As one of the larger cities in Central Montana, Havre has a lot to offer visitors whether it be enjoying the outdoors or diving into the past of Montana.
To help you on your visit we have outlined some of the best tours, attractions, and activities to ensure you will find the perfect things to do in Havre, Montana for whatever you are looking for.
The 23 Best Things to Do in Havre, Montana
1. Explore The Bear Paw Mountains
The Bear Paw Mountains are a small, island mountain range located about 10 miles south of Havre. This unique, standalone range in north-central Montana rises from the prairie and provides many opportunities for modern-day adventurers to explore and enjoy the outdoors.
The tallest peak in the Bear Paw Mountains is Baldy Mountain, which rises 6,916 feet above sea level. Baldy Mountain is certainly the most distinctive peak in the Bear Paw range, but only because of its height.
You’ll note that the range has two distinct parts, the east, and the west. The tallest of the peaks in the Bear Paw range is in the west half, while the eastern half has more moderate-sized peaks and buttes.
The range offers plenty of recreational opportunities including hiking, mountain biking, skiing, camping, fishing, and hunting.
2. Unwind with Some Wine
After a long day of exploring the Bear Paw Range, you’ll want a spot to relax and unwind.
If enjoying a nice glass of wine after a day outdoors is your favorite way to relax, check out Vine 19 in Havre. This great wine bar offers a variety of wines that rotate weekly.
Vine 19 offers wine tastings, 4 beers on tap (in case you don’t like wine) meat and cheese boards, and a delightful chocolate tasting board.
The wine is great at Vine 19 but you’ll also enjoy the atmosphere. The patio at Vine 19 overlooks the Beavercreek Golf Course, and they have live entertainment at least once a month.
3. Spend a Day at Blaine County Wildlife Museum
Blaine County Wildlife Museum is the perfect place to visit if you want to experience some of Montana’s most amazing wildlife, up close.
The Blaine County Wildlife Museum is home to some of the most impressive examples of Montana’s wildlife where kids of all ages can get face-to-face with bears, snakes, and deer.
You’ll see animals in their realistic habitats and learn about how each animal lives in the wilds of Montana. The Museum offers plenty of learning opportunities for kids and adults.
The Museum also has a gift shop that is popular with visitors and features the artworks of local area artists.
4. Visit the Local Breweries and Distilleries
If you are a beer lover, you cannot pass up the craft breweries in Havre. Like many other Montana towns, Havre is home to a few great craft breweries that give you a great example of the growing craft beer scene in Montana.
Start your beer tour at Triple Dog Brewing Company where the taproom is lively, and the beers are delicious. All beers at Triple Dog are handmade by brewer Michael Garrity, and each shows his passion for a high-quality product.
Your next brewery stop is Old Station Brewing Company. This brewery and taproom is located in a restored gas station and is a really fun spot to enjoy a beer. The brewery food truck features a weekly rotating menu.
Oh, and Steve and Jason are happy to provide tours of their brewhouse to anyone that asks.
Finally check out Vizsla Brewing, the newest brewery in Havre. With beers creatively named after different dog breeds, you’ll have a fun experience at this taproom. The beers are good, and you can even take a 6-pack home for later.
If beer isn’t your thing, stop in and visit Crawford Distillery. This family-owned business is dedicated to the art and science of great distilling. Doors to this great distillery opened in 2018, and customers enjoy a variety of cocktails made from hand-crafted spirits.
5. Historic Railroad District
The railroad was one of the most important factors in the development of communities, like Havre, in northern Montana in the 1880s. So, it’s no surprise that one of the most interesting parts of Havre is the Historic Railroad District.
When the railroad came to Havre in the late 1880, the town became a booming hub for rail travel and commerce. Much of the town’s economy was tied to the railroad, and many in search of wealth found it, in the growing town of Havre.
Today, the railroad still runs through Havre, but its influence on the community isn’t as great. However, many of the buildings and sites that were crucial in the development of the railroad through Havre and the growth of the community are still around today.
Visitors to Havre can stop at the Havre Hill Preservation Society and pick up a map of the Historic Railroad District and embark on a self-guided tour of the town’s history.
You can also buy tickets to the guided Havre Beneath the Streets tour at the Havre Hill Preservation Society.
6. Visit the Hill County Courthouse
Designed by Frank Buossot and completed in 1916, the Hill County Courthouse is a monument to the reform movement of the early 1900s, where communities nationwide began associating civic beauty with economic equality. Havre fell into this movement after a fire destroyed ninety percent of the business district in 1904.
As businesses began rebuilding the City Beautiful effort in Havre adopted a new style of architecture for public buildings. The Hill County Courthouse was the first of many buildings in Havre to be reconstructed in the French Beaux-Arts style.
Today, the large, white building with its Corinthian columns, ornate carvings, and a surprisingly modern base is still a perfect example of American architectural styles.
7. Go to Beaver Creek Park
Located south of Havre, in the foothills of the Bear Paw Mountains in Beaver Creek Park. The park is a whopping 10,000 acres along Highway 243. The park was established in 1916 and is still the largest county park in the United States.
Beaver Creek Park offers a variety of recreational activities including camping, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, and picnicking. The park is open year-round and visitors must purchase a park permit.
8. Catch a Movie
If you need a break from activities and just want to sit back and relax, then you’ll want to check out Cottonwood Cinema, buy a tub of popcorn and enjoy a movie.
Cottonwood Cinema has 4 screens with a wide variety of current movies. The theaters feature digital projection, comfortable seating, and movie theater standards – popcorn, soda, and sweets.
9. Prairie Farms Golf Course
Four miles east of Havre, along the Milk River, you’ll find Prairie Farms Golf Course. This family-owned 9-hole course is located on the Baltrusch family farm.
The course winds through the farm and along the Milk River, giving golfers a unique experience. The course clubhouse has a small pro-shop and offers pizza, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages.
The family is currently constructing the back nine holes and will be offering an 18-hole play in the near future.
10. Enjoy Dinner at Bow & Marrow
If you enjoy eating a great meal in the communities you visit, then Bow & Marrow in Havre is a spot you should add to your list.
This modern steakhouse is bringing a new look to dining and nightlife in Havre. The menu here is full of locally sourced ingredients and some of the finest steak, seafood, and pasta in northern Montana.
Enjoy your meal with one of their unique cocktails, mixed with care by the best bartenders in town.
Free Things to Do in Havre, Montana
11. Fresno Reservoir
provides visitors to the Havre area with some of the best fishing in northern Montana.
With 65 miles of shoreline on the Milk River, you’ll have your choice of spots to cast for walleye, perch, and northern pike. The reservoir also has a boat ramp, picnic shelters, and a swimming beach.
12. The Milk River Badlands
located north of Havre is a nice escape from town that will give you a chance to explore an area where dinosaurs used to roam.
The eroded valley is accessible by a five-mile drive that follows the ancient channel of the Missouri River, ending at the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Rookery Park. Here you have river access and can search for fossils.
13. E. Clack Memorial Museum
is a great collection of all things northern Montana. The museum is filled with historically important artifacts that tell the story of Havre and the surrounding area.
Exhibits cover a range of topics including Native American culture, Fort Assiniboine, the railroad, historic military displays, and even dinosaurs and other prehistoric fossils.
The museum which was opened in 1964 is operated by Hill County, Montana. It is fully funded by donations to the museum. Entrance to the museum is free, but donations are encouraged.
Best Tours in Havre, Montana
14. Horseback Riding
Skyview Ranch is the perfect spot in Havre to experience a bit of the wild west. This working cattle ranch offers guests the opportunity to stay in rugged log cabins and explore the ranch by horseback.
Horseback tours of the ranch are their specialty. If you’re traveling with your own horse, Skyview Ranch does allow you to ride your own horse through the area. They also provide four-wheel-drive tours as well.
15. Skiing Adventure
You’ll have to look long and far to find another ski area like Bear Paw Ski Bowl.
A Throwback to a time when skiing was about the snow and the adventure, Bear Paw Ski Bowl is managed and operated by a dedicated group of volunteers and local skiers.
Lift tickets at Bear Paw Ski Bowl are really affordable, and for experienced skiers, this is a great place to get a full day of awesome runs, without the crowds.
16. Native American Tour
Located east of Havre, near Harlem, MT is the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
Home to the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine tribes this area has many interesting features that you’ll want to experience while you’re visiting Havre. There are guided tours on the reservation area to sites like Snake Butte, Bear Gulch, Mission Canyon and St. Paul’s Mission.
The reservation also has a number of special events like the Milk River Indian Days and the Hays’ Powwow and Fair.
17. Ancient Ruins Tour
Considered to be the best-preserved Native American Buffalo Jump in North America, the Wahkpa Chu’gn Archeological site is located in a surprising location in Havre. Just outside of town and on the hills behind the Holiday Village Mall, you discover one of the most interesting parts of Native American Culture.
The site features three buildings full of artifacts of historical significance relating to the Native American tribes that lived in the Havre area.
Visitors to Wahkpa Chu’gn (pronounced wawkpaw-choogun) will learn about one of the ways that Native peoples used the landscape to hunt and provide food and shelter for their families.
18. Beneath the Streets Tour
Many towns with long histories have a place where less than reputable people and businesses could be found. In Havre, there is a hidden underground city that once was home to shady businessmen and immigrants whose businesses weren’t allowed to operate anywhere else.
Today, Visitors can experience Havre Beneath The Streets, a museum that shows the early history of Havre. You’ll see the Wah Sing Laundry, Shorty Young’s Office, the Gourley Brother’s Bakery and the Sporting Eagle pub.
Tours are by reservation only, so make sure you inquire about tickets before visiting.
19. Bear Paw Battlefield
Bear Paw Battlefield is the site of the final battle between the Nez Perce peoples and the U.S. Army.
The visitor’s center features a 40-minute documentary film about the battle and the Nez Perce peoples. From the visitor’s center, walk the 1.25-mile self-guided interpretive trail.
20. Havre’s Historic Districts
You’ll be surprised to learn that Havre has three separate historic districts. The city’s historic business, residential, and railroad districts were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Today, these areas are still home to many of Havre’s residents and businesses.
Stop by the Havre Chamber of Commerce and pick up a map for a self-guided tour of the historic downtown and residential districts.
Do remember that businesses and homes are still privately owned so be considerate of home and business owners by staying on sidewalks and taking pictures from the public right of way like streets, sidewalks, and boulevards.
21. Fishing Tour
Bear Paw Mountain Outfitters is your best place for guided fishing tours in the Havre area.
Beaver Creek, located just a short 2.2-mile drive from Havre is one of the best fishing creeks in the area. You’ll enjoy casting for a variety of fish species including small and largemouth bass, rock bass, catfish, and walleye.
There are plenty of great spots for fly fishing or baitcasting, but for the best experience, hire a local fishing guide from Bear Paw Mountain Outfitters.
22. Brewery Tour
Old Station Brewing Company is one of three breweries in Havre and the one with the best brewery tour.
If you love to learn how your favorite craft beer is made, Old Station Brewing Company can show you the craft of brewing. If you’re interested in seeing the brewing process firsthand at Old Station, ask for Jason or Steve.
Once your tour is done, cozy up to the bar for a few tasters of craft beer and some of Havre’s best barbeque.
23. Fort Assinniboine
In the 1880s, Fort Assinniboine was the largest military post in Montana. It was an active military installation until 1911.
Today, the Fort is home to the Northern Agriculture Research Center of Montana State University. The Fort is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is maintained by the Assinniboine Preservation Association.
During the summer months, the Association provides guided tours of the fort.