BILLINGS
Bordered on the north by distinctive rock formations known as rimrocks, Billings was established in 1882 with the coming of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Two years later the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroads arrived and further boosted the economy. Today it is a major shipping center for cattle and other agricultural products. Interstates I-90 and 94 offer Montana's largest city access to easy travel. Billings is where Montana Territory began, and where your historical and cultural passport to the legendary west begins. Use Billings as a central point to the best western attractions, events, hospitality, shopping and cuisine.The MetraPark is a modern concert, trade show and rodeo arena, surrounded by the fairgrounds, pari-mutuel horse-race track and superbarn complex. MetraPark is a stellar entertainment complex, home of the state's largest event — Montana Fair.The Alberta Bair Theater for the Performing Arts is the largest theater between Minneapolis and Spokane. The theater presents hundreds of productions yearly, with over half performed by national and international professional touring companies.The Yellowstone Art Museum is a unique and important visual arts center for Montana and the surrounding region. Revolving exhibits and permanent collections make this a 'must' stop for artists and collectors.The Moss Mansion captures turn-of-the-century life when the Preston Boyd Moss family lived in the 1903 red sandstone structure. Designed by the famous American architect, Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, the home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Western Heritage Center Discover the past with interactive computers, hands-on exhibits, videos and a theater in the historic Billings Parmly Library.Montana's only wildlife park, Zoo Montana, is nestled in 70 acres of lush Montana green. Follow Canyon Creek along a winding nature trail to Siberian Tigers to a Bald Eagle. Then stop and watch the otters play as you discover the native and exotic animals in their natural habitats.Watch Montana's wildlife by grabbing your binoculars and heading to the plains or hiking in the mountains that surround Billings. Billings is the gateway to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Yellowstone National Park, the Yellowstone River and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.Pompey's Pillar National Monument, features the only visible evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The new visitor center features the expedition along the Yellowstone River.
