A Bozeman Staycation

Angie Ripple  |   Wednesday Mar. 1st, 2017

March is Spring Break for kids of all ages! If you aren’t taking a big trip to a far off place and are looking for some fun stuff to do around town here is a quick list of staycation ideas for any Bozemanite:

1. Visit a Museum
Bozeman has one of the greatest museum’s in the Rocky Mountains, the Museum of the Rockies [600 W Kagy Blvd]. MOR’s newest exhibit CROCS: Ancient Predators in a Modern World brings you eye-to-eye with living reptiles! If you liked the Frogs and/or Gecko exhibits of the past you’ll love CROCS.

The Gallatin History Museum [317 W Main St] is a fun way to spend a morning or afternoon learning about the history of Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley. From gallows, to jail cells (the Museum used to be Bozeman’s jail!), beer, wedding dresses and forts you’ll learn a lot here! Closed Sundays and Mondays.

For the wee ones Children’s Museum of Bozeman [202 S Willson Ave] will keep the kids entertained for hours, and teach them something too. The bubble bar is a favorite for young and old, science, art and fun are all wrapped into one fun place at the CMB. Closed Sundays.

The American Computer & Robotics Museum [2023 Stadium Drive] is the world’s oldest continually operating museum dedicated to the history of the information Age. Closed on Mondays.

Save a little dough and check out an Explore Bozeman pass with your library card at www.bozemanlibrary.org or visit the Information Desk at the Bozeman Public Library. Must be 18+ and have less than $10 in library fines.

2. Go For a Hike
We’ve got a Top 10 Hikes Around Bozeman list for you on our website, from 1.6 to many, many miles, we’ve got you covered. Just starting out with an easy meander, hit the Gallagator Trail easy to access and a cool way to check out Bozeman. Drinking Horse Trail & the M trail are a great way to get a good look at Bozeman from above and not too difficult a hike. South Cottonwood Creek Trail is great for hikers and mountain bikers. Hiking is always free and refreshing!

3. Check Out a Theatre Production
Bozeman has a diverse group of theatre companies offering a wide variety of productions throughout the year. Check out Verge Theatre, Kaleidoscope Youth Theatre, The Ellen Theatre, Black Box Theatre and Shakespeare in the Parks throughout the year for funny, entertaining, thrilling and expert theatre. The Emerson and Willson Theatre’s are also venues for local school and travelling productions. bozemanmagazine.com/events has the scoop for each venue.

4. Take a Soak
The Bozeman area is home to great Hot Springs! Take a drive to the Paradise Valley for a soak in Bozeman’s Choice developed hot springs - Chico Hot Springs. Chico is nestled at the foot of beautiful and quiet mountains. Their restaurant and bar will keep you comfortable, their outdoor pools are hot and cozy and if you’d like to stay the night they have great accommodations (make reservations early).

Another quick road trip to Norris Hot Springs will allow a soak in the “Water of the Gods”. Their small outdoor pool is hot, hot, hot. Immerse yourself in nature at Norris, have a homegrown meal and regional drink to top it off.

Bozeman Hot Springs in Four Corners is an obvious choice for locals, their large renovation in 2016 increased their pool space but not their admission rate. Catch some music from the outdoor stage several nights a week, enjoy the sauna, indoor pools and even get some reps in at the gym if you’d like.

5. Go Skiing or Skating
An obvious choice for local spring breakers is a trip to Bridger Bowl and/or Big Sky Resort. March is a great time to get some spring turns in, hopefully the snow will stick around for spring!

Both Haynes Pavilion and Ressler Motors Ice Rink at the Ice Barn [901 N. Black Ave] will be open during spring break with many skating options. Try out the Adult Puck Lunch, All Ages Stick and Puck, Public Skating (No Sticks & Pucks), or take in a game at the Get Lucky Cup XI- Women’s Hockey Tournament. For a full schedule of events go to: http://www.bozemanhockey.org/page/show/235310-rink-schedule

Whatever you choose for Spring Break we hope it’s awesome, and be sure to check out our Events Calendar with all the up to date info for fun stuff anytime: http://bozemanmagazine.com/events/calendar

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