Smart Meetings

In addition to its abundance of water, is an abundance of history. Lewis and Clark spent a lot of time here. (The expedition team was forced to stay nearly for a month navigating around the waterfalls in June 1805.)

Centrally located in downtown Great Falls, the city’s largest exhibition space is the 15,300-square-foot Mansfield Convention Center/Civic Center (ci.great-falls.mt.us), complete with six meeting rooms, three foyer areas and a kitchen. The convention center is part of a larger complex that also includes a performing arts center.

After the meeting, complete a mini compass course, or learn how to build an authentic Plains Indians hide lodge at The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center (fs.fed.us). The center offers exhibits and living history demonstrations that explore what life was like on the expedition—from beading and cooking to flint-napping, knife-making and wilderness survival.

Or, for a larger step back in time, take your group to the Old Trail Museum (406-466-5332) in Choteau, a few miles west of Great Falls, for an up-close look at perfectly preserved fossils, educational dioramas and life-sized dinosaur models.

Also fascinating is the Charles M. Russell Museum Complex (cmrussell.org), which features the nation’s largest collection of the renowned artist’s sculpture and oil and watercolor paintings.

Getting There

Billings Logan International is Montana’s largest major airport and serves as a regional hub for Delta, Northwest and United airlines. Flathead Valley, Missoula, Butte, Helena, Great Falls, and Bozeman all have airports with both daily and seasonal direct flights to Seattle, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, Chicago and Minneapolis.