The city of Billings shares the heritage of many urbanized western towns that grew up along newly laid railroad tracks.  After the Northern Pacific Railroad built its transcontinental line through the Yellowstone Valley, the Minnesota and Montana Land Improvement Company platted the town site of Billings in March of 1882.  The town flanked the railroad right-of-way, with Montana Avenue north of the tracks, and Minnesota Avenue to the south.  Much of the Billings’ growth, including the railroad depot, major churches, Billings City Hall and Yellowstone County Courthouse, was north of the tracks.  North 28th Street was renamed North Broadway and became the center for development in the early 1900s.

The history of Billings is tied to the railroad, not only for its namesake, Northern Pacific railroad president Frederick Billings, but also because the railroad spurred the settlement by homesteaders of what was considered by outsiders as an uninhabitable landscape.  The “Magic City” quickly grew, “like mushrooms after a rain,” into a bustling commercial center.  By 1900, the population of Billings had reached 3,221 and then tripled to over 10,000 in 1910.  Entrepreneurs and land-seeking homesteaders flooded into the Yellowstone Valley.  Billings, with connections to Chicago, Seattle, Denver, and Omaha, established itself as a regional railroad hub and distribution point for goods shipping into and out of the Yellowstone Valley.

Billings Historic Landmarks Interactive Map

 

Map developed by the Western Heritage Center in partnership with the Yellowstone Historic Preservation Board, a local Certified Local Government (CLG) Program. Special Thanks to our content partners: Billings Historic Depot, Billings Schools, Healthy by Design, Moss Mansion, St. Patricks Co-Cathedral, and Widmyer Corp.
4 men in military gear with helmets and rifles

Developed using nearly 80 oral histories from Vietnam Veterans, this exhibit explores the soldier’s experience of the Vietnam War. Using their own words, explore the terrors, challenges, and disappointments of this harrowing era.

Books, photography lenses, and headphones displayed behind glass with framed photographs in the background
You’ve likely seen his work for years, but you’ve never considered the man behind it. A photojournalist with the Billings Gazette, Larry Mayer has documented some of the biggest news events of the last 50 years. From the Yellowstone Fire to the Hale-Bopp Comet to the Chinese Spy Balloon, his work helped define how we look at the world.  Learn more about his process, explore his impact, and even play a flight simulator!

The Museum will be closed from Monday, May 27, 2024 through Wednesday, June 4, 2024 for updates and exhibits.

We apologize if we missed hosting you. The Photography of Larry Mayer exhibit will then continue to be open June 5, 2024 – July 27, 2024.

This is exhibit was made possible with generous support from Stockman Bank, NorthWestern Energy, Par Montana, Billings Gazette, and Mayor Bill and Anne Cole.
Man in military uniform sitting in the pilots seat of a T33a airplane with U.S. Air written on the side.

In 1959, Billings native, George W. LeCount joined the US Air Force to fly over Vietnam. Five years later, he was recruited to join the secretive Air America pilot corps. Working as a covert pilot with the CIA-operated company, LeCount flew numerous missions under the guise of a private airline employee. This exhibit explores the role of Air America in Laos and LeCount’s experiences as a pilot at the height of the Vietnam War.

Baá Hawassiio & Ènomóhtåhéseh:
Healthcare on the Crow & Northern Cheyenne Reservations

June 17 – December 30, 2021

Description

Baá Hawassiio & Ènomóhtåhéseh: Healthcare on the Crow & Northern Cheyenne Reservations explores the history of healthcare and healing on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations. Visitors will learn how native peoples demanded better conditions and blended traditional beliefs with Western medical practices in the face of legal action and apathetic government workers. Exhibit highlights include a discussion of healthcare as assimilation practice, the effects of poor sanitation on reservation health, and the stories of two “healthcare heroes”: Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail, RN, and Cheyenne Tribal Judge, Marie Sanchez.

Ten traveling pop-up banners share the story of Ethel Hays, a native of Billings, and one of the most recognizable artists of the 1920s. Called the “greatest of all women newspaper artists” and the “foremost portrayer of the American Girl,” her newspaper cartoons secured the flapper as the primary icon of women’s fashion and established the flapper’s modern attitudes in American culture. Later, as she shifted from newspaper cartoons to children’s book illustrations, her distinctive style and unique skill continued to make her one of the most prolific artists of her day.  A Western Heritage Center traveling exhibit.

Opening image for the Southsiders Exhibit
Aerial view of Minnesota Avenue after 1902. See Garfield School in the distance.

 

Explore the South Siders traveling exhibit as it highlights the lesser recognized side of the city of Billings. When the city was established, the railroad built the tracks in the center of town, creating two distinct sections; civic development was pushed north, and blue collar work and minority groups were pushed south. Explore the rich history, diversity, and stories of south side Billings.

Virtual exhibit provided with support from Healthy by Design.
Special thanks to the Billings Public Library.

Black and white image of a man wearing bee netting standing beside a beehive on a post

Bees are the world’s greatest pollinators and contribute to 1/3 of the food we consume. Without them, plants could not grow and fruit could not rip-en. They play a vital role in the entire ecosystem as they pollinate flower plants. In return, these plants feed all kinds of animals and insects. Learn the history of bee-keeping in Montana.

Exhibited at the Western Heritage Center during Summer 2020

This traveling display of pop-up banners is a partnered exhibit with the Billings West High School students, Montana PBS, Billings Public Library and the Western Heritage Center. The student-led project explores the “Not in Our Town” events of  1992-1994. Students learned research skills, honing interviewing abilities, trained in video production, and crafted exhibit concepts to investigate more contemporary issues of social tolerance and discrimination.

The South Siders traveling exhibit explores the lesser recognized side of the city of Billings. When Billings was established in 1882, the railroad built tracks through the center of town, splitting the city into two distinct sections. Civic development formed primarily north of the tracks, while industry and immigrant groups settled on the southside. Explore the rich history, diversity, and stories of south side Billings. This Western Heritage Center virtual exhibit was created with support from Healthy by Design.