3 Days in Bozeman: Montana for Families

Make your drive to Bozeman or fly directly into the city, settle into your hotel, and make your way to the Pickle Barrel for lunch or order online. The colossal variety of unique sandwiches (and more!) on their menu is impressive! The welcoming environment is great for the whole family to kick off an awesome vacation with a full belly! On your way out the door, check out their merchandise and little “gift shop” area.

Spend the afternoon exploring Downtown Bozeman and its wonderful small shops like Cactus Records & Gifts (some unique quirky finds there), Head West (beautiful western hats/boots/accessories for the whole family) or more upscale places like Alara Jewelry and Jonah & Sage. Every day is a new event downtown including open mics, walking tours, car shows and live music — just the beginning of the list of interactive festivities everyone will enjoy! Find yourself a food truck for dinner or stop by one of the restaurants in the area. Highly recommend Dave’s Sushi.

Saturdays are the best days to take the kids to the Museum of the Rockies. They have an “Explore Yellowstone” kids interactive exhibit from 9:30am - 12pm. The kiddos are guided through exploration and invited to participate in hands-on activities. There are also dinosaur and heritage exhibits and a planetarium. If you take your kids anywhere in Bozeman. Let this be it! Even if you can’t make it on a Saturday, the whole family will love this museum any day of the week.

Afterwards, go next door to the Living History Farm and see a standing homestead from 1889. It has a beautiful garden and agriculture. Learn all about its history. A little special gem right in the city you might not know about!

Grab lunch/dinner at Bridger Brewing, a family friendly spot with fresh local ingredients and specialty lagers and ales on tap. The kids can devour their pizza then run off their energy in the grass area, where you’ll likely find a local band playing live music, while you can relax, unwind and enjoy the fresh air.

From Bozeman, drive an hour west to the Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park, the most highly decorated limestone caverns in North America. You can do this one a few times and STILL not explore the entire park! Wear your walking shoes and make sure your phone is charged for pictures - these caves are unreal. It’s very safe and accommodating/spacious. Guided tours run all day long and there are beverages/concessions in the gift shop, along with an outdoor amphitheater that’s worth checking out even if there’s not an extra event to attend at the time of your visit.

On the way back to your hotel, visit the archery center near Three Forks, complete one of the Dream Archery Courses through the cottonwoods and along the river and try your hand at a bow and arrow. The instructors here are so friendly and helpful and accommodate well if you have younger littles in your crew. The different types of targets are pretty interesting, from 3D animals to regular “bullseye” types. They will sure put you up to a challenge if you’re experienced in this sport too!

Stop at Cugino’s Pizzeria & Italian in Belgrade, just outside Bozeman. Their menu consists of an entire page of pizza and pasta options, as well as salads, sandwiches, and surf-n-turf type courses. Let the kids build their own pizza or calzone. It is highly recommend washing down the Spicy Chicken Diavolo with a cold glass of Haybag, a local Philipsburg brew that makes this the perfect combo. Their mussels and bruschetta are delicious to dive into while you wait for your dinner.

If you happen to have brought grandma or a sibling to watch the littles while you and your partner can sneak away for a date - make your way downtown to Urban Kitchen. Have a tomato, watermelon and feta salad off their menu for a light summer’s day lunch (my favorite!) or a warm bowl of their carbonara or bison pasta if you’re visiting during the colder months. Ask to see their extensive drink menu or pick from their amazing wall of bottled liquor and wine (a sight to see in itself!). The handcrafted drinks will keep you at your table or on their beautiful patio all afternoon. Be sure to make reservations if you plan to eat here around dinner time, especially on weekends!