Upper Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center

One of the exhibits at the interpretive center

"Upper Missouri Wild and Scenic River" by mypubliclands is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Quick Facts

Location:

Fort Benton, MT

MANAGED BY:

Bureau of Land Management

Amenities

22 listed

Accessible Rooms, Accessible Sites, Benches/Seating, Captioned Media, Entrance Passes For Sale, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Maps Available, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Permits Issued, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Tactile Exhibit, Theater/Auditorium, Ticket Sales, Toilet - Flush, Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Wheelchair Accessible

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

Visitor Centers (shown in orange), High Potential Historic Sites (shown in black), and Pivotal Places (shown in green) along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

The Upper Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center, located on the banks of the Missouri River, is part of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. For those seeking a deeper understanding of the area’s history, it’s an essential stop on your trip offering a museum, a theater, and multiple exhibits conveying the significance of this storied land and river, thus enriching your experience. Exhibits include Native American artifacts, a scale model of the surrounding landscape, and many interactive displays. The Interpretive Center also provides multiple stations and spaces dedicated to the area’s native species, including many birds, fish, and large mammals such as Bighorn Sheep.  

When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark passed through the area in 1805, they marveled at the natural beauty they saw. The breaks later served as a central hub for steamboats carrying fortune seekers and gold hunters, all eager to try their luck what had come to be known as “the world’s innermost port.” The Nez Perce also passed through this area in 1877 while fleeing from the U.S. Calvary to avoid being forced onto a reservation.  Today, visitors can experience aspects of this history by visiting the interpretive center’s replica freight wagon and pilot house, and learn about other important moments in local regional history, including the mining economy, the westward American migration, and the effects that westward expansion had on indeginous populations.    

The Upper Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center is open seasonally. Be sure to check with the Center directly for current hours by calling [phone]. Adult admission is $5, children under 16 are free.