Unearth The Voyage
Montana’s historic hotels offer more than a place to stay – they preserve the stories of the state’s frontier past. From grand riverside landmarks to rustic lodges near Yellowstone, these properties have welcomed everyone from presidents and ranchers to generations of travelers.
Rich in history and character, each hotel reflects a different chapter of Montana’s heritage while continuing to welcome guests today. Whether you’re planning a getaway or simply enjoy historic architecture, these 11 hotels are well worth discovering.
1. Grand Union Hotel, Fort Benton
Montana’s oldest continuously operating hotel opened on November 2, 1882, and has been turning heads ever since. Built during the steamboat era when Fort Benton was one of the most active river ports in the American West, the Grand Union was once called the “Waldorf of the West” by travelers who had seen a thing or two.
Its Italianate and Victorian architecture features intricate corbelling, wrought iron balconies, and ornate chimneys that still draw admiring glances from the street. The grand opening attracted over 300 guests, and original amenities included a saloon, a dining room, a saddle room for cowboys, and even a secret lookout room used to protect gold shipments.
A major restoration effort beginning in 1995 brought the hotel back to life, and it reopened in 1999 exactly 117 years after its debut. Today it offers 26 elegantly restored rooms and suites, many with views of the Missouri River, combining Victorian splendor with modern comfort. The Union Grille Restaurant and consistently friendly staff round out a genuinely memorable stay.
2. The Pollard Hotel, Red Lodge
Red Lodge’s first brick building has been hosting guests since 1893, and its guest list reads like a who’s who of the American West. Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, and Liver Eatin’ Johnson all passed through those doors, which is either impressive or slightly alarming depending on your perspective.
Originally called The Spofford Hotel and built for around $20,000, the property was acquired by Thomas F. Pollard in 1902, who expanded it with 25 additional rooms, a bowling alley, a barbershop, and a dining room famous for its broiled lobster. The hotel even held Red Lodge’s first telephone number, a memorable “1,” back in 1903.
Extensive renovations in 1994 preserved the historic character while adding modern touches. Today the hotel offers 38 to 39 uniquely designed guestrooms with vintage handcrafted furnishings, some featuring jetted tubs or indoor balconies. Guests enjoy Marli’s restaurant, a well-equipped health club, and friendly staff. Local lore also includes a friendly ghost named George, who reportedly enjoys ringing phones at odd hours.
3. The Historic Murray Hotel, Livingston
Anthony Bourdain once named this Livingston landmark one of his top ten favorite hotels in the entire world, which is a fairly strong endorsement from a man who slept in a lot of interesting places. Built in 1904 as the Elite Hotel to serve Northern Pacific Railway passengers, the Murray expanded to four floors and 66 rooms by the 1920s before the Murray family took ownership in 1925.
After a period of decline tied to the drop in rail travel, new owners purchased the hotel in 1991 and launched major renovations aimed at restoring its Old West character without sacrificing comfort. The interior now features antique furniture, red oak doors, a soaring lobby, 700 square feet of marble, and a 1905 hand-cranked Otis Elevator that still operates today.
No two rooms are alike, and a rooftop patio on the fourth floor delivers sweeping views of the town and surrounding mountains. The hotel houses the 2nd Street Bistro, The Murray Bar, and Gil’s Goods Cafe. Notable past guests include Buffalo Bill, Robert Redford, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. The Murray is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
4. Sacajawea Hotel, Three Forks
Few hotels can claim their foundation literally arrived on log rollers pulled by horses, but the Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks is not a typical hotel. Its core is the Madison House, an 1882 private residence that was physically relocated a mile to its current site, with a brief and undignified detour sitting in a bog after the contractor lost his horses in a poker game.
The main hotel portion was constructed in 1910 by Milwaukee Railroad purchasing agent John Q. Adams, with Bozeman architect Fred Willson designing the colonial revival exterior, complete with a colonnaded veranda supported by paired Doric columns. Inside, the Arts and Crafts style takes over, with dark stained woodwork, hardwood floors, and a lobby presided over by a majestic elk named Elliot.
Today the hotel offers 29 luxury guest rooms, each with a flat-screen TV and private spa-like bath. Pompey’s Grill serves some of Montana’s finest steaks, while the Sac Bar downstairs offers casual fare and live music on weekends. Guests are welcomed with complimentary champagne and a warm lavender hand towel. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
5. Finlen Hotel and Motor Inn (Hotel Finlen), Butte
For decades, this nine-story French Empire landmark held the title of the tallest building in Montana, which in a state known for its mountains, is no small accomplishment. The Hotel Finlen opened on January 1, 1924, replacing the McDermott Hotel that had stood on the same Uptown Butte site since 1889, and it was architecturally inspired by the Astor Hotel in New York City.
Financed by James Finlen, son of a wealthy mining pioneer, the building features brickwork trimmed with terra-cotta ledges, topped with a copper mansard roof and entrance canopy. The original plan called for a twin-tower design, but the second tower was never built due to the 1929 stock market crash. A 32-room motor inn was added in the 1950s, giving the complex a retro mid-century flavor.
The grand lobby features Art Deco beaded chandeliers and marble and copper columns extending to the second floor. Guest rooms have been updated while retaining a classic feel, and the hotel provides a fitness room and library. Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, and Truman have all stayed here, along with Thomas Edison and Charles Lindbergh. The Finlen remains Butte’s tallest structure.
6. Boulder Hot Springs, Boulder
Back in 1863, a prospector named James E. Riley built a saloon and bathhouse on this site in Peace Valley, probably not imagining that 160 years later people would still be soaking in the same geothermal water. The property evolved through multiple architectural identities before settling into its current California Mission Arts and Crafts style, complete with curving baroque gables, adobe walls, red roofs, and a long veranda with arching pillars.
More than forty natural hot springs on the roughly 250 to 300 acres release water between 140 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit, which feeds the pools and also heats the entire hotel, its greenhouse, and a chicken coop. The indoor mineral pool is maintained at 103 to 106 degrees, while the outdoor pool runs between 92 and 100 degrees. Water cycles completely every four hours and is cleaned nightly without harsh chemicals.
The hotel offers 30 guest rooms, including Bed and Breakfast rooms with private baths and gourmet breakfast, and more economical rooms with shared facilities. The resort is strictly alcohol, drug, and smoke-free. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Warren Harding, and Franklin D. Roosevelt have all visited.
Boulder Hot Springs is listed on the National Historic Register.
7. The Gibson Mansion, Missoula
This 1903 Queen Anne Victorian mansion has survived more plot twists than most buildings ever face, including a stint as a fraternity house, a near-demolition in 1979 to make way for a gymnasium, and an actual physical relocation to save it from the wrecking ball. Designed by prolific Montana architect A.J. Gibson for Swedish immigrant pharmacist Gustav Peterson, the mansion now operates as one of Missoula’s most beloved bed and breakfasts.
The exterior features an irregular roofline, an asymmetrical facade, a wooden turret, and a front porch adorned with gleaming white Corinthian columns. Inside, original leaded stained-glass windows, parquet floors, ornate cast iron fireplaces, and a grand oak staircase set an unmistakably elegant tone. Current innkeepers completed a meticulous restoration after acquiring the property in 2001.
The mansion offers four uniquely appointed guest rooms, each furnished to reflect the early 1900s style, with private en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and premium bedding. A complimentary continental breakfast is provided, along with free WiFi, free parking, and an electric vehicle charging station. Guests consistently describe their stay as spotless, charming, and exceptionally hospitable.
8. The Sanders Bed & Breakfast, Helena
Built in 1875 by Wilbur Sanders, one of Montana’s first two U.S. Senators, this three-story Queen Anne Victorian mansion in Helena’s historic Mansion District has been welcoming guests for well over a century. Wilbur’s wife Harriet was a respected artist and suffrage advocate who documented the family’s 1863 journey to Montana in her personal diary, and many of the family’s original furnishings and artwork remain inside the house today.
Current proprietors Bobbi Uecker and Rock Ringling have owned and carefully restored the mansion since the late 1980s, establishing it as Helena’s first bed and breakfast. The family’s original rock and mineral collection still greets visitors in the entryway, and one of Harriet’s oil paintings hangs in its original spot above a piano in the sitting room. The wainscoted dining room hosts a gourmet Montana breakfast each morning.
Offerings include orange souffle, huckleberry pancakes, gingerbread waffles, and Grand Marnier French toast. The seven guestrooms all feature private baths and luxurious beds. The Sanders Suite includes vintage Ringling circus memorabilia. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been recognized in Patricia Schultz’s 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
9. Hotel Arvon, Great Falls
The oldest commercial building in Great Falls started life not as a hotel but as a livery stable, which means the rooms have come a long way since the horses moved out. Built between 1889 and 1890 by Welsh immigrant Robert Vaughn, nicknamed “The Celtic Cowboy,” the Arvon Block originally combined a freight transfer station, a teamster boarding house, and a fruit and vegetable market all under one roof.
By 2010, the building was slated for demolition. The Jennings Family stepped in, investing $3.5 million and four years into a meticulous renovation that preserved original brickwork and timber beams while connecting previously separate buildings by converting an alley into skylight-lined hallways. The Celtic Cowboy Pub and Restaurant opened in 2013, with Hotel Arvon following in 2015.
Today the hotel offers 33 unique rooms, including 22 guest rooms and 11 suites, some with kitchenettes. Each room features original artwork by local artists, and some suites include skylights. Amenities include a complimentary continental breakfast, free covered parking, an airport shuttle, a 24-hour fitness center, and pet-friendly options. Hotel Arvon is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
10. Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa, Pray
A Euro-American miner reportedly used these geothermal springs for laundry in 1865, making Chico Hot Springs perhaps the only resort in Montana with a founding story involving dirty socks. Native Americans had used the springs for spiritual cleansing for thousands of years before that, and by 1900 William and Percie Knowles had built a proper hotel to make the most of the healing waters.
Located about 30 to 40 miles north of Yellowstone National Park’s north entrance, the resort spans up to 700 pristine acres at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Two open-air mineral pools are maintained between 96 and 106 degrees Fahrenheit, with water refreshing every four hours and cleaned nightly without harsh chemicals. A full-service Day Spa, hiking trails, horseback riding, fishing, river rafting, and dog sledding round out the year-round activity calendar.
Accommodations range from Historic Main Lodge rooms to private cabins, chalets, and Conestoga Wagons with electricity and air conditioning. The Historic Dining Room is celebrated for creative continental cuisine, fresh seafood, and a famous flaming orange dessert. Steve McQueen, Teddy Roosevelt, and Jeff Bridges are among the notable past guests. The resort is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
11. The Historic Madison Hotel, Motel and Hostel, West Yellowstone
When the Madison Hotel first opened in 1912, guests upstairs made do with a pitcher, a wash basin, and a chamber pot, with water hauled from a well across the street. More than a century later, it remains the only hotel in West Yellowstone surviving from that early era of Yellowstone tourism, and it wears that distinction proudly.
The original building used simple log construction with saddle-notched corner timbering and a prominent front dormer. Six upstairs rooms were warmed by a cut-stone fireplace in the lobby below. By 1921 the hotel had expanded with fourteen more rooms, a bar, and a dance floor, and running water arrived in the 1930s. President Harding, actress Gloria Swanson, and actor Wallace Beery were guests in 1923.
Today the property offers historic hotel rooms with antique furnishings, motel rooms with modern amenities including mini-fridges and HD TV, and economical hostel-style rooms. A second-floor balcony overlooks the Continental Divide and Madison Canyon. Guests enjoy a complimentary coffee and hot chocolate bar, regular S’mores nights by the lobby fireplace, an on-site gift shop, and easy access to Yellowstone’s West Entrance just minutes away.
