City Centered

A beginner's guide to downtown Bozeman.

Coming to a new place can be daunting, especially if it’s your first time away from home. But straying off campus is well worth the effort, so let us help you out. First, if you don’t have your own car, a chauffer, or a friend willing to drive you places, you can always take the Streamline bus. With five different routes, you can get almost anywhere in Bozeman; and better yet, it’s free. Let’s hop on and head downtown.

Alright, you made it and you're hungry. Options abound on Main Street, from affordable comfort food to upscale ethnic delights. Half a dozen breakfast joins await, along with loads of lunch and dinner choices. A few of our favorites: Main Street Overeasy for breakfast, BagelWorks for lunch and Dave's Sushi for supper.  

Now that you’re well fed, it’s time for some culture. Bozeman has a robust music scene, and it keeps getting better. The Rialto Theater is relatively new to town and features acts from across the country in a classy, fun setting. Catch plays, classic films, and variety shows at the Ellen, or head to the Emerson Theater for film festivals. If classical is your thing, the Willson Auditorium has you covered as the home of the Bozeman Symphony. Loads of other local venues cater to the 21-and-over crowd, and they have some great shows as well.

So now that you know where to seek food and entertainment, you just want to explore a little. On the east end of Main Street, the Bozeman Public Library is a great study spot situated right next to the beautiful Lindley Park. With loads of books, free wireless, and a coffee shop, you can basically live there six days a week. Cactus Records is our very own record store. Looking for music, or some quirky gifts? This is where you want to be. Although it’s nice to check out books from the library, sometimes you just gotta have one for yourself. In that case, head to Vargo’s (books and records) or Country Bookshelf (just books). Both have tons of character and a wide selection of literature. Lastly, head to Sacks thrift store. Although there’s a plethora of thrift stores around town, Sacks is the most colorful. With great prices and excellent finds, thrift-shopping at Sacks is more like hunting for treasure.

Okay, you almost know downtown like the back of your hand, but not quite. You still don’t know where to get your outdoor gear! First, stop by Second Wind Sports. Brand-new gear tends to be pricey, but Second Wind has some excellent discounts when it comes to lightly used gear of any kind. Ladies, head over to Girls Outdoors. With a wide selection of outdoor apparel, GO is a great option. For bike and ski gear, there’s Owenhouse and Summit, and Schnee’s is the biggest all-around outdoor store. Lastly, hit up Chalet Sports. Chalet provides top-of-the-line gear for reasonable prices, and the staff are super helpful. It’s worth a look, if only to admire the shiny new stuff.