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Highest-rated museums in Montana by visitors

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SeventyFour // Shutterstock
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
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Museums are popular tourist attractions because they provide fun ways to learn about history, science, and culture. As stewards of our civilization, they collect and exhibit items of significant importance, typically based around a theme, topic, or place. Many cover areas like art, natural history, or science, but some museums dedicate themselves to highly specific topics like mustard, play, hot air balloons, and even funeral history. Ultimately, museums present a window into different eras of society so people can learn about the past.

Collecting, preserving, and displaying items is not a new idea. The world's first museum dates to about 530 B.C., a project of Princess Ennigaldi-Nanna, a Babylonian who had a collection of Mesopotamian artifacts. The oldest public museums still in existence are the Capitoline Museums in Rome, a collection of art and archeology museums started in 1471. America's oldest museum predates our country's founding. The Charleston Museum, a preservation of South Carolinian Lowcountry history, opened in 1773.

Museums are important not just because they preserve important elements of our history and culture but also because they can improve our well-being. Naturally, museums promote education and learning and can also bring joy. Researchers studying art museums found that they can reduce depression and increase people's sense of belonging. Quiet museum environments allow people to slow down and relax, and looking at exhibits can reduce stress. Museums also foster community by hosting events, activities, and tours that encourage social interaction.

No wonder they attract nearly 900 million visits a year.

With over 30,000 museums in the country to choose from, there's something for everyone. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated museums in Montana on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 11, 2025. Tripadvisor rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Keep reading to see what museums are in your own home state.

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#29. Hockaday Museum of Art Alyssa Cordova

Tripadvisor

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#29. Hockaday Museum of Art Alyssa Cordova

- Rating: 4.4/5 (83 reviews)
- City: Kalispell
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. Malmstrom Museum and Air Park

Tripadvisor

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#28. Malmstrom Museum and Air Park

- Rating: 4.3/5 (85 reviews)
- City: Great Falls
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#24. Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium

Tripadvisor

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#24. Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium

- Rating: 4.5/5 (24 reviews)
- City: Missoula
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Blackfoot Pathways:Sculpture in the Wild

Tripadvisor

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#23. Blackfoot Pathways:Sculpture in the Wild

- Rating: 4.7/5 (53 reviews)
- City: Lincoln
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. Yellowstone Gateway Museum

Tripadvisor

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#20. Yellowstone Gateway Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (55 reviews)
- City: Livingston
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Museum of the Yellowstone

Tripadvisor

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#13. Museum of the Yellowstone

- Rating: 4.3/5 (276 reviews)
- City: West Yellowstone
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Montana Historical Society Museum

Tripadvisor

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#10. Montana Historical Society Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (288 reviews)
- City: Helena
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. Old Montana Prison Complex

Tripadvisor

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#8. Old Montana Prison Complex

- Rating: 4.5/5 (320 reviews)
- City: Deer Lodge
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. American Computer & Robotics Museum

Tripadvisor

27 / 30

#4. American Computer & Robotics Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (331 reviews)
- City: Bozeman
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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