Explore West Yellowstone
YELLOWSTONE VACATIONS PROVIDES MULTIPLE HOTELS NEAR YELLOWSTONE WEST ENTRANCE.
We all know Yellowstone National Park is a world-class destination, but there are plenty of interesting and entertaining things to do just outside the western entrance. From historical attractions to wildlife viewing, hiking and fishing to indoor gun ranges, and even classic theater entertainment, the quaint town of West Yellowstone is an attraction all by itself.
Book your hotel in West Yellowstone and enjoy more than just the National Park!
Don’t leave your pets behind when traveling to West Yellowstone, MT. We have a number of pet-friendly hotels and cabins located just two blocks from the Park’s West Entrance.
WEST YELLOWSTONE
Oregon Short Line 1903 Railroad Car • West Yellowstone • 315 Yellowstone Avenue
This carefully restored beauty once belonged to the Vice President of the Union Pacific Railroad, and can be toured any hours the Holiday Inn® West Yellowstone is open. One of the berths has been converted into a display on the railroad history of West Yellowstone and of the Union Pacific Railroad, and experts have commented that it is the most perfectly preserved executive railroad car in the world today. Open: Year-round. Admission: Free.
West Yellowstone Historic Walking Tour • West Yellowstone
Follow this informative self-guided tour and re-live early West Yellowstone. Follow the green Bear Paw Trail that’s printed on the sidewalk and they will lead your way! Pick up your map at the Chamber of Commerce or at one of the 21 site locations.
Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center • West Yellowstone • 201 South Canyon Street • 406-646-7001
The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center appeals to visitors of all ages. Visitors learn, see and experience the daily life of bears and wolves, as well as other wildlife in the area. An interactive museum exhibit compares and contrasts the bear of myth, art, literature, history, and folklore with the bear as scientists, outdoorsman, and researchers know it. Open: Year-round, daylight hours. Admission for two consecutive days: Adults (13 and older) $13.00; Seniors (62 and older) $12.25; Children (5 to 12) $8.00; Children under 5 are free.
Yellowstone Giant Screen Theatre • West Yellowstone • 101 South Canyon Street • 888-854-5862
The Yellowstone Giant Screen Theatre boasts a 6-story high screen and 12 thousand watts of digital quality surround sound. Three shows, including Yellowstone, are shown. Theater opens at 10:30 a.m. Call or check website for shows and prices.
Madison Canyon Earthquake Lake Visitors Center • West Yellowstone • US Highway 287 (27 miles from West Yellowstone) • 406-823-7620
The Visitor Center lies at the western end of the Madison River Canyon Earthquake Area. It overlooks Earthquake Lake and has a view of the Madison slide. The Center offers interpretive programs about the 1959 earthquake, one of the largest ever recorded in North America, which slid half a mountain into the Madison River Canyon creating a giant dam and the lake known as Quake Lake. It also features a working seismograph and displays about geology. The Center features a DVD presentation about the earthquake and its aftermath, displays on earthquakes, geology, wildlife and the Greater Yellowstone area. Open: Memorial Day – Labor Day, daily 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Playmill Theatre • West Yellowstone • 29 Madison Avenue • 406-646-7757
Enjoy this lively band of thespians as they present one of three delightful, family Broadway musicals. Performance times vary throughout the season and the theater is dark on Sundays. Call or check website for shows and prices.
Museum of the Yellowstone • West Yellowstone • 104 Yellowstone Avenue • 406-646-1100
Experience the lure of Yellowstone National Park, and discover the fascinating history of travel to our nation’s first National Park. The museum contains displays on stage coach and railroad companies that brought tens of thousands of visitors to the park, wildlife of the area, and the ‘Fires of 88’. Open: May 18 – October 13, Daily 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Admission: Adults $6.00; Seniors (60+) and Military $5.00; Students (under 18) $3.00; Children (3 to 12) $2.00; Children under 3 are free.
Yellowstone Big Gun Fun • West Yellowstone • 15 Madison Avenue • 406-646-7113
Come enjoy the experience of a lifetime and shoot the guns as seen in the movies in a safe, fun, and affordable indoor shooting range. Featuring gun rental packages based on different movies – including James Bond – and a great selection of pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and even fully automatic machine guns, there’s something to fit the experience level and fun factor for any shooter age 8 to 108. Open: Daily, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Rendezvous, Riverside, and Boundary Trails • West Yellowstone
There are miles of trails on US Forest Service land located outside of Yellowstone National Park, in and around the town of West Yellowstone. The Rendezvous Ski Trails trailhead is at 520 Obsidian Avenue, and the Riverside Trail trailhead is at 21 Boundary Street. There are additional trails available in the surrounding Gallatin National Forest.
Fishing • West Yellowstone
Fishing is great on the Madison and Firehole Rivers, as well as Hebgen and Quake Lake. Licenses, regulations and equipment are available at local fly shops and outfitters, and boat rentals are available at Kirkwood Resort & Marina, 406-646-7200.
BOZEMAN
American Computer Museum • Bozeman • 203 Stadium Drive • 406-582-1288
This museum focuses on the history of computing and communications and is the oldest extant museum dedicated to the history of computers in the world. From the ancient cave paintings to the Enlightenment, the knowledge-based American Revolution, the Pony Express, the telegraph, the telephone, radio, television, computers, and the Internet are interwoven and presented in a 30,000 year time line with thousands of historic artifacts and supporting materials. Open: June through August: daily 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.); September through May: Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday: Noon – 4:00 p.m. (Thursday 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Admission: Donation/Free
Children’s Museum of Bozeman • Bozeman • 202 South Willison • 406-522-9087
The Children’s Museum presents hands-on, sensory exhibits and programs that foster imagination, curiosity, creativity, and self-confidence. Exhibits in our 5,000 square foot space include the Our Big Sky Home, old west play area, Bobcat Corner, Busy Bee Corner, and the Bubble Wall, adored by kids and adults alike. Open: Year-round; Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission: $5.00
Gallatin Pioneer Museum • Bozeman • 317 West Main Street • 406-522-8122
To step back in time and learn about Gallatin County’s heritage, visit the Pioneer Museum in Bozeman. The museum offers a unique glimpse into the area’s past. Together with jail cells and a hanging gallows, the museum has displays dealing with the pioneers who settled the valley. Open: Memorial Day – Labor Day: Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Winter: Tuesday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Admission: $5.00 Adults (13 and older); 12 and under are free.
Museum of the Rockies • Bozeman • 600 West Kagy Boulevard • 406-994-2251
You’ll travel through 4 billion years of Earth’s history beginning in the geology hall, travel with dinosaurs, explore Montana’s homesteading and Native American history. During the summer, visit a living history farm and see what life was like a century ago on a Montana homestead. Open: Memorial Day to Labor Day: daily 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; September to May: Monday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday 12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission: two consecutive days pass: $14.00 Adults;. $13.00 Seniors (65+); $9.50 Children (5-17)
Stay
Enjoy comfortable, modern, amenity-rich lodging when you stay outside Yellowstone National Park.
Tours & Rentals
Experience an up-close view of the park, while learning about the fascinating history and wildlife.
