Surrounded by History

 There are several small communities in the Great Falls area that also hold plenty of opportunities for history lovers. Many of these towns, including Fort Benton and Choteau, are within an hour's drive from Great Falls.

Fort Benton
Montana's oldest community, Fort Benton, was founded in 1846, when the American Fur Co. built a trading post on the banks of the Missouri River. It eventually grew to be the West's largest inland port. You can now retrace the fascinating history of this legendary river port in a self-guided tour of more than 15 buildings, sites and monuments. Some of these include the fort's original blockhouse, a Lewis and Clark Memorial and Front Street, which has been called "the bloodiest block in the West" - a reference to the town's wild and unruly past. Just 40 miles northeast of Great Falls, Fort Benton is also the site of two museums - the Museum of the Upper Missouri and the Museum of the Northern Great Plains.

Choteau
Choteau's Old Trail Museum is an excellent place to learn more about Montana's history - going all the way back to the days of dinosaurs. Paleontology research continues amid tours on nearby Egg Mountain, the site of the first dinosaur egg discovery in the Western Hemisphere.

Choteau is also a great place to see some of nature's most precious gifts. Just 44 miles northwest of Great Falls, over a million waterfowl, including snow geese, pintail ducks and teal, can be spotted at Freezeout Lake each spring and fall during peak migration. Mountain goats and other watchable wildlife are often visible in this area as well.