Whether you find yourself in need of a break from the monotony of the open highway, or you want to make an entire trip hopping from site to site, Montana has some truly unique roadside attractions sure to add excitement to any adventure across Big Sky Country.
With offerings from the wacky to the wonderful, these highway hotspots are sure to capture the hearts and minds of the roadtrippers in your caravan, and there is no shortage of cool stops in Montana to choose from.
From places located right beside the highway to sites that require a detour off the beaten path, you may be amazed by the crazy and cool attractions that offer visitors once-in-a-lifetime experiences. You might also find yourself overwhelmed trying to decide the right places for you and your family to visit when there are so many to choose from!
Because of the abundance of road-side attractions in this massive state, we are offering a review of some of the most beloved, entertaining, and awe-inspiring roadside attractions that are sure to make your trip across Montana more than memorable.
Garden of One Thousand Buddhas - Arlee, Montana
After a long day of driving, if you are looking to find your zen, then stopping by to see the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas is the perfect place for a pit stop on your trek across Montana.
Set off Highway 93 just north of Missoula, the garden is designed to be a place to promote peace in a turbulent world. The garden presents exactly what the name promises: one thousand statues of the Buddha cast in white concrete, nestled in a beautiful, peaceful and lush landscape.
Built in the design of the wheel of Dharma, the perfect circles feature eight spokes that represent the ideas of the circle of life, death, and rebirth. In the center of the circle, a statue of the Great Mother presides over the land, embodying the hope for peace for all visitors to this special garden.
The attraction also houses a school of Tibetan Buddhism and an educational center for attendants.
After visiting the garden, it is the hope that one will reenter the world with a sense of enlightened wisdom, ready to impart that same feeling to the world upon your return to the highway to head to your next destination.
Miracle of America Museum - Polson, Montana
Dubbed the Smithsonian of the West, the Miracle of America Museum offers the largest collection of Americana in the Western United States. Located just south of beautiful Flathead Lake on route 93, this museum is a joy for people of all ages!
Game enthusiasts can explore the arcade full of antique games while history buffs can take a first-hand look at Vietnam-era vehicles, including a helicopter, while viewing the powerful display of thousands of pieces of war-time memorabilia.
Car enthusiasts also come from all over the world to appreciate the many vintage cars, bikes, and memorabilia on display .
With more than 400,000 items in its collection, there is no doubt that everyone you are traveling with will find something in the museum to pique their interest.
Make sure to set aside two to three hours to take the guided tour of the museum in order to get the full experience offered by this amazing attraction. While there, expect to encounter fun, interactive displays that span almost 40 buildings. Many original works of art made from mostly repurposed materials cover the outside of this wondrous world of American cultural history.
Montana Vortex and House of Mystery - Columbia Falls, Montana
Hopping over to the north end of Flathead Lake off Highway 2 between Columbia Falls and West Glacier is a fun and quirky place to make a pitstop. The Montana Vortex and House of Mystery is perfect for those who are into the unusual and unexplained.
Featured on the History Channel, this attraction defies logic. While it might appear to just be a slanted, run-down shack, the House of Mystery will leave its patrons amazed at what they find inside.
With three different vortexes on the property, visitors appear to shrink or grow depending on where they find themselves standing. Inside the house, you will be able to stand at a very slanted, almost unnatural angle.
Opened seasonally, visitors to House of Mystery can take a one-hour tour offered by the property owners.
Regardless of which mysterious vortex you descend upon during your visit or what kind of tour you opt to take, don’t forget to have your camera ready so that you can share the phenomenon with others and wow them with what you experienced at this one-of-a-kind Montana roadside attraction.
Our Lady of the Rockies - Butte, Montana
One of Montana’s most recognizable monuments, Our Lady of the Rockies is an amazing roadside attraction that you will not want to miss. Sitting atop the Continental Divide just outside Butte, the 90-foot tall statue requires purchase of a ticket and takes about two and a half hours to tour, including the bus ride to and from the site.
The fourth largest statue in the nation, Our Lady of the Rockies came to take her place looking over the city of Butte through the effort of a man with a vision, the help of many government entities, engineers, and countless volunteers. The ninety-foot statue was erected after Bob O’Bill was inspired to offer a tribute to his cancer survivor wife and women all over the world.
Though it was built in 1979, the solid white statue in the likeness of the Virgin Mary would not take her place in Montana until six years later. Volunteers literally had to blast a road up the side of the mountain to allow for two states’ Air National Guards and the Army Reserve to helicopter the monument into its resting place in four separate sections.
The monument is only open to the public during the summer and fall months. Visitors can look forward to guided tours to the site, seeing the monument’s chapple and observation deck, a wall dedicated to the work of women the world over, and sweeping views of the mountains and valleys around Butte.
Jim’s Horn House - Three Forks, Montana
A well-known and unusual roadside attraction in Montana, Jim’s Horn House has been attracting visitors from all over the world for decades. Located in Three Forks off of Interstate 90 between Bozeman and Butte, be aware that this site is unusual in that you must schedule your visit in advance!
With over 16,000 pairs of deer and elk antlers on display, Jim Phillips has amassed a collection that fills every inch of a shed on his property.
Phillips began collecting antlers when he was a mere 10 years of age, picking up naturally-shed horns during his treks across Montana’s forests. He has continued to add to this collection throughout his life, with some trips seeing him come back empty-handed, with other trips yielding so many sets of antlers that he has needed a truck to haul them home.
The collection not only brings Phillips lots of joy but in the 80s, selling off about 2,000 sets of horns amassed enough money that he was able to send all three of his daughters to college.
If Phillips is not busy on a trip to add to his collection, he is known to give free tours to those who would like to come and pay a visit.
Chico Hot Springs Giant Chicken - Pray, Montana
If you are ready to take a detour off the beaten path, or road, then stopping to see the Chico Hot Springs Giant Chicken will be a quirky addition to your roadside attraction stops in Montana.
While there is not a lot known about how it ended up on a hiking trail near the Chico Hot Springs, this 9-foot tall, vibrantly colored chicken is sure to be a great photo op to round out your trip.
The Giant Chicken can be found near the Chico Hot Springs resort in Pray, Montana which is located on Highway 89 just north of Yellowstone National Park. Park in the Field of Dreams parking lot at the resort and head out on the Multi-Use Trail, and you’ll find the chicken about a half mile into a five-mile hiking loop.
Montana Roadside Attractions: Add Some Fun to Your Adventure
No matter your taste, there is a roadside attraction in Montana that is sure to make your trip across the state memorable.
After narrowing the playing field to one of the above-mentioned destinations, from the cool to the inspiring, they will definitely add some fun to your Montana adventure.
