For the History Buff
If your favorite trips involve museums, historic sites, and stories waiting to be uncovered, Fort Benton will be your kind of place. As the Birthplace of Montana, Fort Benton played a remarkable role in the settlement and development of the American West.
Plan on spending at least a day or two exploring. The deeper you dig, the more stories you’ll find.
Start with the Levee
Begin your visit along the Levee Walk and National Historic Landmark District. More than 40 interpretive signs tell the stories of traders, steamboats, soldiers, outlaws, merchants, ranchers, and everyday people who helped shape Montana.
Be sure to visit the Old Walking Bridge, the Grand Union Hotel, the Shep Memorial, and the many historic buildings that still line Front Street.
Grand Union Hotel
Levee Trail & River Walk
Old Fort Benton Bridge
The Shep Memorial
Explore the Museums
Fort Benton’s museums tell the story of the Upper Missouri from many different perspectives.
Visit the Historic Old Fort Benton to learn about the fur trade era, then continue to the Museum of the Upper Missouri to explore steamboat travel, frontier life, and regional history. The Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center provides context for the landscape that made Fort Benton possible, while Montana’s Agricultural Museum helps tell the story of the farming and ranching economy that followed.
One museum pass provides access to all museum locations for two days.
Historic Old Fort Benton
Homestead Village
Museum of the Upper Missouri
The Museum of the Northern Great Plains, Montana’s Museum of Agriculture
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Interpretive Center
Follow the Trails That Converged Here
Fort Benton sits at the crossroads of several important historic trails.
Learn about the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, the Whoop-Up Trail, and the Mullan Road. Each played a role in shaping the community and the broader history of the West.
For Lewis & Clark enthusiasts, don’t miss Montana’s Lewis & Clark Memorial and nearby Decision Point, where the Corps of Discovery faced one of the most important decisions of their journey.
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
Mullan Road
Nez Perce National Historic Trail
Whoop-Up Trail
Dive Deeper
If you want to go beyond the exhibits, consider making an appointment to visit the Schwinden Library and Archives & Joel F. Overholser Historical Research Center.
Before your visit—or after you’ve returned home—explore our recommended reading list to continue the story.
