Guided Tours

Tour Two of the State's Most Notable Historic Treasures

The Montana State Capitol

The Capitol building is open Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., and weekends, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The Capitol building is closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day and may be closed to the general public occasionally on weekends for scheduled routine maintenance. Self-guided capitol tour brochures are available at the capitol reception desk.

January-May 2023

• Tours are available for school groups (K - 12) Tuesday-Thursday, between the hours of 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. but must be scheduled in advance.
• Tour capacity is 30 people (students + chaperones).
• Self-guiding tour booklets and a scavenger hunt for kids led by Lewis and Clark’s intrepid Newfoundland, Seaman, are available at the first-floor information desk.
• You can also download the interactive student guide to the Montana State Capitol, Explore Your Statehouse or take this forty-three minute video tour.

June-August 2023

• The Legislative Services division offers guided tours at 9:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. These need not be scheduled. Tours start at the information desk on the first floor.

The Original Governor's Mansion

The Original Governor's Mansion is located at 304 North Ewing, Helena. Visit this ornate, Queen Anne-Style mansion that served as home to Montana's First Families from 1913-1959. Take yourself on a virtual tour of the Original Governor's Mansion or view a twenty-minute video tour.

Tour capacity is 20 people. There is no admission fee, and admission is on a first-come, first-served basis - no advanced reservations.

PLEASE NOTE: For the 50^th Annual Montana History Conference the Original Governor's Mansion will be OPEN on Thursday, September 28 for self-guided tours from 2:00 - 5:00, and CLOSED on Saturday, September 30.

Summer Hours

Winter Hours

September 16 - May 14
Saturdays only: Tours at 12, 1, 2, and 3
Closed holidays.

The Montana Historical Society Museum ("Montana's Museum")

The Montana Historical Society is in the process of building a grand new addition, the Montana Heritage Center. When this facility is completed, it will contain all new, world-class exhibits. It's going to be amazing, but transitions are never easy. Beginning January 1, 2023, all of our museum exhibits will be closed and museum tours will not be available. 

How to Schedule a Group Tour

Capitol tours are only available for school groups. Both school and adult groups are invited to tour the Original Governor's Mansion.

Please contact us at least two weeks in advance. For tours planned during legislative sessions or the month of May, it is advisable to make arrangements a month in advance as these time slots fill early.

To book a tour, please call (406) 444-4794 or email anthony.schrillo@mt.gov. To facilitate the process please provide the following information:

• Preferred tour date
• Preferred tour times
• Size and grade level/age of your group
• Special needs or considerations
• Which tour you would like

Once we have scheduled your tour, we will email you a reservation confirmation, and payment can be made at the time of your visit.