Last Chance Tours
Last Chance Tours
5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
This is a one hour tour of Helena including the history of Helena and Last Chance Gulch. You will see the Capital Complex, the historic homes on Helena's West Side and the early day mining district. The trains depart just outside the Montana Historical Museum, which is located on the East side of the Capitol Building.
Helena, Montana
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
636 reviews
Excellent
533
Very good
87
Average
10
Poor
2
Terrible
4
Steven H
United States11 contributions
Jul 2020
We took this tour after noticing the "Gem" notation in the AAA Guidebook. We couldn't have picked a better time to take the tour since the weather was perfect with bright blue skies this Saturday evening (5:30 pm tour).
The tour starts on the north/south road that lies between the Montana Historical Society Museum and the Montana State Capitol. Note: The folks that run the tour will give you a complimentary 2 for 1 pass for the museum. We visited the museum before the tour and found it both educational and informative.
Regarding the tour, it takes exactly 60 minutes and you will get a good overview of the city of Helena without ever stepping off the tour "train". It's not really a train but the automotive tour train is powered by a vehicle that looks like a train engine. Our tour was conducted by Matt and he really knows the city (his mother runs the ticket office). Matt is very articulate and also quite humorous.
Although we found the entire tour interesting, our favorite parts were the tour of the mansion district (some very impressive homes built during the gold rush) and the drive down Last Chance Gulch (this is the road that runs down the city center). The drive down the Gulch was very entertaining since the street was full of pedestrians this Saturday evening and all of them were waved to us while we sat in our train.
Take this tour, it's a great value for the money!
The tour starts on the north/south road that lies between the Montana Historical Society Museum and the Montana State Capitol. Note: The folks that run the tour will give you a complimentary 2 for 1 pass for the museum. We visited the museum before the tour and found it both educational and informative.
Regarding the tour, it takes exactly 60 minutes and you will get a good overview of the city of Helena without ever stepping off the tour "train". It's not really a train but the automotive tour train is powered by a vehicle that looks like a train engine. Our tour was conducted by Matt and he really knows the city (his mother runs the ticket office). Matt is very articulate and also quite humorous.
Although we found the entire tour interesting, our favorite parts were the tour of the mansion district (some very impressive homes built during the gold rush) and the drive down Last Chance Gulch (this is the road that runs down the city center). The drive down the Gulch was very entertaining since the street was full of pedestrians this Saturday evening and all of them were waved to us while we sat in our train.
Take this tour, it's a great value for the money!
Written July 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to comment about your experience riding with us. We appreciate the details and the compliments to our staff. That certainly helps me know how well they are doing.
Written July 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nostalgiyeah
Bothell, WA1,891 contributions
Jun 2021
Highly recommend hoping aboard the Last Chance Tour train for an informative, fun and inexpensive way to tour downtown Helena. The tour "train" departs from near the Capitol Building and on the June weekend we were in town, was almost filled to capacity for the 11 AM time. The tour guide (who doubles as the train driver) was an excellent chap. I believe his name was Mark, he made the trip fun and enjoyable while taking us around the city. The tour goes around the Capitol building and then proceeds on to some of the residential areas nearby which contain a lot of historical houses of early rich settlers and residents of Helena. It was fascinating to know about the history of Helena and how it boomed as a gold mining town. And then the tour train rides along the Cathedral of Saint Helena, beautifully constructed civic center building, Last Chance Gulch, Reeder's Alley and portions of downtown areas. The tour guide did an excellent job of explaining some of the landmarks and history associated with the City of Helena and the State of Montana. Not only was this one hour tour fun and informative, it helped us to plan the day ahead and decide on which places we wanted to visit.
Written August 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DukeClay
Washington, UT144 contributions
Jul 2020
This downtown tour is 'engineered' by a history teacher and takes two dozen sight-seers around the downtown area of Helena. The tour is nearly two hours and covers a plethora of buildings dated back to the settlement and development of the capitol city.
The homes built during the boon are wonderful, some with saddening back stories, yet beautifully crafted. The majority are still homes for families, which is amazing. One can even see the former-historic and current 'governor's mansions.
I wholly recommend bringing a water flask and sun protection for the tour.
The homes built during the boon are wonderful, some with saddening back stories, yet beautifully crafted. The majority are still homes for families, which is amazing. One can even see the former-historic and current 'governor's mansions.
I wholly recommend bringing a water flask and sun protection for the tour.
Written July 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to comment about your experience riding with us.
Written July 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lorrie C
Helena, MT1 contribution
Aug 2020 • Family
The tour was fun and the “conductor “ was engaging and informative. I booked online and accidentally bought an extra ticket. When I checked in they promptly reimbursed me with a smile. I recommend the tour, and also encourage patrons to tip the drivers - they deserve them!
Written August 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to comment about your experience with us. Thank you for the 5 Star rating. Thank the comments about tipping. That has been critical especially this year. We are operating at 51% capacity and our guides are hurting.
Written August 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jan B
Seattle, WA6 contributions
Oct 2020
Ellen Baumler narrated ghostly stories of Helena’s haunted houses and buildings, while touring the sites on a comfortable trolley. These tours take place around Halloween each year and are fun and informative. There is some walking Involved when the trolley stops at the Benton Avenue Cemetery. The tours book up quickly, so be sure to watch for the notice of next years’ ghostly tours and book early. I grew up in Helena but had not heard many of the ghostly tales Ellen shared.
Written October 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to comment about your experience with us. We appreciate your details.
Written June 12, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kevin & Jackie
4 contributions
Sep 2020
We had both out of town family and friends visit the past month. Each time we decided to take them on the Last Chance Tour through downtown Helena. It's an excellent way to give folks unfamiliar with the area to learn about the history, see some classic mansions, as well as learn about the Gold era. To top it off the ticket people and train conductor make it fun - residents all over town were waiving. After the tour we spend the afternoon on Last Chance Gulch Shopping area.
Written September 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to comment about your experience with us. Thank you, also, for your five star rating. This help us monitor how we are doing and maintain the quality expected of our employees.
Written September 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The Places Where We Go Podcast
Simi Valley, CA982 contributions
Jun 2021
We would recommend doing this as the first thing if visiting Helena for the first time. The tour lasts an hour, and it will provide you with ideas of where to spend your remaining time if you have a limited stay in the city. The tour is narrated and informative. It is open air so perhaps depending on the weather, your comfort level may differ - we took the tour on a mild sunny day, so the experience was wonderful in that regard. This is also a nice way to tour through the neighborhoods that feature the old Victorian style homes accompanied with stories of some of the city’s most famous historic residents. It then winds through Last Chance Gulch, the Walking Mall and up by Reader’s Alley. Again, a highly recommended first thing to do when in Helena.
Written July 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SGTCOTA
Helena, MT1 contribution
Aug 2020
My wife and I have taken about 4 different groups of friends on the trolley tour and have always enjoyed it. Each conductor says a few different things that the others don’t but at all about 92% the same. The conductors also make it fun for kids from 3-100+. I’m also glad that the online store for buying the tickets was working better than the previous time I tried to us it.
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to comment about your experience with us. Thank you for your repeat visits and your five star rating.
Written August 24, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
tracy
Waikoloa, HI30 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
Great tour! We called and they said the tour was sold out but we went to the location by the history museum and signed up on the waitlist. Luckily, there was room and we were able to go! It was really fun! The conductor was so friendly and made sure he met everyone on board. We learned so much about the city and then could go back to places we learned about. I would highly recommend this tour when in Helena. Also make sure to do the self tour of the capital building!
Written July 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mallory G
Orange County, CA3 contributions
Jul 2021
My mom and I were doing a girls' trip road trip and spent 2 days in Helena. This was such a fun and unique way to see the Cathedra, Capitol, historic Governor's Mansion, and more. Matt was our train conductor and did a fantastic job sharing stories, facts, and interesting information about Helena in a fun and clever way. He also took time to share recommendations for activities for us to do after, spending about 5-10 min. with us to learn about what we were particularly interested in so he could share specific recommendations. This personalized service was great. We had such an awesome time!
Written July 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon G
South Daytona, FL
What is the cost
HLeeHolmes
Helena, MT9 contributions
Adult & Teenager fare is $10
Senior fare is $9
Child 4-12 fare is $8
3 and under is free
bevmaughan
Forest Grove, OR
Are pets allowed on tour train? We are traveling with our small dog.
ANels_MT
Montana67 contributions
Just spoke with the manager and he said yes, your dog is allowed.
vicki82016
Helena, MT
Are the trains handicap accessible?
HLeeHolmes
Helena, MT9 contributions
The train IS handicap accessible. Please call ahead as the space in limited. 406-442-1023
Last Chance Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Last Chance Tours Information
Excellent Reviews | 533 |
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Very Good Reviews | 87 |
Last Chance Tours Photos | 104 |