Page 575 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

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along the Beartooth Highway
that runs southwest toward
Yellowstone National Park (see
pp576–7). The 65-mile (105-km)
section between Red Lodge and
the Wyoming border is stunning.
E Yellowstone Art Museum
401 N 27th St. Tel (406) 256-6804.
Open 10am–5pm Mon (summer
only), 10am–5pm Tue–Sun (to 8pm
Thu & Fri, to 4pm Sun). Closed public
Exterior of the Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman hols. & 7 - ∑ artmuseum.org
E Gallatin Pioneer Museum
proud symbol of Butte’s
strength and endurance. 317 W Main St. Tel (406) 522-8122. s Little Bighorn
Open Memorial Day–Labor Day:
10am–5pm Tue–Sat; Labor Day– Battlefield National
E World Museum of Mining Memorial Day: 11am–4pm Tue–Sat. Monument
155 Mining Museum Way, off Park St. Closed public hols. & 7
Tel (406) 723-7211. Open Apr–Oct: ∑ gallatinhistorymuseum.org Exit 510 off I-90, Hwy 212, Crow
9am–6pm daily. & 7 ∑ mining Agency. n (406) 638-2621.
museum.org Open Memorial Day–Labor Day:
p Virginia City 8am–8pm daily; rest of the year:
o Bozeman 8am–6pm daily. ∑ nps.gov/libi
* 200. n 300 Wallace St, (800) 829-
* 41,660. ~ @ n 2000 2969. ∑ virginiacity.com
Commerce Way, (800) 228-4224. Located on the Crow Indian
∑ bozemancvb.com Gold was discovered here in Reservation, this battlefield
1863 and the ensuing stampede preserves the site of a key mo ment
Situated in the heart of the created a boomtown. More than in American history, known as
Gallatin Valley, Bozeman lies in 100 historic buildings have been “Custer’s Last Stand.” In June 1876,
the middle of a sacred Sioux preserved, and visitors can enjoy the impetuous US Army Lieutenant
hunting ground, now the state’s stagecoach tours and panning Colonel George Armstrong Custer
most productive agri cultural for gold. On the Alder Gulch (see p442) led his troop of 210
region. Founded in the 1860s, Short Line Railroad, a 1910 steam soldiers of the 7th Cavalry in an
the city is one of the few train makes the 30-minute trip attack on a large Native American
Montana towns where the to Nevada City, where the entire encampment along the Little
economy and history are not town is a state museum. Bighorn River. They were quickly
based on mining or railroads. surrounded by more than 2,000
Its present prominence is due combined Lakota, Sioux, Arapahoe,
mainly to the Montana State a Billings and Cheyenne warriors under
University. Established in 1893, it is * 109,060. k @ n 815 S 27th St, the leadership of legend ary
the state’s largest university and (406) 245-4111. ∑ visitbillings.com Chief Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.
houses the Museum of the Custer’s soldiers were wiped out.
Rockies. The museum takes Founded by the Northern A sand stone marker stands above
visitors through Earth’s history, Pacific Railroad in 1882, and now the soldiers’ mass grave, and a
delving into everything from Montana’s largest city, Billings museum describes the battle.
displays of dinosaurs unearthed in was named after the railroad
Montana Plains, to pioneer history, company’s president. In just a
Native American artifacts, and few months, Billings grew into
Western art. A planetarium offers a bustling community of 2,000
astronomy and laser light shows. people. Visitors can get a feel of
Downtown’s tree-lined streets the town’s frontier days, and
are pleasant to stroll through. Visit- of Montana’s cowboy traditions,
ors can also learn about local from the Wild West paintings
history at the Gallatin Pioneer and sculptures displayed in the
Museum, housed in the former jail. Yellowstone Art Museum,
located in the old county jail.
E Museum of the Rockies However, the most striking
600 W Kagy Blvd on the Montana State feature of Billings is the Rimrocks,
University Campus. Tel (406) 994-2251. a 400-ft- (122-m-) high sandstone
Open May–Sep: 8am–8pm daily; Oct– wall that runs the length of the
Apr: 9am–5pm daily (from noon Sun). city along the Yellowstone River.
Closed Jan 1, Thanksg., Dec 25. & 7 Outside the city the scenery is Memorial at the Little Bighorn
∑ museumoftherockies.org
even more spectacular, especially Battlefield

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