Located in the center west of the state and founded as a gold-mining camp in 1864, this city of around 32,000 is only Montana's sixth largest city, but it's where much of the state's political power is concentrated. Highlights include the state capitol (pictured here), where you can show yourself around or take a guided tour; good museums of art and local history; and the historic Last Chance Gulch and Mansions districts, rich in architecture from the late 19th and the beginning of the 20th century; the Gothic Revival Roman Catholic cathedral, completed in 1914; the city's oldest building, the Gold-Rush-era Pioneer Cabin; the Queen-Anne-style Original Governor's Mansion, built in 1888; and a pretty decent bar scene. Helena also makes a good base for exploring nearby sites like the 1860s ghost town Virginia City; the 1880s ghost town Elkhorn; the 1880s "semi-ghost town" Marysville; and the historic town of Butte (actually a bit more populous than Helena itself), founded as a copper mining camp in the early 1860s. Helena is also four hours from Yellowstone National Park.
R. Sieben
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