Tippet Rise Art Center in Fishtail, Montana
A visit to Tippet Rise makes a delightful summer side trip from Yellowstone or Bozeman.
Massive boulders lean against each other, towering above the Montana prairie with mountain peaks rising in the distance. Though the scene calls to mind Stonehenge, it's actually quite modern. In fact, the "boulders" are concrete sculptures installed at Tippet Rise Art Center in Fishtail, Montana, a preserve opened in 2016 to unite nature, art, and music.
Set on more than 12,000 acres of ranch land, Tippet Rise makes a delightful summertime side trip from Yellowstone or Bozeman. The center runs van tours of its seven large sculptures, which range from Daydreams—a model of a 19th-century schoolhouse wrapped in a cocoon of branches—to West African architect Diébédo Francis Kéré's sprawling pavilion, inspired by structures built by the Dogon people.
Through Sept. 8, Tippet Rise also offers limited free passes to hikers and bikers. While exploring, you might see golden eagles soaring high above—and the occasional cow sheltering under a sculpture.