Free & Cheap Things to Do in Billings

Outdoors

Walk the eastern end of Billings' iconic Rimrocks — 400-foot sandstone cliffs that frame the city. The free 1.3-mile Black Otter Trail in Swords Park is the canonical Rimrocks experience: a historic WPA-built stone road from 1936 leading past Yellowstone Kelly's grave to panoramic overlooks of the Yellowstone Valley and the snow-capped Beartooth Mountains.

Address: Black Otter Trail trailhead, Airport Rd, Billings, MT 59101

Tip: Park at the Black Otter Trail trailhead off Airport Road, near the airport. Yellowstone Kelly's marked grave is at the high point — the best photo overlook. Best at golden hour for cliff lighting.

History & Culture

A fascinating state park with prehistoric Native American cave paintings dating back over 2,000 years. Three caves are accessible via a short free trail, with interpretive signs explaining the ancient rock art — an unforgettable and affordable piece of Montana history.

Address: 3401 Coburn Rd, Billings, MT 59101

Tip: Visit on a weekday morning for the fewest crowds. Binoculars help you see the pictographs in the upper cave more clearly.

History & Culture

A free community museum in a beautiful historic Carnegie library building, telling the stories of the Yellowstone River region through Native American artifacts, cowboy history, and homesteader exhibits. One of Billings' most underrated free attractions.

Address: 2822 Montana Ave, Billings, MT 59101

Tip: The museum is small but packed with quality exhibits. Pair it with a walk down historic Montana Avenue — the city's original main street.

Parks & Nature

A peaceful free park along the Yellowstone River with walking trails, river access, and views of the Rimrocks towering above. A great spot for a morning walk, picnic, or just watching the wide Yellowstone roll by.

Address: S Billings Blvd, Billings, MT 59101

Tip: The park connects to other riverside trails — you can walk several miles along the Yellowstone without ever leaving the greenway.

Arts & Culture

Billings' premier contemporary art museum, housed in a former county jail, with rotating exhibitions of regional and national artists and a strong focus on Western and Native American art. One of the most respected collections in the Northern Rockies, and visitors under 18 always get in free.

Address: 401 N 27th St, Billings, MT 59101

Tip: Closed Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. Free First Friday events extend hours into the evening with live music and gallery talks.

History & Culture

A 28-room red sandstone mansion built in 1903 for one of Billings' founding families, with original furnishings, Tiffany glass, and Persian rugs preserved as the family left them. A genuine Gilded Age Montana experience for the price of a couple of coffees.

Address: 914 Division St, Billings, MT 59101

Tip: Closed Mondays. The standard self-guided tour is the value pick — guided and specialty "Trunks & Treasures" tours cost notably more for similar content.

History & Culture

A free local history museum housed in an 1893 log cabin perched next to Billings Logan Airport, with exhibits on Yellowstone Valley pioneers, Native tribes, mining, military life, transportation, and mid-century Montana culture. Small, free, and surprisingly rich.

Address: 1950 Terminal Cir, Billings, MT 59105

Tip: Open Tuesday-Saturday 10:30am-5:30pm; closed January. Free parking, easy stop on the way to or from the airport.

Parks & Nature

A free 32-acre downtown park with a disc golf course, tennis courts, paved jogging trails, ballfields, picnic shelters, a summer wading pool, and one of the city's largest playgrounds. Billings' beloved community gathering spot, free year-round.

Address: 309 Parkhill Dr, Billings, MT 59102

Tip: The disc golf course is free to use — bring your own discs. Wading pool runs in summer; check city schedule for opening dates.

Outdoors

A free 765-acre BLM-managed wildland on a plateau just east of downtown Billings, with a 1.5-mile loop trail through sagebrush and ponderosa pine that ends at 200-500 foot cliffs above the Yellowstone River. One of the best free hiking experiences within the city limits.

Address: 1100 Coburn Rd, Billings, MT 59101

Tip: Hiking only — no bikes, pets, or motorized vehicles. The cliff overlook is the highlight; go at sunrise or sunset for the best light.

Parks & Nature

Montana's only zoo and botanical park — 70 acres on the western edge of Billings featuring grizzly bears, river otters, snow leopards, gray wolves, and more than 100 native and exotic species, plus a sensory garden and easy nature trails. A real budget-friendly family outing.

Address: 2100 S Shiloh Rd, Billings, MT 59106

Tip: Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Summer hours 10am-5pm; admissions close 1 hour before grounds close.

Shopping & Strolling

Billings' 2nd Ave N is the historic spine of the city's boutique district — independent retailers dating to 1937, alongside galleries, jewelers, bookstores, and outfitters spanning the blocks between Montana Avenue and 29th Street. Recent revitalization brought 10+ new businesses to downtown in early 2025, mixed in with longtime shops. The Downtown Billings Alliance maintains a current directory of every storefront.

Address: 2nd Ave N between Montana Ave and 29th Street, Billings, MT 59101

Tip: Free 2-hour street parking on side streets; the City Center Garage on N 28th is the cheapest covered option. Combine with the Yellowstone Art Museum (already on this list, two blocks away) for an arts-and-shopping afternoon. Most boutiques close by 6pm, so plan a daytime walk.

Markets & Food

Saturday-morning farmers' market that takes over four city blocks at the intersection of N Broadway and 2nd Ave N in downtown Billings. Over 60 vendors bring Yellowstone County produce, ranch meats, eggs, baked goods, prepared foods (egg rolls to lemonade), flowers, and crafts. Live music keeps the atmosphere lively from open to close.

Address: N Broadway & 2nd Ave N, Billings, MT 59101

Tip: 2026 season runs Saturdays 8am-12pm, July 18 through October 3. No pets allowed (food market) — service animals only. Pair with a downtown breakfast spot beforehand and a stroll along the 2nd Ave N boutique district after.

Free Walking Tours

Montana's only walkable brewery district — a 1.5-mile loop through downtown Billings that connects six craft breweries, a cider house, and two distilleries (one of which is housed in the 1909 Historic Billings Depot that originally serviced three railroad companies). The trail is free to walk; tastings cost what you choose to sample.

Address: Downtown Billings (start at any participating brewery), Billings, MT 59101

Tip: Visit Billings keeps a printable map and current list of stops on the Brew Trail page. Comfortable shoes — the loop is 1.5 miles. Most stops have rotating taprooms with $5-7 pints; a flight of four 5oz samples typically runs $10-15 per stop. The Trailhead Spirits distillery inside the Historic Billings Depot is the architectural highlight even if you skip the tasting.