Fort Benton Historic District
Fort Benton, nicknamed “The birthplace of Montana”, has also been named one of the fifteen prettiest towns in America. There is plenty of history to explore during your stay. As you explore downtown, check out some of these places.
Along the streamboat levee you find the State of Montana’s Lewis and Clark Memorial. It is placed at a point along the Missouri River where the explorer’s camped, and determined their next step. Was it up the Marias River or the Missouri River? Which way was the way to the Pacific? Stop by this site and imagine what it was like back in the days of Lewis and Clark, in the wilderness with no maps to guide them. You will gain a true appreciation of our American Explorers.
In the first half of the 19th century, Fort Benton was a major hub for the fur trade and the traveler of the Missouri River. The fort is one of the oldest Montana buildings which is still standing. Today visitors can see the interior rooms, filled with period furniture, the old warehouse, the trade store and the carpenters and blacksmith shop. The Bourgeois House or Chief Agent’s Quarters is now open. There you will find the Starr Gallery. It is open from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September.
Steamboat Levee
In the late 1800, steamboat was the only way of travel. With the discovery of gold in the area, the steamboat levee became a hubbub of activity along the river. When the railroad came to town, the steamboat activity came to a halt and the levee went back to being a quiet and peaceful area of town. Today you can walk along the levee, reading the many interpretive signs which describe live back in the day.
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