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Welcome to Billings, Montana. It is also known as the Magic City. Billings is the largest city in Montana with over 100,000 residents. It is a gateway to Yellowstone National Park, Custer's Battlefield & Reenactment, sporting tournaments and business conventions in and around the Billings area. From the Heights on the Eastern side to the Mall on the Western side, Billings continues to grow and diversify as new companys, refineries, and businesses develope in the surrounding areas and communities.
Billings lies along the Rimrocks and cliffs that surround the yellowstone valley. Billings is also a frequent stop for westbound visitors to Yellowstone National Park, as it is the last major city for visitors going to the park via the Beartooth Highway in Red Lodge. As Billings is a gateway to Yellowstone National Park, Custer's Battlefield & Reenactment and Pompey's Pillar Historical Monument; Billings is also a central location point for major sporting tournaments and events as well as business conventions in and around the downtown Billings metro area.
Lockwood Montana provides resources for those coming to Montana cities in a number of ways from the local horseback rides that are offered to country western tours in and around the Billings city limits as well as specialty trips to outlining towns and historic places. As a central point of reference, Billings Montana web would like to focus on the many companies and businesses that offer their services to locals, visitors, and tourists as resources, references, and allow locals and visitors the endless possibilities presented in the State of Montana. Whether it be from direct tourism, tourists, or visitors coming from out-of-state for events, leisure travel or business, Montana presents many surprising elements of the West that can be experienced as well as enjoyed from the peaks of the Rocky Moutains to the valleys and streams below.
Montana also attracts many groups and families from other states due to the National Parks like Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Fishing and water sports are also included for outdoor activities while bowling and some sporting events are conducted indoors. The Metra Park arena has been a center for these indoor events while yet other conference and meeting places for sports are available in the city limits and through out the state of Montana.
Montana's future looks bright in that new developement are underway in cities to accommodate the neccessary change that had evolved over recent years. As Billings is the larget city and most diverse city in Montana, new roads, commercial buildings and construction are in process to allow travel within billings to be even better. As Montana has some of the best highways and interstates, newer roads and complex developements are being developed to meet the needs of Montana's welcoming environment and atmosphere.
The Montana State University system has many extended campuses and centers of education throughout the state. Montana State University at Billings is known as the yellowjackets while Montana State University at Bozeman are called the Bobcats. In Missoula, Montana State University-Missoula are considered the Griz. Billings also has other institutes of education like Rocky Mountain College. Helena and Great Falls also present educational institutions as well.
The 100,000 people of the Yellowstone Valley enjoy a dry, sunny climate with spectacular views of four mountain ranges: the Beartooths to the southwest, the Crazy Mountains to the west, the Pryor Range to the southeast, and the Snowies to the north. Recreational opportunities abound. Outdoor enthusiasts can backpack in the nearby Beartooth - Absaroka Wilderness and Custer and Gallatin National Forests, fish along Rock Creek and the Boulder, Stillwater and Yellowstone Rivers and their tributaries, and, within a short drive, hunt elk, moose, mule and whitetail deer, upland birds and waterfowl. Other forms of nearby recreation include downhill and cross-country skiing, canoeing and kayaking, snow shoeing and windsurfing on area reservoirs.
Those interested in higher learning can choose from a variety of programs at several institutions, depending on their needs. Montana State University-Billings, MSU-Billings College of Technology, Rocky Mountain College and the Lincoln Adult Education Center are located in Billings. Public libraries in Billings and the surrounding communities provide additional learning opportunities. The Billings public school district is two separate and distinct school districts operating under a unified board of trustees. Medical facilities are available through two hospitals, sixteen clinics and over two hundred physicians representing all of the major specialties.
Cultural Attractions
Alberta Bair Theatre
The Alberta Bair Theatre, housed in the rejuvenated former Fox Theatre, hosts a wide variety of cultural events, including ballet, plays, opera, children's theatre, and symphonic and chorale productions. The Alberta Bair Theater is the largest fully equipped performing arts theater in Montana, designed to meet the needs of both local performing groups and professional touring companies.
Billings Symphony
The Billings Symphony is in it's 51st Season. As the world embarks on new frontiers in space exploration so it seems appropriate that the Symphony launch a musical voyage to welcome the new century and millennium.
Metra Park
MetraPark, seating 12,000, is a multi-purpose facility serving as an auditorium, exhibition hall, stadium and fairgrounds for such events as live concerts, trade expositions, rodeos and horse racing, and each summer's Montana Fair. Sporting events include basketball, Football, wrestling and hockey. A calendar of events includes the Festival of Trees, Billings Home and Garden, Health and Fitness Expo, Montana Outdoor Recreation Expo, N.I.L.E. Bull Ride and Horse Show, Home Improvement Show, the Northern Rodeo Association Finals, and the State All-Class Wrestling Tournament.
Moss Mansion
Step into history with a one-hour guided tour of the Moss Mansion Historic House Museum. The tour captures early turn-of-the-century life as the Preston Boyd Moss family lived it. Visitors see original draperies, fixtures, furniture, Persian carpets and artifacts displayed in the 1903 red sandstone structure. Designed by the New York architect, Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, designer of the original Waldorf Astoria, Plaza Hotels, Williard Hotel, and Copely Hotel. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rimrock Opera Company
Opera is for everyone! The Rimrock Opera Company was formed to give the community the opportunity to perform with national opera stars. We also intend to be a force in offering education opportunities for the students in the community.
Western Heritage Center
Offering historical exhibits and educational programs as well as cultural events, the Western Heritage Center recalls the Yellowstone Valley's past, from the 1880s to the 1940s. Housed in the original Parmly Billings Memorial Library, designed by architects John Link and Charles Haire and built in 1901 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the building features turrets, rubble-faced sandstone and a steep tiled roof. The Center cares for a collection of over 16,000 artifacts which provide a tangible record of the region's past. The collection includes over 1,000 photographs documenting the social history, architecture, public events and the development of the Yellowstone River Valley.
Yellowstone Art Museum
The Yellowstone Art Museum, formerly the Yellowstone Art Center, emerged from the 1964 renovation of the former Yellowstone County Jail, located at 401 North 27th Street in downtown Billings, Montana. The museum houses more than 2000 pieces and focuses on regional and western art including works by Charlie Russell, Will James and Joseph Henry Sharp. It also exhibits nationally and internationally renowned pieces and collections, as well as sponsoring Summerfair, an annual arts and crafts event, and the Annual Art Auction, which exhibits and sells the works of regional and national artists.
Zoo Montana
ZooMontana is a 70-acre zoological and botanical garden along Canyon Creek that specializes in natural habitats, especially those of the northern latitudes. Some of the current habitats include River Otter, Waterfowl, Siberian Tiger, Sika Deer, Eastern Grey Wolf, Red Panda, Bighorn Sheep, Waterfowl, Leser Spot-Nosed Guenon, and Great-Horned Owl. A Homestead Exhibit allows visitors to experience turn-of-the century domestic life and a petting zoo gives children a chance to learn about barnyard animals. One acre is set aside for the tastes, sounds, odors and feel of a Sensory Garden, which features native and exotic plants especially enjoyable to those who are sight-impaired.
Billings Wedding and Reception Venues
If you are looking for a good place for a wedding receptoin, Chancey’s wedding Hall includes a 7,800 sq ft hall, which is open to accommodate everyone’s dream wedding or special Event. In addition, there are three outdoor patios, which not only add seating, but also provide an intimate gathering place for guests. Chancey’s Event Center and Wedding Center has all the materials and wedding apparrel for the bride to be. As we are located 10 miles outside of Billings, MT off Pryor Creek Road; our country setting is perfect for any wedding, event gathering or bridal shower. We are located close enough to Billings yet far enough away to enjoy the beautiful Montana indoors and outdoors.
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