Kids and Family Activities
in Central Montana

Dinosaur Trail

Learn, play and enjoy a unique experience as your family visits 6 of Montana’s dinosaur attractions on the Montana Dinosaur Trail. Buy a dinosaur trail passport at any location on the trail and start collecting passport stamps. And, you can even participate in a real field dig with Two Medicine Dinosaur Center in Bynum. Just south of Bynum is Choteau, home of the Old Trail Museum. A few miles west of Choteau is where dinosaur egg shell fragments and baby dinosaurs were found, changing the way paleontologists viewed mother dinosaurs’ habits. A fully articulated Gryposaurus, affectionately called The Old Sorehead, greets visitors at the Rudyard Depot Museum. At the Clack Museum in Havre view dinosaur eggs and embryos that are 75 million years old. Chinook’s Blaine County Museum has a “Look, Touch and Wonder” room, perfect for kids of all ages. The Upper Musselshell Museum in Harlowton features a full size replica of an Avaceratops found nearby.

Shelby Carousel

Kids and adults alike enjoy riding this 1936 carousel that has been fully restored with hand-painted animals and over 900 lights. There are also pedal helicopters, plasma cars and Montana-made ice cream available.

All Things Fishing

Before you cast your line, stop at Giant Springs State Park on the east edge of Great Falls and learn about different fish species at the fish hatchery. You can feed fish in the big ponds (bring some change for fish food) and you can view the Roe River (named for fish eggs), once a contestant for the shortest river in the world. Giant Springs State Park also has a Family Fishing Pond with 5 docks. Lewistown’s Frog Ponds are a fun place right in town for kids to test their fishing skills. Or, visit Big Spring Fish Hatchery southeast of Lewistown and view the raceways and a hatchery fish pond. Bring your change and you can feed the fish in the display pond. Many other areas in the region offer great and easily accessible fishing.

Sports Games

The Great Falls Voyagers minor league baseball team plays over 35 home games in the summer at Centene Stadium. The Great Falls Americans junior hockey team begins competition on the ice in early September and skates until early March. Havre’s Ice Dome offers ice skating for youth and adults.

Plenty of Water Playgrounds

Electric City Water Park in Great Falls features a Flow Rider, Lazy River, Power Tower slides, Mitchell pool and a children’s water park. Lewistown’s new water park has an Olympic sized swimming pool, two waterslides and a wading pool for toddlers. Fifteen miles northwest of Lewistown on the Denton highway is Warm Springs swimming area, 50,000 gallons of warm water bubble up from the earth each minute, every day, on this local ranch where you can swim and picnic. A small fee is charged by the rancher. Shelby just opened a new water spray park adjacent to their city swimming pool, perfect for the kiddos on a hot summer day. City swimming pools can also be found in most of our communities.

Ride a Horse

Area guest ranches offer a variety of riding terrain and Triple J Wilderness Ranch has a unique Kids Riding Program. Sit around the dining room table with your family and then finish the day under the stars gazing at an evening campfire and roasting marshmallows.

Hike or Bike Local Trails

Shelby’s RoadRunner Recreational Trail has 2 and 5 mile paved loops. Nearly 20 miles of paved walking trails form the Lewistown Trail System. You can start on a trail on Lewistown’s Main Street and wander throughout town and nearby. The Baltrusch Trail and Nature Walk in Havre has two routes for nonmotorized travel. Fort Benton’s paved walking trail follows along the Missouri River and has interpretive signage detailing the history of the birthplace of Montana. Rivers Edge Trail in Great Falls is nearly 60 miles long and has both paved trails and single track. The trail is on both sides of the Missouri River and offers excellent views of the area’s waterfalls. Visit the Helena Lewis & Clark National Forest office in Great Falls for information on hiking and biking in nearby mountains.

Camping

From private campgrounds located in our towns to campgrounds located on state and federal lands, Central Montana has many options for family camping experiences.

Golf Courses

From golf lessons to a family enjoying a round of golf, Central Montana’s golf courses can accommodate you and your family.

Museums for Families?

Of course! The Children’s Museum of Montana is open year round in Great Falls. Explore a castle at the Castle Museum in White Sulphur Springs. Kids can test their strength by pulling a canoe upstream at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. Or become an artist in the Kid’s Discovery Room at the C. M. Russell Museum. For train enthusiasts of all ages you won’t want to miss the Frank DeRosa Rail Road Museum in Havre. Tour the Old Fort in Fort Benton and learn what life was like in the era of trapping and trading furs. Chinook’s Wildlife Museum will occupy kids of all ages and one of those “must see to believe it” is the world’s largest collection of Tonka Trucks at the Winifred Museum.

Family Friendly Events

Take the family to a rodeo for some exciting western fun. Several pow wows and county fairs take place during the summer, along with a variety of music concerts. Check out our events listings.

Winter Recreation

When the snow flies it’s time to head to our family friendly ski areas. Bear Paw Ski Bowl and Showdown Ski Area both cater to families and skiers of all ages and abilities. If your family prefers a slower pace try our cross-country ski trails or snowshoe areas.