How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Bozeman

Make sure to take a stroll on the Montana State University campus, a nicely landscaped spread of handsome brick edifices such as historic Montana Hall and Romney Gymnasium; Centennial Mall is an east-west pedestrian corridor perfect for the occasion. A highlight of the campus is the Museum of the Rockies, a superb assemblage of more than 300,000 objects profiling 500 million years of Western history.

Spend an afternoon walking the early 20th century-styled downtown. The district is rich with distinctive homes, dining choices, bookstores, shops with locally-made gifts, trendy boutiques and colorful galleries to explore; lively taverns along the way provide a respite from it all.

Enjoy the sporting life any time of year. During sun (horseback riding, golf, fly fishing, hiking) or snow (Bridger Bowl is 20 minutes north with two other ski areas within an hour's drive), Bozeman has countless options to get athletic in spectacular settings.

Revel in the college town's nightlife, which runs the gamut from western saloons to upscale wine bars. The liveliest way to do this is losing yourself in Bozeman's "Barmuda Triangle," a troika of busy bars not far from the university campus.

Take in the stunning Montana scenery by visiting Gallatin National Forest, only about a 20-minute drive south of Bozeman. Officially part of the Greater Yellowstone area, Gallatin offers snowcapped mountains, trout streams and the chance to see nationally threatened species such as bald eagles and gray wolves.

Enjoy Bozeman's burgeoning arts scene by stopping by the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture on South Grand Avenue. Housed in an appealing 1918 former elementary school, the center has artists studios, galleries and interesting events that range from Christmas Strolls to art auctions to annual house and garden tours.

As an alternative to the Museum of the Rockies, visit the American Computer Museum, a look not only at the creation of laptops and PCs, but at the sweeping history of information itself. Highlights include Babylonian clay tablets from more than 4,000 years ago.