Billings
Around Billings
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Metro area · Montana · 192k people
Billings
“Magic City”
Big skies, warm hearts.
Billings Mustangs redMontana gold
Welcome to Billings, the Magic City! Where the Rimrocks meet the Yellowstone and the prairie meets the mountains. Come for the rodeo, stay for the huckleberry pie.
Clubs for Billings
No clubs for Billings yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Billings. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Billings. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Rimrock Cliffs Sandstone cliffs that define Billings' skyline
- Yellowstone River Runs through the city, popular for fishing and floating
- Pompeys Pillar National Monument Rock with William Clark's signature
- Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Site of the 1876 battle, near Hardin
- Pictograph Cave State Park Prehistoric rock art
- ZooMontana Local zoo with regional animals
- Outdoors Hike the Rimrocks
- Outdoors Float the Yellowstone
- With kids ZooMontana
- With kids Pictograph Cave State Park
- Evenings Brewery taprooms
- Evenings Live music venues
- Locals love rodeo arenas
- Locals love huckleberry stands
Through the year
- MontanaFair August County fair with rides, livestock, and concerts
- NILE Stock Show and Rodeo October Livestock show and rodeo
- Magic City Blues Festival August Blues music festival
- Beartooth Rally June Car show and road rally
- Yellowstone River Cleanup Spring Community river cleanup
Semi-arid with cold winters and hot summers. Best time to be out is late spring to early fall. Best: Late spring to early fall
Getaways
Local flavour
Teams
- Billings Mustangs Pioneer League (MLB Partner League)
Also rooting for Montana Grizzlies, Montana State Bobcats
Eat and drink
- huckleberry pie Huckleberries are a Montana staple, often used in pies, jams, and ice cream.
- bison burger
- Montana steak Beef is central to the local diet, with many steakhouses serving ranch-raised cuts.
Where people go
- rimrock cliffs The sandstone Rimrocks define the city's skyline and offer scenic overlooks.
- riverfront trails Paths along the Yellowstone River for walking, biking, and wildlife viewing.
- rodeo arenas Rodeos are a staple of Montana culture, with events held throughout the region.
- cattle ranches
Heritage and traditions
Billings is proud of its 'Magic City' heritage, a railroad-born town that grew into Montana's largest city, set against the dramatic Rimrocks and the Yellowstone River. Locals take pride in their Western roots, from rodeo and ranching to the rich Native American history of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne nations.
Say it like a local: “You bet” — You're welcome, or a strong affirmation.
Festivals
- Crow Fair August The largest powwow in the United States, celebrating Crow culture with dancing, rodeo, and teepee camps.
- Miles City Bucking Horse Sale May A unique event combining rodeo, horse sales, and western heritage.
- Red Lodge Festival of Nations August A celebration of the town's immigrant heritage with music, dance, food, and crafts.
- Billings Artwalk Monthly First Friday of each month, galleries and studios open their doors for an evening of art.
- Hardin Little Bighorn Days June Commemorates the 1876 battle with reenactments, parades, and cultural events.
- Big Sky Celtic Festival September Celebrates Celtic music, dance, and heritage with performances and workshops.
Landmarks with a story
- Moss Mansion A 1903 historic house museum in Billings, showcasing the life of a wealthy pioneer family.
- Fort Keogh A former U.S. Army post near Miles City, established in 1876, now a livestock experiment station.
- Range Riders Museum In Miles City, preserving the history of Montana's open-range cattle industry.
- Chief Plenty Coups State Park The home of the last traditional Crow chief, with a log cabin and sacred spring near Pryor.
- St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral A historic Catholic cathedral in Billings, known for its striking architecture.
- Coulson Ghost Town Remnants of a frontier river town near Billings, once a rival to the new railroad city.
Food traditions
- Chokecherry syrup Made from wild chokecherries gathered along river bottoms, served on pancakes or as a sweet topping.
- Fry bread A staple at powwows and Native gatherings, often served with honey or as Indian tacos.
- Cowboy coffee Strong, boiled coffee traditionally made over a campfire, a staple at rodeos and hunting camps.
- Dutch oven cooking Stews, biscuits, and cobbler cooked in cast-iron Dutch ovens at outdoor gatherings.
- Miles City steak A thick, grilled steak in Miles City, a town proud of its cattle industry, is a local rite.
Music and arts
- Powwow drumming and dancing Traditional Native American music and dance, central to Crow Fair and other gatherings.
- Cowboy poetry Recited at gatherings and festivals, celebrating ranch life and the West.
- Western art Paintings and bronzes depicting cowboy and Native American themes, shown in local galleries.
- Bluegrass and country music Live music is popular in bars and venues, with a strong local scene.
A little history
- 1806 Lewis and Clark expedition reaches Pompeys Pillar and Clark carves his name.
- 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn, a major defeat for the U.S. Army against Lakota and Cheyenne forces.
- 1882 Billings is founded as a railroad town and nicknamed the 'Magic City' for its rapid growth.
- 1920s Oil boom brings prosperity and population growth to the Billings area.
- 1970s Coal mining and power generation expand in Colstrip, fueling the region's energy industry.
Rivalries
- Montana Grizzlies vs Montana State Bobcats College football rivalry
- Billings Senior vs Billings West High school football rivalry
- Game day Rodeo
- Game day High school football
- Outdoors Hike the Rimrocks
- Outdoors Float the Yellowstone River
- With kids ZooMontana
- With kids Pictograph Cave State Park
Locals speak with a relaxed Western drawl, often dropping the 'g' in words like 'huntin'' and 'fishin''. They say 'pop' for soda, 'you bet' as a friendly affirmation, and use 'howdy' as a casual greeting. The word 'huckleberry' is used both for the berry and as a term of endearment.
Only here
- Billings is called the 'Magic City' because it grew so fast after its founding in 1882.
- The Rimrocks, a series of sandstone cliffs, are a unique natural landmark right in the city.
- Pompeys Pillar has the only remaining physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark expedition—William Clark's carved signature.
- Crow Fair is the largest powwow in the United States, drawing thousands of participants.
New here? A few tips
- Prepare for extreme weather: cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers. Layer clothing and keep an emergency kit in your car.
- Learn to drive on icy roads; winter tires are a good investment.
- Embrace the outdoors—hiking, fishing, and skiing are part of the local lifestyle.
- Try huckleberry products, from jam to ice cream, a regional specialty.
- Respect and learn about Native American history and culture, especially the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations nearby.
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Nearby
Every areaHardinMontanaWhere the plains meet the mountains and history rides.CodyWyomingCowboy country at Yellowstone's doorCentral MontanaMontanaWide skies, open range, and a community that feels like home.Livingston–Big TimberMontanaWhere the river runs wild and the mountains touch the sky.SheridanWyomingWhere the West is still wild and the mountains meet the plains.BozemanMontanaBig skies, bigger mountains.
Billings, MT. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.