Great Falls
Great Falls is known as the "Electric City", due to its numerous dams and power plants. The Missouri River cuts through the city and drops over 500 feet in a series of rapids and five stunning waterfalls. The city lies in the center of Montana and has a long tradition of history which began with the Lewis and Clark expedition. You'll find the excitement of the city and the solitude of the mountains when you are in Great Falls.
On summer Saturdays, the Farmer's Market is the biggest social event in town. You can enjoy everything from fresh produce, coffee, specialty foods, pony rides for the kids and visiting with friends that you haven't seen in a while.
There are many places to shop in Great Falls. The Downtown area offers art galleries, boutiques, floral shops, home furnishings and dining. Holiday Village Mall offers over 50 stores including food and beverage courts, while the Marketplace offers the larger retail stores and movie theaters.
Restaurants in Great Falls offer everything from Thai, Italian, Mexican, and Chinese to sushi, vegetarian and pizza.
Giant Springs Heritage State Park is home to one of the largest natural, cold water springs in the world. You can picnic, visit the fish hatchery or take a walk down the River's Edge Trail and view the falls.
Winter activities include skiing and snow boarding at Bear Paw Ski Bowl, Showdown Mountain and Teton Pass. Beaver Creek Park, Green Pole & Rock Creek are know for cross-country skiing and you can ice fishing at nearby lakes and reservoirs.
The Great Falls area offers three municipal, two public and one private, golf courses for all types of golfers.
Gibson Park, the largest park in Great Falls has a children's playground, walking path, flower gardens and lots of room to hold all of your family gatherings.
The Children's Museum of Great Falls is open year round. Every exhibit in the entire museum is designed for hands on activities. You can sign up your children for their Sampler programs, playgroups and a Lego Club.
Summer brings the opening of the Electric City Water Park. Kids love the Flow Rider, Little Squirts Soak Zone, Power Tower Plunge and Mitchell Pool. This is great place for all families to beat the summer heat. If you're into Skate Boarding don't forget to visit the Riverside Railyard Skate Park
Great Falls has many ongoing and yearly attractions. The Ice Breaker Road Race is fun for the entire family. Over 3,000 runners and joggers sign up for the five-mile, three-mile or the one-mile races.
RiverFest is held the second Saturday in July. Activities include local, live entertainment, arts and crafts show, sea plane fly-bys, skateboard and water sport demos. This event is fun for the entire family.
The Pet and Doll Parade is held the last Thursday in July. Children stroll down Central Avenue in costume with their pets and/or dolls.
The Made in Montana Marketplace brings in people from all over the state to purchase Made in Montana products.
One of the biggest highlights in Great Falls is the Sip-N-Dip Tiki Lounge. Listen to Piano Pat, and watch swimmers underwater while you enjoy your beverage. The lounge has a glass wall between the bar and the swimming pool. The original Mermaid - Darryl Hannah has enjoyed a swim at the SIP-N-DIP.
Malmstrom Air Force Base is home to the nation's first Minuteman Missile Complex. The museum explains the history of the base, from its role in World War II to the present. Displays include a "Huey" Helicopter, a Stratotanker used for in-flight refueling, a Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile and many aircraft used as fighters and bombers.
Famed cowboy artist Charlie Russell made his home in Great Falls. He completed over 4,000 works of art during his lifetime. He was the first "Western" artist to live the majority of his life in the west. To view his magnificent work visit the C.M. Russell Museum.
The Great Falls Symphony has a full sized orchestra, symphonic choir and youth orchestra along with two professional ensembles, the Cascade String Quartet and the Chinook Winds Trio. They offer many special events during the season along with their regular concert series.
The Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art is home to a premier cultural center. The many exhibitions feature a broad range of contemporary local, regional, national and international works.
Benefis Healthcare provides high quality, award winning healthcare by offering a full and complete range of services to the community. They are the largest non-governmental employer in the Great Falls area.
Great Falls is a great place to raise a family and get an education. The Great Falls School District is comprised of two high schools, one alternative high school, two middle schools and 15 elementary schools. Their vision is to provide a world class education to all children in their district, meet each student's unique needs and strive to eliminate any achievement gaps between ethnic or socioeconomic groups. The schools rank in the top 20% nationally on standardized tests and their graduation rate is above 95%.
Higher education can be obtained at University of Great Falls which was founded in 1932 through collaborative efforts of the Sisters of Providence, the Ursuline Sisters, the Catholic Bishop of Great Falls and the civic community.
Great Falls is home to a wide variety of denominational and independent religious organizations.
Looking to purchase a home? Check with the Montana Association of Realtors to find a realtor to help you find your dream home.