Downtown Missoula is more than charming shops and coffee spots—it’s layered with stories, characters, and surprises waiting to be uncovered. Our tour guide Olivia, a history buff and Butte local, walks this route daily and has a few favorite stops that never get old. Here are her top 5 places on the Missoula History Tour that bring the past to life.
🖼️ 1. The Missoula Mercantile Lobby:
Step inside the Missoula Mercantile (known affectionately as “The Merc”) and you’re stepping into Missoula’s past. Olivia loves how the beautifully restored lobby is filled with historic photos that offer a glimpse into the city’s funky and often surprising roots.
Look closely—you might spot some historical Easter eggs. The pictures don’t just decorate the walls—they tell stories of logging, railroads, and the spirited people who helped shape the city.
👠 2. Mother Gleim’s Brothels:
One of Olivia’s favorite characters is Mary “Mother” Gleim, a woman who ran eight brothels in Missoula in the late 1800s. “She seems like the type of gal you’d want in your corner,” Olivia says—and she’s not wrong. Mother Gleim was cunning, feisty, and never afraid of a fight.
Her story offers a juicy, behind-the-scenes look at the early boarding house culture and how Missoula catered to the rowdy railroad crowd. You’ll never look at West Front Street the same way again.
🏨 3. The Florence Hotel:
When you step into the Florence Hotel lobby, it’s like walking onto a 1940’s movie set. This Art Moderne (some say Art Deco?) gem is a snapshot of mid-century elegance—with gleaming tile, curving lines, and historic echoes in every corner.
Fun fact: The current Florence is actually its third incarnation, having survived not one, but two fires. Olivia loves pointing out the design details that survived and the stories that didn’t.
🌊 4. Brennan’s Wave: Surf’s Up, Missoula!
Wait, surfing? In a mountain town? Yep. Brennan’s Wave is a man-made surf wave in the Clark Fork River that brings kayakers, surfers, and spectators alike. Olivia loves this stop because it surprises people—and gives them a taste of Missoula’s modern personality. You might see wetsuit-clad surfers riding the wave while you’re learning about the city’s gritty past. It’s a place where old meets new and adventure never feels far away.
✊ 5. Missoula’s Labor History:
Olivia grew up in Butte—Montana’s labor union capital—and she’s passionate about sharing Missoula’s chapter in that story.
Missoula was home to organizers from the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), or “Wobblies,” who fiercely defended the right to speak, organize, and challenge unfair working conditions.
People like Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, a fiery labor leader, and Frank Little, whose activism cost him everything, helped shape Montana’s progressive legacy.
🚶 Ready to Walk Through the Past?
This is just a taste of what you’ll see, hear, and feel on our History Tour of downtown Missoula. Whether you’re a local or a first-time visitor, we promise stories you haven’t heard—and a new way to look at the streets you thought you knew.
📅 History Tours run Monday through Friday at 10:30am
🎟️ Reserve your spot at localmissoulatours.com
Come walk with us—and meet the characters who made Missoula what it is today.
-Local Missoula Tours