Located in a park overlooking the Yellowstone River and housed in the concrete basins of the 1910 waterworks that produced Mile City's drinking water for more than 60 years, the Custer County Art Center features changing exhibits that cover all kinds of media, from modern acrylics to old bronzes. Relics, antiques and old guns all point to a different way of life in this western city’s past. While you are visiting museums, include the Range Riders Museum on your itinerary, especially if Montana’s cowboy past is of interest to you. The wagon depot exhibit is housed in a large warehouse, but there are a lot of interesting smaller exhibits as well, including photographs, saddles, spurs and an important gun collection. Now it is time to take a break from museum visits and relax at the Tongue River Winery, one of just a small handful of vineyards in Montana that are growing hybrid grapes suited to the climate. The owners are knowledgeable and accommodating and are making fruit wines as well as the standard grape varietals. (Tip: if you visit on a Monday when the tasting room is closed, just give the owners a call: they will be happy to open up for you!)
After sipping wine, you may want to stretch your legs, which you can do at the Miles City Town and Country Club, where the course, lounge and restaurant are open to the public. Western hospitality abounds, and the nine-hole course offers an 18-hole tee box setup. If you are interested in one of Montana’s major industries—beef production—then you may want to stop by the Fort Keogh Livestock Range and Research Laboratory, a former military establishment (dating from 1876) where 250 Hereford cows, 400 composite cows and 750 mixed-breed cows live and are studied. Research is conducted in three broad disciplines; rangeland ecology, plant ecophysiology and animal nutrition. An interesting if unusual stop is at a convent: the Miles City Academy (Ursuline convent) was founded to offer the settlers’ children as well as children from the local Cheyenne tribe a safe place to attend school. You can see the convent’s history room, the fancy parlor, music rooms and original classrooms. Walk-ins are welcome or you can call ahead for a guided tour. If you are looking for the look and feel of a real cowboy western city, this town has a great deal to offer. For a great place to stay, check out the Miles City hotels below and book today!