Livingston, Montana: The Gateway To Yellowstone

While the movie "A River Runs Through It" took place in Missoula, the actual filming was here in Livingston and on the Yellowstone River that literally does "run through it."

Livingston is about 50 miles (and less than an hour) away from where I'm living in Gardiner.  It became my equivalent of Andy Griffith's trip to Mount Pilot from Mayberry during my summer working in Yellowstone.  If I needed a larger grocery store, a movie theater or more dining options, Livingston was close enough to spend an evening or perhaps a weekend day off.

The Empire Twin Theaters was a cozy small town place, where I saw first run movies Top Gun:  Maverick and Elvis for about $7 in prime time.

I also enjoyed several wonderful meals here, including Chinese at The Wok.  There is something about small town America that just draws me in.  I love old "Main Street USA" type places, and Livingston with their shops, restaurants and "ghost signs" feels historic and contemporary at the same time.

This past weekend, I spent some time at the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, which I cannot recommend more highly.  I've visited a lot of small community museums, and this was one of the best I've seen for telling the story of a town that truly was the gateway to Yellowstone National Park before there was a highway system to facilitate guests coming to witness our first national park.

Of particular interest was their current temporary exhibit entitled "Pull Up a Chair:  Tales from the Seats of History."  Such a creative way to depict the life and times in Livingston.  In additional to the display and story boards for 30+ chairs, they provided a more in-depth narration about each chair and the family (or business) it was used by.

I also enjoyed their Native Cultures Room, which has many artifacts of tribes that have made Montana and Yellowstone their home for generations.

Like so much of the westward expansion of the United States, the railroad system provided early access to Yellowstone National Park.  The Transportation Room has several authentic pieces to help tell the story of the Northern Pacific Railway and how guests rode the train in the early years from Livingston to Gardiner, which today many consider the real gateway to Yellowstone . . . that is until the epic floods earlier this summer cut off most tourist access back in June.

There is so much more to learn about at this museum so check out their website or better yet . . . pay them a visit!

The Montana Grizzly Encounter is located about 15-20 minutes west of Livingston.  For anyone interested in seeing bears up close in a safe and protected environment, it is worth a visit as well.  Brutus the Bear was beloved by the locals, and after his death in 2021, was memorialized with this pretty mural in downtown Livingston.

Here is one of the resident bears currently living at this sanctuary.

I hope folks visiting Yellowstone, or traveling across I90 between Billings and Bozeman will stop and explore Livingston.  It has so much to offer, whether you have a couple of hours or a couple of days!