Helena became Montana's capital city in 1875. A vibrant city with a thriving arts scene, Helena offers many great activities both indoors and outdoors. Spring Meadows Lake State Park, Pattee Canyon Recreation Area, Holter Museum of Art, Montana's Military Museum, Missoula Art Museum and Cathedral of St. Helena all feature exciting things to do in Helena.
Spring Meadows Lake State Park has a popular beach for sunbathing, bird watching or water sports such as swimming, fishing and scuba diving. There is a lakeside trail and the Park is open all year round. In the winter months, Spring Meadows Lake State Park is known to have ice skating on the lake. Pattee Canyon Recreation Area is another great outdoor spot open year round and has cross country skiing in the winter and horseback riding in warmer weather.
Holter Museum of Art is located in downtown Helena and is known for featuring Montana artists as well as international artists. There are five galleries of both historical and contemporary art. Helena's Holter Museum has both permanent and temporary exhibits as well as year round art classes.
Montana's Military Museum is located in historic Fort Harrison. Fort Harrison launched the United States - Canada Special Service Force in World War II. The Museum's military exhibits date back to 1805 and include over 6,000 items. You'll find civil war memorials here as well as 20th century objects from the Persian Gulf.
The Missoula Art Museum's tagline is "free expression and free admission." This is an excellent museum for all ages to see for free in Helena. The Museum has an art library with more than 2,000 art publications, books and catalogs. The art library also includes a computer area to access the Museum's collection online.
Cathedral of St. Helena is a historic working church. It dates back to 1908 when its construction first began. The Gothic-styled, Catholic Cathedral was not actually completed until 1924. In 1935, the Cathedral was damaged from several earthquakes and was repaired as well as reinforced in 1938. Cathedral of St. Helena has had several renovations and is on the National Register of Historic Places.