billings townsite in 1882 doomed the original settlement. It remains a functional launch point for floating the Yellowstone.
Charlene St, Billings, MT 59101, USA ·View on Map
John H. Dover Memorial Park
Natural WondersThis well-maintained neighborhood park in Billings' west end has a stocked fishing pond, playgrounds, sports fields, and a paved walking loop around the pond that is popular with morning joggers and evening walkers. The pond supports a surprising variety of waterfowl, including nesting Canada geese and migrating ducks in spring and fall. It is the kind of community park that reveals how Billings residents spend their outdoor time.
2531 Mary St, Billings, MT 59105, USA ·View on Map
Shiloh Conservation Area
Natural WondersThis 242-acre conservation property on the Yellowstone River's south bank protects cottonwood bottomland, wetlands, and grassland with 4 miles of trails open to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The area was preserved specifically for its ecological value, and the trail system is designed to minimize habitat disturbance while providing access to some of the best riparian habitat in the Billings area. White-tailed deer, red fox, and a rich variety of riparian songbirds are regular residents.
1132 Shiloh Rd, Billings, MT 59102, USA ·View on Map
Museums & Galleries
Billings' museums emphasize the specific history and ecology of the Yellowstone Valley, from 2,000-year-old pictographs to frontier-era oral histories to contemporary Northern Rockies art. The Yellowstone Art Museum, Pictograph Cave, and Western Heritage Center collectively provide a deep understanding of this region's layered human and natural history.
Yellowstone County Museum
Museums & GalleriesLocated in a log cabin at the entrance to Logan International Airport, this museum preserves the homesteading, ranching, and Native American heritage of the Yellowstone Valley through an eclectic collection of artifacts including a full-size chuck wagon, cavalry equipment, and Crow and Northern Cheyenne beadwork. The museum's intimate scale and volunteer-driven operation give it a personal quality that larger institutions cannot replicate. Admission is free, supported entirely by donations.
1950 Terminal Cir, Billings, MT 59105, USA ·View on Map
Western Heritage Center
Museums & GalleriesHoused in the 1901 Parmly Billings Memorial Library, one of Billings' most distinguished historic buildings, the Western Heritage Center preserves the social history of the Yellowstone Valley through exhibits on homesteading, mining, Native American culture, and the immigrant communities that built the railroad towns. The center's strength is oral history -- recorded interviews with ranchers, Crow elders, and coal miners provide voices and perspectives that object-based museums often lack. Rotating exhibits explore contemporary issues facing the rural Northern Plains.
2822 Montana Ave, Billings, MT 59101, USA ·View on Map
Yellowstone Kelly Interpretive Site
Museums & GalleriesThis hilltop site on the eastern Rimrocks marks the grave and memorial of Luther 'Yellowstone' Kelly, the frontier scout, hunter, and Army guide who explored the Yellowstone River basin in the 1870s and specifically requested burial on this bluff overlooking the valley he spent his life traversing. The interpretive panels recount Kelly's notable career as a guide for the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars and his later service as a colonial administrator in the Philippines. The panoramic view from the gravesite includes the river valley Kelly knew intimately.
Chief Black Otter Trail, Billings, MT 59101, USA ·View on Map
Entertainment
Family entertainment in Billings ranges from ZooMontana's cold-climate wildlife collection to the Oasis waterpark complex and indoor action at Splat Attack. The options reflect a community that has adapted to Montana's extreme seasonal swings with both outdoor summer attractions and year-round indoor facilities.
Splat Attack Battle Arena- Billings, Montana
EntertainmentThis indoor paintball and gel-blaster arena offers tactical combat games in a climate-controlled environment with themed courses, making it one of the few action-oriented entertainment options in Billings that operates year-round regardless of Montana's weather extremes. The arena accommodates birthday parties, corporate team-building events, and walk-in play sessions. Equipment rental is included in the session price, making it accessible for first-time players.
529 24th St W, Billings, MT 59102, USA ·View on Map
Planning Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
June through September offers the warmest weather and access to all outdoor attractions, with July and August being prime months for swimming, river floating, and long daylight hours. May and October are excellent shoulder months with fewer crowds and pleasant hiking temperatures.
Booking Advice
Most Billings attractions are drop-in with no reservation needed. ZooMontana and the Oasis waterpark are busiest on summer weekends and benefit from early arrival rather than advance booking. For floating the Yellowstone River, shuttle services should be arranged in advance during peak summer weekends.
Save Money
The majority of Billings' best attractions are free: all Rimrocks parks, Riverfront Park, Four Dances, the Yellowstone County Museum, DanWalt Gardens, and Yellowstone Kelly. A full day of Rimrock hiking, river walking, and museum visits can cost nothing beyond fuel.
Local Etiquette
Billings is ranch country -- greet strangers, hold doors, and expect genuine friendliness in return. If visiting Pictograph Cave or other sites connected to Native American history, treat them with the respect due to sacred places: stay on marked trails, do not touch rock art, and do not remove any objects.
Book Your Experiences
Guided tours, tickets, and activities in Billings