Very interesting,however the numbering on the buildings was confusing, very few buildings had anything more than an old stove and a bunch of old wooden chairs. One house reeked of mold, many of the houses looked like they would collapse at any point and they were letting people in them, I'd say it needs significant restoration efforts to be worth revisiting. Because some of those houses needed to be blocked off because the walls were like, separating. And I was very displeased with the interiors because they were quite boring and I feel like I drove multiple hours to see a museum about old rickety antique store chairs. The workers didn't have much information. read more

Such a fantastic place and for free ( don't forget cash for a donation)!!! There is so much to look at here and you could easily make a day of it. My daughter did the jr ranger booklet and it helped turn a complainer trip from a 7 year old into lots of fun!! The walkway flooded due to the rain so we got to do a railroad detour which my daughter loved! read more

See all

I love old buildings and this place did not disappoint. Very interesting and complicated story of white settlers establishing a mining town and taking land from the Bannock people. You will see a sign to watch out for rattle snakes--take it seriously. We saw one, after we heard it. read more

See all

One of the largest and best preserved ghost towns in the country. Very impressive and not commercialized whatsoever like the ghost towns you see in California. Everything has been well preserved and left exactly as it was. An absolute must-see if you're ever visiting or passing through Montana. Bannack was established in 1862 as a gold mining destination. The rich history was fascinating to learn about -- complete with a story about a crooked sheriff who was hanged from the gallows (which are still standing!). We went into almost all of the buildings and explored unsupervised. Such a fun and worthwhile experience. Price per vehicle is only $6 and you pay on the honor system. They accept cash or check. Do yourself a favor and pay the extra $2 for the Bannack self-guided tour pamphlet. It includes all the history you need to know, plus pictures and a map of the town. Restrooms don't have flushing toilets but they were super clean and nice to use. read more

See all

Love Bannack State Park. I take all our guests to Montana there. So well preserved and user friendly. A MUST SEE .

Great stop! Very friendly staff. We watched the movie before cruising around the town. The buildings are mostly all open so we got to step back in time. We didn't hear/see any ghosts but had fun exploring. Definitely stop in if you're in the area. Dog friendly! read more

See all

If you're into exploring ghost towns, you have got to check out Bannack State Park. http://www.bannack.org/ It's one of the biggest, oldest, most well preserved and coolest gold mining ghost towns in the US and you can actually explore the inside of the mid 1860s-70s buildings there. If you are into camping, it's also a campground. Bonus! When my wife and I went, we made our base in the city of Butte. I would recommend making Missoula or Dillon your base though, Butte is fairly depressed these days and I still don't trust the drinking water. Anyway, after driving to Dillon and seeing Bannack, we explored the ghost towns of Virginia City and Nevada City on the way back. Those are also worth checking out. I took both B&W and color pictures but as you can see, the B&W ones look more authentic. So bring your cowboy hat, your imagination and without fail, your camera. I'm taking my 3D slide camera next time we go there. read more

Enjoyed walking thru here and just seeing the past. Buildings still standing after all these years. Good place to visit and bring young people to see the past. read more

The kids really loved this place 12 and 17. However my 17 year old is more childish due to his diagnosis. It is the only place he didn't complain. You can go in most of the buildings. I highly recommend you buy the $2 guide book. It took us a little over an hour to tour the place. Camping is allowed. No services at the park read more

I expected ghosts. Sadly there where zero. Most of the buildings have been updated. To be honest I'd say it's an Ok place to spend an hour at-- since it's literally located in the middle of nowhere. Suggestion visit Jackson.. population 96 people read more

Really liked this place. It's a bit out of the way but worth the drive. It's a real ghost town with real old buildings you can actually enter and walk around. Scared my 10 year old, who we got to make fun of. My 6 year old loved the chance to explore all the old buildings. I would recommend buying the map for $3 when you enter since it describes the buildings. We enjoyed finding the gallows and the cemetery. The entire area is beautiful with a stream and bridge. read more

My husband and I stopped at this park and it was more than we expected it would be in a good way. They charge by the vehicle and you can go into each building (unless it is locked) and look around. Learning about this ghost town was pretty neat. This is a must do if you are ever in the area! read more

Wow! This was the original Territorial Capitol of Montana. It is also on the Lewis and Clark trail. It is so worth visiting. This town has been featured on several TV shows to include Josh Gates. The state has done an amazing job keeping this town "healthy" and alive. You are able to walk through almost all of the original buildings. There is an easy to follow map. I loved seeing all the old wall paper (in houses of the wealthy), old linoleum, stoves, room heaters, lamps, etc. The best part was the upper floor of the Mason's building. What has been saved and displayed there is incredible. It took my sister, myself and my teenage granddaughters 3 hours to see it all. There is a wonderful picnic area that we used for lunch. They also have a campground. A must visit if you like history of the west. read more

Bannack has such amazing history! And unlike many other ghost towns, in Bannack, you can walk into most of the buildings and get a true sense of the history of the town. The staff was wonderfully helpful, but we we were pleasantly surprised to find a very talented live pianist in the Dr. Rayburn's house creating magical music that took you back in time. Between the history and the music, Bannack is a very worthy stop! read more

This must be one well-kept secret. We drove through Montana on the way to Banff and had a blast at the Bannack ghost town. Countless buildings in this town that are intact and explorable. Church, school, hotel, barber shop, jail... So cool. The rangers at the park were the nicest possible people and welcomed us to the campground even though we arrived late. Definitely worth checking out and making a trip for. read more

This park is well worth the trip. We were here for a wedding and had some spare time so drove out. You are able to go into most of the buildings. They have a little booklet that explains what they were and what time period they were in use. Very interesting bit of history. read more

One of our favorite ghost towns to visit! So much history! It is awesome to see how well preserved this historic town is; the buildings really make you feel as if you are traveling back in time. If you are in the area, stop by and see a piece of American history! read more

Like a history book before your eyes...buildings are amazingly preserved and in a beautiful setting. Great for all families small, large old or new. This ghost town will get you hooked as there are many little ghost towns in the area. If you are into camping there are several state camp sites.....Dillon is the closest for hotels, grocery stores, gas etc. A must stop! read more

This place was so cool! I love, love, love ghost town and abandoned places and Bannack did not disappoint! I loved that we were able to walk through all of the buildings and kind of get a feel of what it was like back in the day. We were also given a book that included a map as well as a little history for rah of the buildings, so that was neat, especially since we chose not to do the guided tour. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone, especially ghost town lovers and people who like history. Very cool!! read more

See all

This was such a cool way to spend the day! I loved that you can walk through the buildings, almost like you could hear history whispering around you. I'd recommend the little guide that gives so much information about each place & the town, only costs a small donation, very worth it. read more