32 WAC Magazine | wac.net
Where history and music meet
Sit down to a good meal in Big Sky Country
An excerpt from the Montana Historical
Society:
e conflagration of 1903 began on the
building's top floor, and efforts to battle it
were unsuccessful due to the fire's extreme
heat and speed. e few club members in
the building and the cook who discovered
the fire were able to escape with some car-
rying the club's early member and guest
registers. e building was a total loss.
e embers of the fire that destroyed
the old Montana Club weren't even cold
by the time members met the following
morning to discuss its rebuilding. e
new building maintained many features
of the old with some key exceptions—
including a bar that was added in the
clubhouse basement. In 2016, that bar
reopened as the Rathskeller, a speakeasy
that showcases local music and offers
an easy way for prospective members to
To visit a club, members must request a letter
of introduction. Log on to wac.net/loi. Submit
club reviews at wac.net/reciprocal-reviews.
Helena, Montana
The Montana Club
24 Sixth Avenue
Helena, MT 59624
406.442.5980 (p); 406.442.0276 (f)
mtclub.org
wac.net/reciprocal-clubs
club life
reciprocal club
start experiencing the club.
As a reciprocal member, you'll be able
to enjoy the Rathskeller and the main
restaurant upstairs. e clubhouse's sixth
floor features two dozen stained-glass
windows, the largest non-ecclesiastical
collection in the state. While you're
taking in the windows, choose from the
club's menu, which includes house-made
pasta, wild mushrooms, and, of course,
Montana beef.
Primarily a dining club, e Montana
Club is touted as the oldest, continuous-
ly operating private club in the North-
west. e brick building stands proud
in Montana's capital city, defined by its
1860s gold rush and the nearby Elkhorn
Mountains. Organized and incorporated
in 1885, e Montana Club is a must-see
for anyone visiting Big Sky Country.
—Contact WAC Director Member
Services Amanda Brynn at
abrynn@wac.net.
Clockwise from top left: A view of Big Sky
Country past the Montana state capitol
building; a historical photo of the rebuilt
Montana Club after the fire; inside the
upstairs restaurant.
