Billings (MT) October 6, 2025 – From new flavors and fresh spaces to big wins and wild arrivals, Billings is buzzing with stories worth sharing, including a top-10 national ranking for Logan International Airport, a pair of rare red panda cubs at ZooMontana and the launch of Walkin’ Grounds Coffee, where every cup comes steeped in heritage. Add in a new listening room for live music, a classic butcher shop experience, championship barbecue, a larger-than-life Old West roadhouse and national accreditation for the Yellowstone County Museum, and visitors will find plenty of reasons to explore what’s new in Montana’s largest city.
Top-10 Airport
Billings Logan International Airport was named a Top 10 Favorite Airport by readers of Travel + Leisure, highlighting its straightforward layout, smooth security and traveler-friendly amenities. The airport also recently wrapped up its first major terminal and concourse expansion in decades. The project added more boarding gates and jet bridges, larger waiting areas, upgraded restrooms with family options, new shops and dining, and more accessible features throughout. Looking ahead, the airport’s new master plan outlines future growth over the next 20 years, with potential upgrades to parking, runways, taxiways and air cargo facilities. For visitors, flying into Billings is now easier than ever with new seasonal nonstop service to Chicago O’Hare, adding thousands of extra seats and connecting Montana’s largest city with one of the nation’s busiest hubs.
New Pandas and a Wolf Named Thor
ZooMontana has two new arrivals to celebrate: red panda cubs born on June 25 to the beloved pair of red pandas visitors know as Pabu and Pavitra. Pabu, who came from the Oregon Zoo in 2021, and Pavitra, who arrived in 2024 as his mate, were paired through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. With fewer than 2,500 red pandas left in the wild and populations declining by half in the past 20 years, the arrival of these cubs marks an important step in helping preserve this charismatic and vulnerable species. Along with the new panda cubs, the zoo recently welcomed a new wolf named Thor.
Coffee with Character
Walkin’ Grounds Coffee is a new Billings-based catering and delivery business started by Northern Cheyenne entrepreneur Katalin Walker, who blends espresso with storytelling rooted in her Indigenous heritage. Inspired by her late mother, whom she calls her “coffee queen,” Walker created signature drinks like the Morning Meadowlark latte and Rain in the Cup, each carrying a family story or ancestral tribute. For Walker, sharing coffee is a way to honor tradition, connect with other urban Native Americans, and bring meaning to everyday moments.
A Cut Above
This fall, Pete Lee and his wife Lindsay are opening Pete’s Meats at 2917 2nd Ave. N. in Billings. “The experience Lee hopes to create for his customers harkens back roughly a century to the time of neighborhood butcher shops,” states The Billings Gazette. “Similar to those, he’ll be cutting each piece of meat by hand — no machine-cut meat here to leave bone dust behind on freshly cut pieces of protein. Aside from the dust and heat generated by machine blades, Lee said the friction of the blade can also tear into the meat. Lee sees butchering as an artform, no matter the blade. Hand-cutting is the ultimate form of butchering craftsmanship, he said. ‘It’s more artisanal. I’m going to be doing a lot more physical work, but I think the end-product is a lot better that way,’ Lee said. ‘Every butcher has their own style, just like an artist … There’s just a little uniqueness to each cut when it’s done by hand.’” For travelers who want to taste something fresh, meet the people behind it, and bring home a flavor of Billings, Pete’s Meats is the kind of hidden gem that makes a trip more memorable.
Enjoy a Nationally Accredited Experience
The Yellowstone County Museum has earned national accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, the highest recognition a U.S. Museum can receive. The honor, achieved after a five-year process of policy improvements, facility upgrades and peer reviews, affirms the museum’s excellence and commitment to preservation and public service. While undergoing construction to add a new entrance, accessibility features and updated facilities, the museum remains open Tuesday through Saturday with occasional closures announced online. A grand reopening and accreditation celebration is planned for early 2026.
New Space for Tunes
The Workshop is a cozy, garage-turned-listening room tucked into a tree-lined neighborhood on Poly Drive in Billings. With low lighting, a rug-covered stage just inches off the floor, and an eclectic mix of seating, the space feels more like a neighbor’s home studio than a venue. Created by singer-songwriter Angie Goeke and her husband Paul, The Workshop opened in May with Goeke’s own band, Runaway Revival, and now hosts curated monthly concerts. Intimate and unpretentious, it’s a spot where audiences can sink in, tune out the outside world, and experience live music up close.
Smokin’ Good Flavor
This fall, Billings visitors can savor award-winning barbecue as Montana Outlaw BBQ makes its local debut. After years of catering and competing in more than 70 contests nationwide, including 16 world championships, father and son team Rick and Ty Hamilton are bringing their smoky, championship flavors to the public. With seven grand championships under their belt, they’re now serving lunch every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday starting at 11:30 a.m. until sellout, usually wrapping up by 5 p.m. if supplies last. The large platter, featuring a half rack of ribs, half a pound each of brisket and pork, two buns and two sides, is hearty enough to share or save for dinner, making it a must-try stop for visitors craving authentic Montana barbecue.
Step into the Old West
The new Doc Holliday’s Roadhouse brings a larger-than-life dose of Old West nostalgia to Billings. Founded by father and son Marcus and Max Jundt, the themed restaurant is inspired by Marcus’s favorite film, Tombstone. The restaurant will showcase bold décor, including thousands of cowboy boots hanging from the ceiling, painted cattle skulls, hand-carved cigar store statues, and dramatic taxidermy mounts. Outside, visitors will be greeted by a 150-foot illuminated flagpole, a herd of life-size metal buffalo statues charging across the property and a massive ranch-style gate marking the entrance. It is designed to be an unforgettable, Americana-fueled dining experience unlike anything else in the city.
