Hello all!
I am doing a road trip, and driving through Montana. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on finding modern architecture and design in the state. I'd love to see some things as we tour though! We willbe doing a "B" town loop - Butte, Billings, Bozeman - then to Glacier NP.
Any modern buildings or interiors to see? Current architects or past legends? Or something so wacky it makes everyone scratch their head?
Any help is much appreciated!
Thank you!
-Sue
(I will also be posting this for Wyoming and South Dakota.)

In a big way.

There is a Frank Lloyd Wright office building in Whitefish, and the GN railway station has art deco lettering and other details (check the goat rafter tails on the freight building).

Downtown Missoula is full of 30's and 40's modern buildings and their immediate predecessors. They still have a fantastic downtown Macy's with a glass and bronze roof canopy just like the ones in the 1eme arrondisement in Paris, and both downtown railway stations (one now a museum)and the buildings near them are prairie style treasures. Many fabulous neon signs as well. Don't miss Missoula!

Forgot that in Browning (reservation town) east of Glacier, there is a very large concrete tipi of 1950's vintage that was an espresso bar last time I was there! How about that for two icons?

Ackislander, thanks so much for the awesome tips! Will check these out!
-Sue

Helena has Great Northern Town Center for new architecture and the rest of downtown and the mansion district for 19th Century and early 20th Century architecture. The Capitol Building has been beautifully restored.

The Montana Club building at 6th and Front was designed by Cass Gilbert who also designed the Woolworth Building in NYC and the US Supreme Court Building.

Enjoy your visit to Montana.

Oh, no! The old "Mercantile" in Missoula is now a Macy's?

Progress progresses, I spoze. Still, it woulda been nice to have the ol' Merc still around. Hope Macy's kept the wooden floors, instead of paving them over with marble, or whatever the 'standard' dept store flooring is these days.

Anyway: I also wanted to note the Wilma Theatre in Missoula as worthy of a stop. The exterior is very early 'modern', with a nod to mid-century neoclassical style, but the inside, as I recall, was pretty astounding art-deco, esp the proscenium arch around the screen. I worked there [mumble] years ago when I was attending the UM, and loved standing around the lobby during the show. What a piece of history.

Fritzrl

Hi Fritz,

Yeah, it's a Macy's but they haven't changed much in the building -- still have the wood floors.

The Wilma was just sold to new owners. It's a great building, and they show a lot of independent films and they serve beer and wine. Next door is a great chocolate shop with nice art deco tile floors.

Anaconda has a great old theater, the Washoe, where I saw my first movie "Bambi" in about 1943 or 1944. I went back about 15 years ago, and it was part of a city tour.

Kalispell has an area in 4th, 5th, and 6th streets with gorgeous old Victorians.