The One Montana Town Everyone Should Visit At Least Once
Tucked into the Flint Creek Valley, beneath peaks of the Sapphire and Anaconda-Pintler ranges, lies Philipsburg - a silver-mining relic kept nearly untouched by time. With just around eight hundred souls calling it home, its Victorian-era charm feels truly authentic, not staged for tourists. History is interwoven with daily life; old shop fronts from the 1800s stand fixed with care, whispering stories of another age. Adventure waits too - fishing, hiking, trails that wind far from busy roads. Here, Montana shows its truest colors, making Philipsburg one of the places you need to see at least once.
A Brief Look at the History of Philipsburg
Founded in 1867, this town took its name from a mining man called Philip Deidesheimer. It first boomed thanks to the Hope Mine, then clung tight to the famous Granite Mountain Mine; that single mine brought in $20 million in silver, providing work for more than 3,000 laborers. Not far down the road, though, came 1893 - the year the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was scrapped and prices dropped so fast people thought the town would vanish into dust. But war changed everything: when World War I broke out, manganese was suddenly in high demand - and locals discovered plenty underground nearby. By 1917, these hills were churning out half the country’s needed supply.
Nowhere else shows change quite like Philipsburg. When mines shut down during the 1980s, people stayed instead of leaving. History mattered more than moving on, so they held tight to old buildings. Positioned deep in sapphire-rich Montana land, a new path opened up slowly. Tourism grew not by accident but through choices - digging for gems became popular, small breweries appeared, and the downtown kept its look despite this evolution. What could have faded turned into something steady, built piece by piece.
Tasting the Town
Good eats aren't hard to find in Philipsburg. A favorite spot in town, Bunkhouse Whiskey sits at 102 West Broadway. Not just any tavern; it elevates bar fare with dishes such as the much-loved PBurg Cheesesteak and the Granite Burger, which also win high marks from those who stop by. Folks show up regularly for deals like the bison burger, a menu staple that keeps neighbors coming back. The Silver Mill Restaurant and Saloon is also a great choice for a cozy, classic meal in downtown Philipsburg.
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Sweet Palace isn’t just another candy store - it’s part of what makes Philipsburg feel like home. Located at 109 East Broadway, it fills a vintage-style space with more than 1,100 kinds of handmade treats: think saltwater taffy, rich fudge, and smooth chocolates. What pulls people in? Seeing the old 1918 Model K machine twist taffy by hand. Then there are the chocolate truffles, crafted using local brews - like those dark chocolate moose-shaped ones made with Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewing Company.
Unique Shops Worth Exploring
Sitting at 115 East Broadway, Sapphire Gallery stands alone across the U.S. as a place where gems are at the center of everything. This place is unique because it offers indoor sapphire mining all year round in a temperature-controlled environment, meaning that no matter when you visit, you can get your chance at uncovering precious gemstones. On-site, there are connected services when you do find something valuable, such as faceting, goldsmithing, and jewelry design.
When you are looking for another Philipsburg special, head a few doors down to 130 East Broadway, where Grassroots Gifts & Souvenirs is waiting for you. This is treasure hunting in a very different way than mining for sapphires at the gallery. Here, you are roaming through rooms filled with an eclectic inventory of mostly gifts, jewelry, and handmade crafts. It’s worth the trip to explore the rare and one-of-a-kind items these shopkeepers keep in the rotation.
Natural Attractions
High up on a sharp climb, just four miles from Philipsburg, lies Granite Ghost Town State Park. Rising twelve hundred eighty feet along that path brings you into what used to be Montana’s top silver producer. At its peak in the late 1800s, around three thousand people lived here, drawn by veins of silver worth more than $20 million before everything fell apart in 1893.
Ten miles south sits Georgetown Lake, resting high at 6,425 feet above sea level. Covering 3,700 acres beneath the rugged Pintler peaks, it holds a reputation few lakes match when it comes to fishing. When warm months arrive, people glide across its surface in boats or sit quietly in kayaks, setting up camp along the edge. Once cold sets in, thick ice forms - sometimes three feet deep - and draws crowds ready to drill holes and wait for bites.
Nearby Towns to Visit
About thirty miles east sits Anaconda, where everything orbits the towering 585-foot smelter stack made entirely of brick - one of the tallest freestanding structures like this on the planet. One of the interesting things to do here is the Old Works Golf Course, designed by pro Jack Nicklaus, which infuses the land with mining equipment and black slag sand pits, a nod to the region’s deep mining heritage.
Starting in Philipsburg, head northeast for sixty miles to find Deer Lodge. One of the things you need to see while exploring this town is the massive museum complex at the Old Montana Prison, which has stood here since 1871. Stretching out over nine acres, there are five different museums sharing this sprawling property: the Prison Museum, Montana Auto Museum, Frontier Montana, Yesterday’s Playthings, and Powell County Museum. Out past that, the Grant-Kohrs Ranch stands preserved - a full-scale 1,500-acre spread showing how cowboys ran things on the northern plains since the mid-1800s.
When you really want a reason to get out and taste Montana in a memorable way, head a short little way out the road to Drummond. Here you are going to find one of the county’s most popular dining establishments: Parkers. People have been coming for years to get their hands around one of 135 different burger combinations, some completely unique like the Elvis, a quarter-pound patty combined with peanut butter, bacon, and banana slices. You can also learn about Western rail history at the former Drummond Milwaukee Road depot, which was moved from town and preserved at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula in Missoula.
A Montana Town You Need to See Once
Montana has long been a state of rural expanses, farmland, and frontier. However, it is also a state home to many small towns that preserve history and heritage. Philipsburg perfectly preserves its mining heritage, from the earliest days of profitable silver mining to the gems and sapphires you can still uncover today on Broadway Street. When you want a place in the state you really need to experience at least once, start in Philipsburg.
