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Billings is the largest city in Montana, with an estimated 100,000 people. As a destination in itself, Billings does a significant amount of convention business and is also the host to various regional events such as music festivals, athletic contests, rodeos, and outdoor activities. Billings hosts the largest hospitals in a 500-mile radius, as such the medical profession is a major source of employment in the area. Billings also is a frequent overnight or meal stop for westbound visitors to Yellowstone National Park, as it is the last major city for visitors going to the park via the Beartooth Highway.

Get in

By plane

  • Billings Logan International Airport (BIL IATA), 1901 Terminal Cir, +1 406 247-8609, e-mail: airport@ci.billings.mt.us, [1]. Billings Logan International is the major airport for Eastern Montana, and the busiest airport in the state. Silver Airways uses it as their hub for service within the state, and it is additionally served by Allegiant, Alaska/Horizon, Delta, Frontier, Skywest and United. Denver, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis are the biggest hubs serving Billings.

By car

By bus

Billings is served by Greyhound and Rimrock Trailways.

Get around

  • MET Transit - Toll free: +1 406 657-8218, e-mail: METTransit@ci.billings.mt.us. MET has 9 lines that provide service on weekdays and Saturdays with additional lines running during peak hours on weekdays. Weekday service 5:50AM–6:40PM. Saturday service 8:10AM–5:45PM, except for a one-hour lunch period. There is no service on Sundays and major holidays. Fares - Regular: $1.25; Seniors (62+), Medicare, Disabled: $0.50; Children 5 and under: Free. Long Beach Transit also offers a 10 Ride Ticket for $10. Transfers - Free. Must have exact fare for driver.
  • Yellow Cab - +1 406 245-3033
  • City Cab - +1 406 252-8700
  • Red Lodge Shuttle - +1 406 446-2257 or toll free +1 888 446-2191.

Visit the Billings Convention and Visitors Bureau for resources on things to do and places to stay while visiting Billings.

See

Pictograph Cave
  • Custer Battlefield Museum, Garryowen, Montana, +1 406 638-1876. Summer 8AM-7PM; 9AM-5PM. All of the locations associated with the Battle of the Little Bighorn, known as Custer's Last Stand $5 adults, 12 and under free.
  • Moss Mansion Historic House Museum, 914 Division St. (Exit 450 from I-90 to 3rd Avenue North,a one-way street leading directly to the Moss Mansion. Parking is available on Yellowstone or Clark Avenues.), +1 406 256-5100, . change seasonally, check website. Preserved house of the Preston Boyd Moss family. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed by New York architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh. Adults $7, Seniors (62 & over), Students & Military Personnel $5, Children 6-12 $3, 5 & under Free.

Do

  • Billings, MT Events Calendar [2] - Events calendar for Billings, Montana ( billingsbulletin.com ).
  • Local Horse rides [3] - Local events (www.billingsmontanaweb.com).
  • Pappy's Adventures. Outdoor family and group adventure.
  • Whoopah Ride. New 2007, 2008 daily country adventure.
  • Billings Mustangs - Minor League Baseball. A new ballpark opened in 2008. Catch a Pioneer League game between mid-June and early-September.

Buy

  • Rimrock Mall, 300 S 24th St W, +1 406-656-3206. The Rimrock Mall has over 90 mall shops, restaurants and department stores including Dillard's, Macy's and Herberger's plus a movie theater.
  • Gainan's, 502 N 30th St (downtown), 810 Bench Blvd (Heights), 1211 24th St W (West side). Family-owned garden and home stores with nice gift selection.

Eat

  • The Mustard Seed, 1340 W 15th (at the intersection of 15th and Grand Ave.), +1 406 259-1400. Pan-Asian restaurant chain.
  • Shanghai Village, 2926 2nd Ave N, +1 406 245-6887. Nice Chinese restaurant in the downtown area.
  • Juliano's, 2912 7th Ave N, +1 406 248-6400. M-F 11:30AM-2PM; W-Sa 5:30PM-9PM. Original American food with European and Asian influences from chef Carl Kurokawa. Features a nice outdoor patio. Lunch items $7-9; dinner $14-25.
  • Walkers American Grill and Tapas Bar, 2700 1st Ave N, +1 406 245-9291. Dining room hours: Daily 5PM-10PM. Tapas Bar/Lounge hours: M-F 4PM-11PM, Sa 5PM-11PM, Su 5PM-10PM.. Excellent locally-owned restaurant serving seasonal American and international cuisine. Main courses $11-25; tapas $5-9.
  • Q Cuisine, 2503 Montana Ave. The Q is an upscale, contemporary dining experience. It is sort of a place one might never expect to find in Montana. Key Lime Martini and the chef’s ever-changing ravioli are recommended. $10-25.
  • Pappy's Cowboy Cookout (Western Romance Company) (I-90 and Pryor Creek Rd), +1 406 348-2048. This is an adventure to get great cowboy cooked food and BBQ cowboy style. People and guest from inside and out of state come back just for the food. The Dutch oven dinner is perfect for events and outdoor cookouts.

Drink

Sleep

Early reservations are advised during the peak summer months and during weekends when a major event is scheduled. At most hotels, rates are significantly higher during the summer.

  • Crowne Plaza Billings, 27 N 27th St, +1 406 252-7400, toll-free: +1 800-588-7666, fax: +1 406 252-2401. This 23 story hotel is the world's largest free-standing brick building. Restaurant, lounge, exercise room, concierge, courtesy shuttle, 24-hr. business centers, dry cleaning, executive levels, full service Starbucks, renovated 2007.
  • C'Mon Inn - Billings Montana, 2020 Overland Ave S, +1 406 655-1100, toll-free: +1 800-655-1170, fax: +1 406 652-7672, . Resort hotel lodging close to many amenities. Summer rates (Apr-Sep): $73-145, Winter rates (Oct-Mar): $70-141.
  • Dude Rancher Lodge, 415 N 29th St, +1 406 259-5561, toll-free: +1 800-221-3302, fax: +1 406 259-0095, . Downtown location, king and queen sized beds, restaurant, coffee makers and coffee in every room, cable TV, microwave and refrigerators in selected rooms, pets allowed. $48-63 double.
  • Historic Northern Hotel, 19 N 28th St, +1 406 245-5121, fax: +1 406 259-9862. Originally built in 1940, this hotel received a remodel in the late 1990s. Air conditioning, cable TV, restaurant, saloon, exercise room. $89 double; $109-139 suite.
  • Josephine Bed-and-Breakfast, 514 N 29th St, +1 406 248-5898, toll-free: +1 800-552-5898, . Located within walking distance of downtown. The Josephine features Victorian decor with modern amenities. The house includes a library, parlor, and dining room for breakfast, and a wraparound porch. A/C, cable TV, wireless network (wireless network cards are available for rent), complimentary snacks, beverages and liqueur. Well behaved children are welcome. No pets. $65-160.

Go next

If Billings is too crowded for you, try its "suburbs" of Huntley and Shepherd, roughly ten miles east.

Two National Monuments are within a reasonable distance: Pompey's Pillar, 32 miles east on I-94, and Little Bighorn Battlefield, 67 miles southeast on I-90. Other than those, you're at the last city of any significant size before rolling out into the vast Eastern Montana prairie – the greatest attraction may be the scenery of the drive itself to your next destination.

Routes through Billings
Bozeman/Yellowstone N.P.Laurel  W  E  Crow AgencyBuffalo/Belle Fourche
END  W  E  HuntleyMiles City
Great FallsRoundup  NW  SE  Crow AgencyBuffalo


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