24 Hours in Fort Benton, Montana: Where to Stay, Eat & Explore
- Montana Edit
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Tori Dowson, Contributing Editor, Montana Edit
Fort Benton has a way of surprising you. From the outside, it's a small, quiet Montana town sitting along the banks of the Missouri River. The moment you arrive you feel the history, the charm, and the warmth of every single person you encounter.
I recently headed to Fort Benton for a birthday celebration with my boyfriend, and what we experienced over the course of one evening and morning was nothing short of magical. Here's how to do Fort Benton right.
Where to Stay in Fort Benton, Montana : The Grand Union Hotel
There is truly no better place to anchor your Fort Benton experience than The Grand Union Hotel. Opened in 1882, it holds the title of the oldest operating hotel in Montana, and the moment you walk through the front doors, you understand why it has endured.
The lobby greets you with warm mahogany woodwork, a grand staircase, rich leather furnishings, and a mounted bison watching over it all. A beautifully worn vintage guest ledger sits at the front desk, a living piece of history that guests have been signing for over a century. And the room keys? Actual brass keys. Heavy, engraved, and utterly charming. The rooms are cozy and elegant with rich wood furniture, warm lamplight, and tall windows draped with soft curtains.
Where to Dine: The Union Grille
After settling in and getting ready, we made our way downstairs to The Union Grille, the hotel's in-house restaurant.
The dining room is stunning. Original pressed tin ceilings soar overhead, candlelight flickers on dark wood tables, and the overall atmosphere strikes a balance between elevated and welcoming.
We started with a bottle of Pinot Noir and the ricotta crostini - warm ricotta on grilled ciabatta, finished with truffled local honey and fried capers. The presentation was impressive, and the flavor was even better. The combination of creamy ricotta, earthy truffle honey, and salty capers is something I'm still thinking about.
For our mains, I ordered the 10 oz bison NY strip with chimichurri sauce, served with velvety mashed potatoes. The steak was cooked to perfection. My boyfriend went with the 12 oz smoked ribeye with seasonal compound butter, upgrading to the parmesan truffle fries, which he declared some of the best fries he's ever had.
We were so full by the end of dinner, but when the dessert menu featured a lemon cheesecake, we couldn't say no. We took it to go, and enjoyed it the next morning with coffee.
After Dinner: The Bar at The Grand Union
After dinner, we wandered into the hotel bar. The space is everything you'd hope for: a stunning dark wood back bar, a tin-stamped ceiling that continues the feel of the dining room, and the warm glow of a brass lamp.
We ordered dirty martinis with bleu cheese stuffed olives, and they were perfect. The bartender was warm, engaging, and fantastic company. We lingered over our cocktails far longer than we intended, taking in the full experience.
Morning Coffee: Wake Cup Coffee House & Restaurant
The next morning, after finishing our leftover lemon cheesecake with in-room coffee (no regrets), we headed out to grab coffee from Wake Cup Coffee House & Restaurant.
Wake Cup fits perfectly into the Fort Benton vibe, a charming brick storefront on the main street with a warm, welcoming interior. A reclaimed wood counter and walls adorned with vintage black and white photographs of Fort Benton give it that lived-in, community feel. Coffee in hand, we stepped back out into the morning air, ready to explore.
Exploring the History: Fort Benton Toll Bridge & The Riverfront
Fort Benton's history is woven into everything around you, and nowhere is that more apparent than along the Missouri River waterfront. We walked down to the Fort Benton Toll Bridge which is the first bridge ever built in Montana across the Missouri River. Walking across its weathered wooden planks, with the steel truss frame framing a wide open Montana sky above and the river flowing steadily below, is a genuinely moving experience.
Lunch: The Club House Bar & Grill
For lunch, we headed to The Club House Bar & Grill. Unpretentious, fun, and run by genuinely wonderful people, it's exactly the kind of place that makes a small town feel like home.
I had the Buffalo Chicken Salad and my boyfriend ordered the Tiger Burger. It was seasoned with taco spices and he now wants to add that seasoning into his homemade burgers this summer.
After Lunch: Signal Point Golf Course
To wrap up our time in Fort Benton, we drove up to Signal Point Golf Course to hit a bucket of balls at the driving range. The course sits elevated above the town, and the views from up top are incredible. The entire view of Fort Benton laid out below, the Missouri River winding through, and the wide Montana sky stretching in every direction.
Worth the Drive
Fort Benton's charm reminds you why Montana is so special. It's small, but it's full of history, character, and the kind of genuine hospitality that's getting harder to find. From the impeccably preserved Grand Union Hotel to the friendly faces at every stop along the way, this town far exceeded our expectations.
At just 36 miles from Great Falls, there is truly no reason not to go. Whether you make it a day trip or treat yourself to an overnight stay (and I strongly recommend the latter), Fort Benton should be at the top of your list of places to visit in Montana.
